From Shanxi Academy To Shanxi University (1902-1937)

Shanxi Academy, which was founded in 1902 during the time of "new policy" at the end of Qing Dynasty, was the result of reforming traditional academy and innovating the mode of management, as well as drawing references from the western modern university education and western civilization. In the hard time at the beginning of the 20^th century, Shanxi Academy turned the first page of Chinese modern university education along with Jingshi Academy and Beiyang Academy. Developing with difficulties and setbacks through 3 stages as were Shanxi Academy (from 1902 to 1912), Shanxi Large College (from 1912 to 1931), Shanxi University (from 1931 to 1937), Shanxi Academy kept to the principle of high quality education to improve the personal training and school building, and made an active and helpful research for the Chinese university education modernization. Shanxi University adopted two systems in one school, renewing and combining the west with China as its special mode of running school as well as drew lessons from the mode of running school and teaching practice in England. It did irreplaceable contributions to the establishment and development of Chinese modern university education.In new century, Chinese university education with history of one hundred years is facing with new opportunities and challenges. With the development of science and knowledge economy and the process of carrying out the view of scientific development and building a well-off society, how to further the understanding of university education and push its development is a great issue we should think about. Today's universities are continuation of the past and extension of tomorrow. Studying further the success and failure of modern Chinese university education is valuable to the building and development of university education in new times. This thesis tends to put Shanxi University which is of unique analytical value into situation of Chinese modern university education from its initial setting up, forming and maturing to study its major achievements, feature and influence during the initial and developing stages of Chinese modern university education, analyses its inside elements, structure andinteraction, and discuss its historical developing process, experience and nature of innovation. In research, attaching importance to not only macro-discussion but also micro-analysis, instructed by historical materialism and dialectical materialism, keep to the principle of "value neutrality", against with the false view of "value presetting". On methods, ways of history, modern theory, pedagogy and sociology were adopted to compare and prove. On base of previous research to find and combine the firsthand materials, problems and regularity were found out to refine the valuable things to deepen the further study of Chinese modern university education and offer the important references to the development of modern university education. The thesis consists of three parts which are introduction, text and conclusion.Part One IntroductionThis part introduces the topic choosing and the importance of research, explains its value and combs some concepts related to the topic with reviewing the past and present study in this field and indicates methods and ways in topic research.Part Two TextThis part looks fully back the history from Shanxi Academy to Shanxi University (from 1902 to 1937) and gives a comments on its special experience in founding and developing, the mode of running school and contributions to the history. This part consists of six chapters. Section one (chapter one to three) is mainly to observe its evolution and historical developing process from the angle of vertical. Section two (chapter four to six) is from the angle of horizontal to show its style and feature and discuss its inner factor structure. On previous outlines, these six chapters develop by steps logically with clear and strict structure to form an integrated system. It reads as follows.Chapter One Starting with Difficulties: the founding of Shanxi Academy(1902). Comments on two modes which were rebuilding and newly-building in its initial stage of Chinese modern university education is made here, and it also narrates the setting process and forming of two systems in one school, introduces many important people concerned with its founding , the beginningeducational principles and goals of running school.Chapter Two One School with Two Systems:Management mode and practice during the time of Shanxi Academy(1902-1912). This chapter inspects the special form of Renyin University, examines the two different types of teaching between China and the west under condition of one school with two systems, narrates the development and combination of Chinese university and the west ones as well as formation of English teaching styles, analyses achievements and shortcomings in new system.Chapter Three Independent Explorationcmode of managing school and practice at the age of Shanxi Large College and university(1912-1937). The focus of this chapter is on university education development in Republic of China and educational status in Shanxi, and the process of drawing back running authority for Shanxi Academy and its experience from 1912 to 1937, summarizing experience and lessons of independent exploration in this time.Chapter Four Strategies of Managing SchoohChanges of school administrative power and system and achievements of successive presidents of the school. Relationship between university and government, changes of university teaching system and model of university management are organized here, comments on branch of discipline and change of university system are made and also achievements of successive presidents of the school is being analyzed.Chapter Five Conditions of Managing School: School funds, teaching facilities and teachers' treatment. Plenty of firsthand materials shows school funds raising, schoolhouse building, teaching facilities, books purchasing, teachers structure and changes of their treatment in different stages, and introduces success of translation school.Chapter Six Campus Life: Students management and campus cultural activities. This chapter cares for students daily management, campus humanities such as students associations and colorful physics activities, and discribes the situation for sent overseas students.Part Three ConclusionOn base of previous study, this thesis evaluates briefly and clearly the developing process of Shanxi University and Chinese modern university, and summarizes experience and lessons during the development of Chinese modern education, especially analyses and discusses the difficulties and problems for Chinese modern university education in carrying forward the traditions and learning from the west to give valuable and referential consults for the development of China's universities at present and in the future.