The question of how artificial intelligence technology can empower the global sharing of Dunhuang cultural heritage has sparked widespread discussion and academic interest. To explore this question, Class 56 of the 2025 cohort of undergraduate students from the Department of Electronic Engineering at Tsinghua University recently formed the "iDunhuang" overseas practice team to conduct field research in London and Paris. The team also recruited a number of undergraduate students majoring in humanities and social sciences. This mission aimed to deepen their understanding of transnational Chinese cultural preservation and digital humanities innovations, while also cultivating interdisciplinary thinking and an international perspective.
The team members visited the British Library and the Bibliothèque nationale de France (National Library of France). During a meeting with the British Library, the team members learned about the "International Dunhuang Programme". Initiated by the British Library, the project involves more than 30 institutions worldwide, including the National Library of China and the Dunhuang Academy. The programme not only provides scholars with high-definition images and metadata of Dunhuang manuscripts for transnational sharing, but also offers Silk Road cultural learning resources to the public. Discussions during the exchange focused on intellectual property, digital standards, and the application of AI technology. The team members recognized that digital technology breaks down geographical barriers to cultural sharing, and that the application of AI technology has unleashed unprecedented potential for literature research and the dissemination of civilization.
At the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Chief Curator Laurent Hériche recounted the history of the dispersal of Dunhuang manuscripts and displayed several examples of Dunhuang manuscripts from the 9th and 10th centuries AD. The team members deeply felt that the existence of civilization is the accumulated result of countless people's protection and inheritance, and that college students should have a responsibility to use their professional expertise to protect this memory of civilization belonging to all humankind.
The team members also visited nine universities, research institutions, and companies, including Cambridge University and École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE) at Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL). They also co-organized a workshop with nine invited talks on digital humanities and artificial intelligence innovation with the Chinese Students and Scholars Association of King's College London, attracting nearly 100 participants online and offline.
This field research practice also deepened the team members' understanding of youth responsibility and mission in this era through visits to the UNESCO headquarters and the site of the Paris Commune.
Editors: Li Han, John Paul Grima
