On 20 May 2025, the Trinity Centre for Asian Studies (TCAS) received a remarkable donation of over 1,000 books, delivered in 60 boxes shipped from Florida to Dublin, from Professor Lai Guolong of Westlake University, China. This marks the third major book donation received by TCAS - and certainly the largest so far.
Professor Lai Guolong, originally from Xiaoshan, Hangzhou, is a distinguished scholar of Chinese archaeology, art history, and historical linguistics. He received his Bachelor of Laws in International Law from Jilin University in 1991 and his MA in Shang and Zhou Archaeology and Palaeography from Peking University in 1994. Following graduation, he worked at the National Museum of Chinese History (now the National Museum of China). In 2002, he earned his PhD in Art History from The University of California, Los Angeles. From 2002 to 2004, he conducted postdoctoral research at Columbia University on Chinese cultural heritage preservation and modernization, while also teaching Chinese archaeology and art history. In 2004, he joined the University of Florida, where he taught for nearly two decades before becoming the first overseas humanities professor appointed by Westlake University.
At Westlake University, Professor Lai has played an important role in advancing humanities education, offering courses in global art history and linguistics, while developing new initiatives in archaeology, cultural heritage, writing systems, and historical linguistics.
TCAS is deeply grateful for Professor Lai’s generous support. This growing collection will make an important contribution to Asian Studies resources at Trinity and support future teaching and research across disciplines.