Study On Institutionalization Of Recent Chinese Chemistry From The Perspective Of Social History Of Science

The process of the development of chemistry in recent China is actually the striving history written by the returned students in that period. This dissertation explores the important role and effects played and exerted by the returned students in the Institutionalization process of chemistry in the background of recent China. It is focused on the Institutionalization of chemistry from the entity of chemists in recent Chinese period. The dissertation is well organized by two interconnected main themes: the institutionalization of chemistry and the returned students in recent China.This dissertation includes introduction, 6 main parts of body, conclusion and 2 important appendixes. Though the background analysis of the returned students in recent Chinese chemistry and statistical demonstration of their group have been included in appendix, it serves as the solid ground and basis. So the abstract deals with the two appendixes first.Appendix One. Historical trend of studying abroad in recent China and the returned students for chemistry.This part briefly illustrates the social background of studying abroad in which groups of Chinese students studying chemistry abroad came into being. In period, the system of studying abroad was established in period of Republic of China, thus giving birth to the trend of students groups studying chemistry abroad. In subject, following the trend of studying abroad for multi-purposes, studying abroad for academic research strikes the strongest note of that period, bringing the fruitful result of institutionalization of chemistry in recent China. In area, Europe has always been the selected place of studying overseas while Japan has been the place with the largest number of Chinese students studying abroad. America has always been the base of developing Chinese talents to carry out the mission of building up the national power with science and technology. Among the students studying in and returned from America are the elites for the institutionalization of chemistry in recent China.Appendix Two. Name list of the returned students for chemistry in recent China.Altogether 377 returned students in recent Chinese chemistry are included in the name list, which is so far the most complete collection. The name list is divided into 12 index columns as name, birth date, gender, birth place, previous educational background, time of studying abroad , universities and other organizations to study in, degree achievement, returning time, subject and occupation after returning, brief introduction of studying overseas and domestic working. This name list serves as a brief biography of the returned students in recent Chinese chemistry with the striking characteristics of orderly and reasonable classification, well-grounded index analysis, rich content and enormous data.IntroductionThe introduction is a systematic generalization of related research work on this subject domestic and abroad. It covers the work on the two aspects of research on institutionalization of science in recent China from social history of science and institutionalization of chemistry in recent China with returned students. It also involves details such as the research theme, framework, contents, analytical methods, originalities and key points of this dissertation.Part one. Group index analysis of the returned students on the role-formation of recent Chinese chemists.Based on the name list in Appendix Two, this part makes a quantitative statistical analysis of the 12 group indexes divided into 3 time ranges: before studying abroad, studying abroad, after returning, so as to make profound illustration of the growing background of such unique entity of science — the groups of the returned students for chemistry in recent China. It is a method of prosopography.Part Two. Establishment of scientific institutes and periodicals — the beginning of institutionalization of recent Chinese chemistry.This part is a detailed description of the development of chemical institutes , organizations and periodicals established in the first half of 20thcentury by the returned students for chemistry in recent China. It is with the establishment of chemical institutes and periodicals that the institutionalization of chemistry in recent China starts. All the related statistical analyses best prove the leading important role played by the returned students for chemistry in recent China.Part Three. Development of higher education — the important support of institutionalization of recent Chinese chemistry.The essential development of the institutionalization of chemistry in recent China is first accomplished in the area of chemistry education, especially the area of higher education. Still the returned students play an important role in it. Colleges and universities are where they achieve most. Tracing the 3 development periods of chemistry in recent China, the part develops along one main theme of institutionalization of chemistry in recent China to evaluate the great contribution of the returned students, including the aspects of establishment of chemical education system, course and textbook system, discipline construction and development, etc.Part Four. Establishment of research organizations— the core of institutionalization of recent Chinese chemistry.With profound knowledge of the fact that the establishment of specific research organizations is the key index of institutionalization of science, the returned students courageously carry the mission of establishing and developing chemical research organizations in recent China. Much more details are involved in this part as to the various forms of such organizations — the independent research organizations, the ones of universities or enterprises.Part Five. Accomplishment of outstanding achievements — the profound result of institutionalization of chemistry in recent China.The returned students have accomplished striking achievement in the area of chemical research in order to integrate the chemistry of China with the global chemistry system and take a key position in it. This part selects and analyses the most striking achievement of them in recent China, amongwhich are basic research achievement of world leading level and achievements marking the development of Chinese chemical industry.Part Six. Academicians of the national academy of science — the best embodiment of role-formation of Chinese chemists.This part is a comprehensive survey of the group of the returned students who have been elected as the academicians of the National Academy of Science for chemistry. As the excellent representatives of group of the returned students, in a rather long period, even in the second half of 20th century, they are all time the elites of the academicians for chemistry.ConclusionThe conclusion makes an overall analysis and generalization and a further statement. By exploring the institutionalization process of chemistry in recent China from the perspective of social history of science, it concludes with constructive suggestions on the research of social history of science and the institutionalization of science of China.The main body of 6 parts and 2 appendixes are organically inter-connected as a whole.The two appendixes are both the ground and background evidence of the dissertation. It is under the time and space background of 100-year- long history of studying abroad, the dissertation explores the brilliant achievement contributed by 377 Chinese students studying chemistry abroad and returned to the institutionalization of chemistry in recent China.Name list in appendix two directly gives a panoramic description of 377 returned students. In the first part of the body, it starts with the detailed analysis of the overall view of the group of 377 returned students for chemistry. Through the analysis, it aims to discover, on one hand, the part that the returned students in recent China played in the process of role-formation of Chinese chemists in recent China to probe the social factor of role-formation of Chinese chemists by quantitative group index. On the other hand, by the quantitative group index analysis of the returned studentsfor chemistry in recent China, it provides proved historical data and background for the following parts of investigation of the institutionalization of chemistry in recent China .The 2nd ,3rd and 4th part of the body focus on such 3 most important links in the institutionalization of chemistry in recent China as institutes, universities and research institutions. It aims to find out the outstanding achievement and contribution of returned students in the process of establishment and development, which serves as the main part of this dissertation.The 5 part is a discussion of scientific achievements of returned students in recent China accomplished in chemistry organizations such as institutes, universities and research institutions. They reflect the profound result of the institutionalization of chemistry. In the 6th part, the focus is on the prominent representatives of the returned students for chemistry in recent China — academicians, as well as their overall contributions to the institutionalization of chemistry in China. It's a further reflection to the 2nd,3rd and 4th part. The whole dissertation begins with the investigation of the group of the returned students for chemistry in recent China, and ends with the research on academician group of the returned students for chemistry in recent China.