Dr. Nathan M. Pusey, president of the Harvard University, said yesterday that the major interest of education and research in his university has shifted from the Western hemisphere to the whole world, particularly to the Asian culture that has been neglected by the West during the past 50 years.

The Harvard President pointed out that the shift of interest to the Oriental culture is a tendency which at present is common to various colleges and universities in the United States.

Dr. Pusey, who came here on a survey of the Far East colleges and universities, said that Harvard has set up a "East Asia Research Center" with professors of social and natural sciences on the faculty to undertake intensive studies. He said the findings of the center will be provided for the (U.S.) Government and people for reference in administration, and for further research. The "Research on Problems of the Chinese Communists" and the "Research on the Religions in the Far East" are among the important works undertaken by the center, he said.

Commenting on the role of college education today, the Harvard President said that the colleges in the world today should train the students with special skills, instill in them new knowledge and a sense of responsibility so as to improve the society in which we live.

In a speech he gave to the Harvard and American University Club at the Grand Hotel yesterday afternoon, Dr. Pusey observed that it was the most difficult job to train "good men," which is one of the major roles of universities in the world today.

Dr. Pusey visited the National Taiwan University in the morning with his wife and Mr. and Mrs. R. Keith Kane. Mr. Kane is a member of the seven-man governing board of the Harvard Corporation. Dr. Pusey and his party were received by President and Madame Chiang Kai-Shek at 4:30 in the afternoon.

They will leave Taiwan today.