Leiden University Collection Now Available in Jakarta

TheIndonesia.id - Indonesians can find collections from the Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-Land-en Volkenkunde (KITLV) and also Leiden University, the Netherlands, in Jakarta. The Dutch Minister of Culture, Education, and Science, Dr Robbert Dijkgraaf, inaugurated this office.

"With the launch of the KITLV-Jakarta Front Office and the Leiden University Office in Indonesia, now visitors can come directly to get information about the Leiden University Library collections, several collections of resources stored at KITLV-Jakarta, and also about Leiden University and study programs offered," said Dijkgraaf in a written statement received in Jakarta, Tuesday, July 26, 2022.

During his visit to Jakarta some time ago, Minister Dijkgraaf inaugurated the KITLV-Jakarta front office and the Leiden University office. Previously, Leiden University and the State Archives of the Republic of Indonesia (ANRI) reaffirmed the cooperation between the two institutions in the archives and academic fields.

This launch also restores collaboration for scientific research activities, education of ANRI staff at Leiden University, submission of Memories of the World UNESCO, and the digitization of manuscripts and collections of documents from the two institutions. The digitization will make the collections can be accessed openly from Indonesia, the Netherlands, and all over the world.

KITLV has been carrying out activities for collecting information sources and developing research on the former Dutch colonies and the surrounding areas since 1851. KITLV based in Leiden City opened a representative office in Jakarta in 1969.

KITLV-Jakarta cooperates with the National Research and Innovation Agency (formerly Indonesian Institute of Sciences, LIPI) in organizing various scientific activities and publishing scientific works about Indonesia in particular and Southeast Asia in general. Meanwhile, Leiden University's library has a wide collection of information resource materials in the humanities and social sciences with a main focus on Southeast Asia.