Establishing a system for Handling Han Characters on the Internet

利用计算机，通过互联网，不仅是交换亚洲研究领域大量数据的基本媒介，而且是提高这些数据质量的一种方法，具有巨大的潜力。然而，令人担忧的不仅是目前支持环境在传输能力方面的不足，而且随着互联网逐渐被公众广泛使用，这种情况可能会进一步恶化。因此，必须建立一个国际机制，进一步促进关于传播这类信息的研究方面的国际协作和合作。讲习班于11月14日至15日在津邦肯举行，目的是深入探讨和讨论在计算机媒体内编码、收集和传输以伊坎文字和中日韩文字为基础的文字材料的有关事项。考虑到这一目标，我们试图将世界各地在汉字及其计算机化领域的领先专家带到京都来。这些来自日本以外的学者包括两名美国学者、三名台湾学者和三名韩国学者。此外，来自京都大学以及日本其他大学和研究中心的许多研究人员参加了研讨会。加州大学伯克利分校的刘易斯·兰开斯特教授首先向该组织发表了讲话。他的演讲主要集中在太平洋邻里联盟(PNC)的简要历史和未来目标以及太平洋地区NACSIS等一些主要机构之间的T3电缆连接。下一位讲者是中研院的谢志强博士，他向我们介绍了他和林志坚博士在他们的机构管理的一个新项目，该项目旨在将国外一系列人文和自然科学的研究材料数字化。

There is great potential for use of the computer, though the Internet, as a fundamental medium for not only the exchange of the huge body of data in field of Asian studies, but also as a method of enhancing the quality of such data. However, there is concern not only about the present inadequacy of the support environment in terms of transmission capabilities, but that the situation many further degenerate as the Internet comes into gradually wider usage by the general public. It is therefore vitally necessary that an international mechanism for further promotion of international collaboration and cooperation for research concerning disseminating such information.The Workshop was convened at the Zinbunken on November 14-15 for the purpose of in-depth exploration and discussion of matters related to the encoding, collection and transmission of ekanji and CJK-character-based textual materials within the computer medium. With this goal in mind, we attempted to bring to Kyoto the leading experts from around the world in the area of Chinese characters and their computerization. These scholars from outside of Japan included two from the United States, three from Taiwan, and three from Korea. In addition, the workshop was attended by many researchers from Kyoto University as well as from other universities and research centers in Japan. The group was first addressed by Prof. Lewis Lancaster from the University of California at Berkeley. His talk focused mainly on a brief history and the future goals of the Pacific Neighborhood Consortium (PNC) and a T3 cable connection between some of the major institutions like NACSIS in the Pacific Run. The next presentation was made by Dr. C.C.Hsieh of Academia Sinica, who introduced us to the new project he and Dr. Simon Lin are administering at their institution for the digitization of abroad range of research materials in the humanities and the natural sciences.