General Dr Tjeerd de Graaf received an honorary doctorate for accomplishing some unique projects. He financed the reconstruction of linguistic databases from the archives of the Puškinskij Dom, Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. Moreover he supplied departments in St. Petersburg with computers for the technical processing of the recorded materials. Cecilia Odé reports. Roads to Progress and Tradition Towards a New Age of Partnership: The VOC records and the study of Early Modern Asia. A scientific and cultural Dutch-Asian-South African project has been developed to preserve and study the mutual heritage that the Netherlands share with countries in Asia and with South Africa. Regions Central Asia Tibetan epic 'King Gesar'. The Tibetan epic 'King Gesar', the longest epic in the world, is still alive among the Tibetan people. It has been handed down for generations and the oral tradition is still very much alive today. Yang Enhong interviewed forty singers. South Asia Bhutanese Refugees: Middle of Nowhere The Bhutanese Citizenship Act of 1985 indirectly declared the southern Bhutanese (Lhotshampas) 'non-nationals'. Bhutanese refugees are now no longer prepared to suffer in silence. They continue to hold various demonstrations in Nepal and India and campaign in Bhutan through media or any other means they can find. An article by Rajesh Giri. Insular South West Asia Mauritius and Neigbouring Islands Four hundred years ago the Dutch under the command of Admiral Wybrandt van Warwijck landed on the island of Mauritius. He named the island Mauritius after Prince Maurits of Orange-Nassau. Southeast Asia Natural Resource Use in Native and Colonial Histories: The Iban of West Kalimantan, Indonesia . For centuries the Iban of West Kalimantan, Indonesia, have made seasonal use of the extensive lakes, today designated as Danau Sentarum Wildlife Reserve. They face challenges such as over-fishing, loss of access to lake resources, and conflict between ethnic groups. Reed L. Wadley studies the Iban's natural resource use in native and colonial histories, which may provide lessons for conservation and development in the area. East Asia Agricultural and Rural Development in China (EDARDC VI). The main theme of the 6th European Conference on Agricultural and Rural Development in China will be 'the factors that will shape China's rural society in the 21st century' Asian Arts Inside Out: New Chinese Art The rapid turnover of styles among PRC artists reflects their sudden exposure to Western art, whereas Taiwanese artists were always familiar with the history of Western oil painting. The exhibition 'Inside Out: New Chinese Art' shows work by 58 Chinese artists living in the People's Republic of China, but also in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and overseas. The GATE Foundation reports