\ <3 \v> - 
 
 e> ci ^ 
 
 V' & Vn~^ 
 
 China In^itute 
 
 In America 12 ’3 7. 
 
 ,W 
 
 119 West 57th Street 
 New York City 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2020 with funding from 
 Columbia University Libraries 
 
 https://archive.org/details/chinainstitutein00chin_1 
 
THE CHINA INSTITUTE IN AMERICA 
 
 By Eugene Shen, Ph.D., 
 
 Secretary to China Institute in America. 
 
 X T is a generally recognized fact that the history of Chinese- 
 American relationship has been marked by a sustained feeling of 
 friendliness. Such mutual good feeling, however, should be supported 
 by a broader understanding of each other’s culture and institutions. 
 This need is at least partly met by the creation of the China Institute 
 in America. 
 
 The China Institute came into existence in May, 1926, as the result of 
 a resolution adopted by the Trustees of the China Foundation for the 
 Promotion of Education and Culture. This Foundation was created in 
 1924 to administer the funds from the second remission of the Ameri¬ 
 can portion of the Boxer Indemnity. Aside from grants to various 
 universities and other educational organizations, the China Institute, 
 like the Metropolitan Library and the Department of Social Research, 
 is an enterprise which the Foundation has directly undertaken. The 
 general aim of the Institute is to promote a closer educational and 
 cultural relationship between China and the United States. As con¬ 
 ceived by the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, there are four lines 
 of activities which the Institute should undertake: 
 
 1. The dissemination of information concerning Chinese and 
 American education. 
 
 2. The promotion of a closer relationship between Chinese and 
 American educational institutions through the exchange of 
 professors and students. 
 
 3. Assisting Chinese students in America in their educational 
 pursuits, and also helping American students interested in 
 the study of things Chinese. 
 
 4. The stimulation of general interest in America in the study 
 of Chinese culture. 
 
 The Board of Trustees elected as the Director of the Institute Dr. P. 
 W. Kuo, who has been deeply interested in the promotion of friendly 
 relations between China and America. During the two and a half 
 years of its existence, the Institute has been quite fortunate in securing 
 the cooperation of various Chinese and American organizations as well 
 as individuals in its efforts to realize the aims for which it was estab¬ 
 lished. Its activities are best summarized according to the four 
 divisions as already outlined. 
 
 3 
 
(1) In the first place, the Institute has acted as a clearing house for 
 inquiries concerning Chinese and American education. As far as 
 possible, such inquiries are answered by giving printed material and 
 furnishing references to other sources. An outstanding event which 
 may be mentioned under this topic is the organization in 1926 of the 
 Chinese educational exhibits in the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition in 
 Philadelphia. The exhibits were administered by the Institute upon 
 the request of the Chinese National Association for the Advance¬ 
 ment of Education which was responsible for the collection and send¬ 
 ing of the material. The exhibits attempted to convey to the Amer¬ 
 ican public the idea of the continuity of Chinese culture, of the rapid 
 progress in modern education, and of the evolution of a new Chinese 
 civilization as a result of contacts with the West. It received con¬ 
 siderable attention from visitors and called forth not a few favorable 
 comments. The International Jury awarded a Grand Prize to China 
 "for the development of a comprehensive system of public education,” 
 and the Institute received a Medal of Elonor for "its unique and orig¬ 
 inal presentation of the Chinese Educational Exhibits.” Diplomas 
 were also awarded to the thirty-five educational institutions and or¬ 
 ganizations which collaborated in furnishing the material for the 
 exhibits. 
 
 (2) For the past several years educational work in China has been 
 carried on under such adverse conditions that the establishing of ex¬ 
 change professorships with American universities is obviously im¬ 
 practicable. Nevertheless, the China Foundation was able to secure 
 Professor J. G. Needham of Cornell University to lecture and direct 
 research in biology, and the Chinese National Association for the 
 Advancement of Education invited Professor W. H. Kilpatrick of 
 Teachers’ College, Columbia University, to make a lecture tour on 
 education. A number of other American educators who visited China 
 were extended assistance by the Institute. Similar assistance was ex¬ 
 tended to a number of Chinese educators visiting America. During 
 the present year, we have in America Mr. Y. C. James Yen, Director 
 of the National Association for the Mass Education Movement, and 
 Professor William Hung of Yenching University, who is with the 
 School of Chinese Studies at Harvard University. Dr. Hu Shih has 
 been offered the Haskell Lectureship from the University of Chicago 
 for 1929. The Institute has also assisted several American universities 
 in securing instructors in their departments of Chinese. 
 
 (3) In regard to Chinese students in America, the Institute has also 
 tried to be of assistance in a number of ways. Considerable corres- 
 
 4 
 
pondence has been carried on to facilitate the admission of Chinese 
 students in American colleges and universities, to give introductions 
 and testimonies, to assist advanced students to secure opportunities for 
 practical experience, and to adjust difficulties which sometimes arose 
 with the immigration authorities. The Institute also participated in 
 the administration of a loan fund which was specially created for 
 emergency aid to Chinese students. Assistance to American students 
 interested in Chinese studies chiefly consisted in answering inquiries and 
 furnishing references to original sources of information. 
 
 (4) The general public in America has been very much interested in 
 the study of China’s conditions, especially those relating to political 
 and international affairs. The Institute received a large number of 
 requests for speakers on these topics. Such requests were as far as 
 possible complied with, either by members of the Institute staff or by 
 others recommended for their special qualifications. Dr. Kuo has, 
 since the establishment of the Institute, addressed many audiences in 
 different parts of the country. Such efforts cannot but create a clearer 
 and more sympathetic understanding of China by the American people 
 and the results must be very far-reaching. Further American in¬ 
 terest in the study of Chinese culture is shown by the recent estab¬ 
 lishment of the Harvard-Yenching Institute of Chinese Studies, made 
 possible by the action of the trustees of the estate of the late Charles 
 M. Hall. A number of Americans and Chinese have expressed their 
 desire to create some organization on the Pacific Coast to cooperate 
 with the Institute, and students in the University of California inter¬ 
 ested in China are organizing a club for the study of Chinese culture. 
 The Institute has recently undertaken to make a survey of the Amer¬ 
 ican colleges and universities in regard to courses of instruction which 
 relate to China’s cultural background as well as China’s present con¬ 
 ditions. 
 
 Besides the activities outlined above under the four divisions, there are 
 items in the program of the Institute which do not relate to any one 
 of the four lines in particular. At irregular intervals, the Institute 
 published a number of bulletins. One of these, Bulletin 4, is a list of 
 "'Theses and Dissertations by Chinese Students in America,” which 
 includes five hundred and sixty-eight titles. About one hundred and 
 fifty additional titles have since been collected, including both old ones 
 which came in too late to be printed in the list and new ones which 
 are completed since its publication. Another, Bulletin 5, is a list of 
 "One Hundred Selected Books on China,” collected and annotated for 
 reference for the general public. Demands for this list have been 
 so many that a revised edition will have to be issued in the near future. 
 
In attempting to realize its aims and to carry out its activities, the 
 Institute endeavors to cooperate with organizations having similar 
 interests and purposes. It has received assistance and cooperation 
 from such organizations as the Institute of International Education, 
 the International Institute, the China Society of America, the Amer¬ 
 ican Friends of China Society, The Institute of Pacific Relations, and 
 the World Federation of Education Associations. A plan is now being 
 contemplated for a closer cooperation with the Institute of Pacific 
 Relations. The Institute, of course, is also cooperating with organ¬ 
 izations in China, such as the National Association for the Advance¬ 
 ment of Education, the National Committee of Chinese Y. M. C. A.’s, 
 and the World’s Chinese Students Federation. In the Second Biennial 
 Meeting of the World Federation of Education Associations held in 
 Toronto, August 7th-12th, 1927, the Institute cooperated with the 
 Chinese National Association for the Advancement of Education in 
 organizing a delegation to represent China at the various groups in the 
 meeting. 
 
 In various other ways, the Institute has attempted to be generally use¬ 
 ful in promoting a better relationship between China and the United 
 States. On several occasions the Institute has lodged protest against 
 certain motion picture films which present wrong ideas of China to 
 the American public, resulting in revisions of the films. It has also 
 acted as a representative for the China Foundation, and assisted in dis¬ 
 seminating information and making investigation in the United States. 
 It made a survey of the situation preliminary to the creation of science 
 fellowships by the China Foundation. 
 
 The Institute has so far remained a direct enterprise of the China 
 Foundation. At the last meeting of the Trustees of the Foundation in 
 June, Dr. Kuo submitted a proposal whereby the Institute might in 
 time become self-supporting and render a greater service. A mem¬ 
 bership would be created, and a board of directors with a secretariat 
 would be established. The Trustees of the China Foundation have 
 already accepted the recommendation and have authorized Dr. Kuo to 
 work out the details with the Director of the Foundation. 
 
 If this plan will materialize and if sufficient funds can be raised, larger 
 quarters or a special building will be secured and the program of the 
 Institute can be broadened and more vigorously carried out. The 
 projected plan is to include the following items of activities: 
 
 I. To promote: 
 
 1. The exchange of professors between Chinese and American 
 educational institutions. 
 
 6 
 
2. The creation of fellowships and scholarships for Chinese to 
 study in American colleges and universities. 
 
 3. The creation of fellowships and scholarships for Americans 
 to study in China. 
 
 4. The study of Chinese culture in American educational in¬ 
 stitutions. 
 
 5. Lectures on Chinese subjects. 
 
 6. Conferences on problems relating to Chinese-American 
 relationship. 
 
 7. Exhibits of Chinese art, education, and other phases of Chinese 
 civilization. 
 
 8. Better publications, plays, pictures, etc., relating to China. 
 
 II. To maintain: 
 
 1. A reference library and research department. 
 
 2. An information service. 
 
 3. A lecture bureau. 
 
 4. A travel service. 
 
 5. An appointment agency to serve Chinese organizations seek¬ 
 ing proper American trained men. 
 
 6. A student section to promote the intellectual and social 
 welfare of the Chinese students in America. 
 
 7. A section to promote the welfare of Chinese residents in 
 America. 
 
 8. An American section to keep in touch with Americans who 
 either have been to China or are otherwise interested in China, 
 and to seek their cooperation. 
 
 III. To publish: 
 
 1. Monographs on special subjects relating to China and Chi¬ 
 nese culture. 
 
 2. A periodical devoted to shorter articles, discussions, and items 
 of current interest relating to China and Chinese culture. 
 
 A program like this of course cannot be carried out all in one day. 
 But, judging from the interest shown by so many people in the present 
 Institute, it will undoubtedly receive the most hearty support in var¬ 
 ious quarters. Dr. Kuo has consulted many prominent people both 
 in this country and in China in regard to this proposed program, and 
 has received much encouragement. 
 
 It is also within the scope of the plan to establish an American Insti- 
 
 7 
 
tute in China to reciprocate the work of the China Institute in 
 America. American friends of China like Dr. Paul Monroe, Dr. 
 Edward H. Hume, and others, are very much interested in the crea¬ 
 tion of such an institute, which will certainly also receive support 
 from people in China. The two institutes can then intimately co¬ 
 operate with each other in their common task of promoting a better 
 understanding between the two peoples on both sides of the Pacific. 
 
 8