June 24, 2010
The collaborative
research laboratory at
Xi'an Jiaotong University
The 14th Kyoto University International Symposium (KUIS-14): "High Resolution Digitization of Asian World Heritage" was held at the Xi'an Garden Hotel Tang Hua in Xi'an City, China. The symposium focused on research into the high resolution digitization of Asian cultural heritage and provided a showcase for the state-of-the-art digital imaging technology being developed at Kyoto University's Graduate School of Engineering. The symposium was held in cooperation with Xi'an Jiaotong University, and was sponsored by the Kyoto University Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan's Special Coordination Funds for Promoting Science and Technology. The event was attended by approximately 80 participants.
The symposium began with an overview by Professor Ari Ide-Ektessabi of the Graduate School of Engineering, which was followed by a welcome address by Vice-President Zhuangde Jiang of Xi'an Jiaotong University, and an opening speech by Executive Vice-President Kiyoshi Yoshikawa of Kyoto University. The program featured presentations and discussion sessions focusing on the technology for high resolution digitization of cultural assets, and projects to create an international infrastructure to use that technology for the preservation, repair and utilization of Asian cultural heritage. Presentations were given by ten presenters from various countries, including Korea, Italy and the Great Britain.
Kyoto and Xi'an have had a Friendship City relationship since 1974, and at the reception, hosted by Kyoto University after the symposium, a letter of appreciation addressed to President Zheng Nanning of Xi'an Jiaotong University from Mr. Daisaku Kadokawa, the Mayor of Kyoto City was delivered to Vice-President Zhuangde Jiang by Professor Tetsuo Sawaragi, Assistant to the Executive Vice-President of Kyoto University.
On June 25–27, the symposium participants were given the opportunity to see the digitization and preservation of cultural heritage in practice on field trips to the Shaanxi History Museum, the Han Yangling Museum, and the Dunhuang Academy and the historic Mogao Caves in Dunhuang.
 Executive Vice-President Kiyoshi Yoshikawa delivers his opening speech |  Participants engage in a discussion at the Dunhuang Academy |
 Presentation session | |