The International Research Centre will bring together the resources of the three founding partners – the Woon Brothers Foundation’s existing research and generous funding, Yunnan Provincial Museum’s important collections and professional expertise in collections management, and Northumbria University’s international reputation in education and museum/gallery work.
These collaborations will ensure the International Research Centre functions as a vital platform to promote studies of the history, culture, religion and art of the Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms. Over the next few years, a number of shared interests will be accomplished through the International Research Centre. For instance, the International Research Centre will organise seminars, lectures, symposia, international conferences, as well as joint research projects to call for scholarly attention to explore the Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms. Most importantly, we also aim to develop an online database of the material culture of the Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms, gathering together all the scattered pieces in museums around the world.
The Northumbria University and the Yunnan Provincial Museum are currently working together to construct the online database. At the time of completion, visitors will be able to see important materials of the Nanzhao-Dali kingdoms on the site for their research or academic studies.