Shanghai University Acquires Gale Scholar to Support Digital Humanities Growth

Shanghai University has acquired Gale Scholar from Gale, part of Cengage Group, opening up new possibilities for research and study using the expansive content and powerful search technologies of Gale Primary Sources. The resources are available to nearly 58,000 students across the university’s three campuses. The university also purchased Gale Digital Scholar Lab (the Lab) as it looks to advance in the growing field of digital humanities. The Lab makes digital humanities methods available to students and researchers, enabling them to analyze and interpret large amounts of data, fostering 21st-century skills they can use post-graduation. Shanghai University joins the list of distinguished universities in China to implement Gale Scholar.

Founded in 1922, Shanghai University is an esteemed, research-heavy institution that is a member of the national Project 211, an initiative that supports the development of the country’s best universities. As exemplified by their more than 3,000 international students, Shanghai University places an emphasis on international ties.

“Shanghai University was the first university established by the Communist Party of China. Our mission is to build a world-class research institution by giving scholars diverse digital resources that bring new perspectives,” said Pan Shouyong, Director of Shanghai University Library. “Gale Scholar and the Lab support this goal by providing primary sources from prestigious institutions across the world to build our digital humanities capabilities.”

The university selected Gale Scholar to increase its humanities and social sciences resources, allowing for more research in the area of liberal arts. Gale Scholar will also encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration and critical thinking while granting access to high-quality primary sources that were previously unavailable because of their location in Europe and North America.

“We are pleased to partner with Shanghai University through Gale Scholar and the Lab,” said Terry Robinson, senior vice president of Gale global academic. “These tools will support the institution in keeping pace with international scholars, growing research output and improving student outcomes.”

Gale Scholar provides Shanghai University researchers curated digital collections of books, maps, photographs, newspapers, periodicals and manuscripts from well-known libraries including the University of Oxford, Harvard University and the British Library. Acclaimed Gale Primary Sources series in the university’s programinclude:

• China and the Modern World
• Smithsonian Collections Online
• Punch Historical Archive, 1841-1992
• The Illustrated London News Historical Archive, 1842-2003
• Eighteenth Century Collections Online
• Nineteenth Century Collections Online
• The Making of the Modern World
• The Making of the Modern Law

For more information on Gale Scholar, visit its webpage.