Partner Projects
Nara to Norwich
WIVA’s key international partner is the Nara to Norwich (N2N) project, based at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures (SISJAC) at the University of East Anglia in the UK. Led by Professor Simon Kaner and Professor Susan Whitfield, both also members of our International Advisory Board, the project investigates the extremities of the Silk Roads, looking beyond the conventional focus on China and the Mediterranean to include Korea and Japan in the east, and Britain and Scandinavia in the west. A particular focus is the gradual spread of religious ideas along these routes, at the intersection of spirituality and networked contacts. Quite simply, N2N is one of the most innovative and important projects currently engaging with the first millennium ‘big picture’ in Afro-Eurasia. The WIVA core team have worked with our colleagues at SISJAC since 2017, and we are delighted to place our existing collaborations on a new footing with the founding of the Centre. Building on joint workshops held in England, Sweden, Japan and Korea, future plans include a major meeting in east Asia, new research initiatives and publications.