Zhang Zhi-dong And Studying Abroad In Japan In The Late Qing Dynasty

Zhang Zhidong,one of the pioneer figures in the later Qing's education of studyingin Japan, played an extremely important role in the evolutionary process of themovement.This dissertation, attempting to take his studying abroad thoughts and practices asan access, thoroughly discusses his advocating in studying abroad and analyzes itsprocess in transformation. The Jia-wu War between China and Japan marked as awatershed of his transformation in the thoughts of studying abroad. Before that war, headvocated studying in Europe, and after it, he changed his position from studying inEurope to Japan. Actively, he dispatched students to study in Japan and appointedofficials administrating them, and employed them after their graduation from Japanand coming back. Zhang Zhidong became a policy maker of studying in Japan at theend of the Qing dynasty and gave a direct push on the formation of studying in Japanupsurges at the beginning of 20th century. On considering that those students were"disobedient", he took part in the policy-making of studying abroad, and enforced themanagement and restrains on those students studying in Japan. Zhang Zhidong'sthoughts in studying abroad reflected contradictory sides: on the one hand, he wanted toraise large quantities of governing talents for Qing government , on the other hand, heworried these studying abroad students, because of their acceptance of too muchwestern advanced civilization, became opponents of Qing government. This kind ofcontradictory psychology went through Zhang's thoughts and the movement of studyingin Japan, and it also indicated rulers' puzzling and dilemma in "learning from Japan" atthe end of Qing .