Crossing Continents and Institutions to Explore China’s Past

What happens when a researcher crosses continents to explore a new collection? For Yutong Li, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, four weeks at UC San Diego Library brought unexpected archival discoveries, fresh perspectives on her research, and new questions about the history of China’s animals and zoological gardens in the 1950s-1970s. Her experience illustrates how access to distinctive collections can open new research paths and strengthen connections between academic institutions.

Li’s visit was made possible through the WongAvery Visiting Scholar Exchange Program, which fosters international research and engagement with distinctive East Asian collections held at Cambridge University Library and UC San Diego Library. The program is part of the WongAvery East Asian Collections Collaboration and is generously supported by the Avery-Tsui Foundation, in collaboration with Cambridge University Library , UC San Diego Library , and Trinity Hall, Cambridge .

Earlier this year, Cambridge University Library and Trinity Hall welcomed UC San Diego scholar Ian Dubrowsky, who drew on Cambridge’s vast Chinese Collections to uncover the global networks of information and expertise that shaped Chinese industry during the Mao era. Dubrowsky’s experience is outlined in “ From Cambridge to San Diego: Crossing Cold War Boundaries in the Chinese Collections .”