RAS Shanghai This Saturday – British and European influences on the development of modern Chinese university education 1850-1950

Professor Ian Gow OBE MA PhD FRSA

British and European influences on the development of modern Chinese university education 1850-1950

Despite its tremendous achievements in higher learning and scholarship the Chinese did not develop institutions recognizable as universities until the 1890s, with the establishment of the Imperial University (Peking University).  However western missionaries, catholic and protestant, did develop colleges and universities in China in the second half of the 19^th century. Many of the major contributions were from American missionaries and their churches but British and European missionaries made significant contributions. This talk will focus particularly on British and European initiatives, evaluate their contribution to the development of university education in modern China and trace their developments until the last of them were absorbed into the Chinese higher education system after 1950.

Professor Ian Gow is Executive President of the Sino-British University College in Shanghai – a major joint venture between nine UK universities and the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. He was the Founding Provost of China’s first independent foreign university campus since the reopening of China, the multi-award winning University of Nottingham, Ningbo. Professor Gow has held numerous senior executive positions in UK higher education and has served as a Vice President (pro-Vice Chancellor) of four UK universities (Stirling, Sheffield, Nottingham and the West of England). He was awarded the OBE for his services to UK Higher Education in China and also holds awards from Ningbo City and Zhejiang Provincial Government for his contributions in education.  He is an internationally recognized East Asia specialist with a PhD in Japanese Studies and has published extensively on Japanese politics and international relations.

Saturday 8^th January, 2011 at 4.00 p.m.

T8 Club Lounge

No.8 Xintiandi North Part Lane 181 Taicang Road Shanghai

ENTRANCE: RMB 80.00 Members RMB 120.00 Non Members – including one drink (tea/coffee/glass of wine/standard cocktail).

Membership applications and renewals will be available on the afternoon. Those unable to make the donation but wishing to attend may contact us for exemption.

RSVP: to RAS Enquiry desk enquiry@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn