Boxer Rebellion Indemnity Scholarship Program
Encyclopedia
The Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program was a scholarship
program funded by Boxer Rebellion
indemnity
money paid to the United States
that provided for Chinese
students to study in the U.S. It has been called "the most important scheme for educating Chinese students in America and arguably the most consequential and successful in the entire foreign-study movement of twentieth century China."
's Chinese Educational Mission
, this short-lived effort was disbanded in 1881 and there was little subsequent activity.
Following the Boxer Rebellion, the defeated Qing Empire was fined war reparations of 450,000,000 tael
s of fine silver (around £
67.5 million or US$
333 million at the time) with an interest of 4% per year, for 39 years, and finally needed to pay 982,238,150 tael
s (about 34683 tons of silver), for the loss caused to the Eight-Nation Alliance
, of which the U.S. share was 7.32%, the Russian 28.97%, the German 20.02%, the French 15.75%，the British 11.25%, the Japanese 7.73%, the Italian 7.32%, the Belgian 1.89%, the Austro-Hungarian 0.89%, the Dutch 0.17%, and the Spanish, the Portuguese, the Swedish and the Norwegian 0.025% each.
When Liang Cheng, the Qing representative to the U.S., learned that the terms of the Boxer Protocol
awarded the U.S. more than it had originally demanded, he initiated a campaign to pressure the U.S. into returning the difference to China. After several years, the Theodore Roosevelt
administration decided in June 1907 to use the difference to create a scholarship program for Chinese students to study in the U.S. American missionary Arthur Henderson Smith also helped persuade Roosevelt to use the indemnity payment for education.
.
A second remission in 1924 provided for the establishment of the China Foundation (中華文化教育基金會 Zhōnghuá Wénhuà Jiàoyù Jījīnhuì) which would in turn fund the China Institute in New York City
in 1926.
Approximately 1,300 students were able to study through the program from 1909 to 1929. In 1929, after Tsinghua had become a true university itself, the Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program was opened to all candidates. A total of five groups of scholars were educated in the U.S. before the Japanese
invasion of China
in 1937.
s were beneficiaries of the Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program, including philosopher Hu Shih
, Nobel Physics prize
winner Chen Ning Yang, mathematician Kai Lai Chung
, linguist Yuen Ren Chao
, educator Kuo Ping-Wen, and rocket scientist Tsien Hsue-shen
. The scholarships served as a model for the Fulbright Program
's grants for international educational exchange.
The United Kingdom
, France
, and Japan
also later set up similar programs for Chinese students.
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
program funded by Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
indemnity
Indemnity
An indemnity is a sum paid by A to B by way of compensation for a particular loss suffered by B. The indemnitor may or may not be responsible for the loss suffered by the indemnitee...
money paid to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that provided for Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
students to study in the U.S. It has been called "the most important scheme for educating Chinese students in America and arguably the most consequential and successful in the entire foreign-study movement of twentieth century China."
Background
Although there had previously been some higher education opportunities for Chinese in the U.S. associated with Yung WingYung Wing
Yung Wing . Born in Zhuhai in Guangdong province, he studied in Robert Morrison's missionary schools as a boy where Tong King-sing was a classmate.-Biography:...
's Chinese Educational Mission
Chinese Educational Mission
The Chinese Educational Mission was the pioneering but frustrated attempt to educate a group of 120 Chinese students in the United States....
, this short-lived effort was disbanded in 1881 and there was little subsequent activity.
Following the Boxer Rebellion, the defeated Qing Empire was fined war reparations of 450,000,000 tael
Tael
Tael can refer to any one of several weight measures of the Far East. Most commonly, it refers to the Chinese tael, a part of the Chinese system of weights and currency....
s of fine silver (around £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
67.5 million or US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
333 million at the time) with an interest of 4% per year, for 39 years, and finally needed to pay 982,238,150 tael
Tael
Tael can refer to any one of several weight measures of the Far East. Most commonly, it refers to the Chinese tael, a part of the Chinese system of weights and currency....
s (about 34683 tons of silver), for the loss caused to the Eight-Nation Alliance
Eight-Nation Alliance
The Eight-Nation Alliance was an alliance of Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States whose military forces intervened in China to suppress the anti-foreign Boxers and relieve the siege of the diplomatic legations in Beijing .- Events :The...
, of which the U.S. share was 7.32%, the Russian 28.97%, the German 20.02%, the French 15.75%，the British 11.25%, the Japanese 7.73%, the Italian 7.32%, the Belgian 1.89%, the Austro-Hungarian 0.89%, the Dutch 0.17%, and the Spanish, the Portuguese, the Swedish and the Norwegian 0.025% each.
When Liang Cheng, the Qing representative to the U.S., learned that the terms of the Boxer Protocol
Boxer Protocol
The Boxer Protocol was signed on September 7, 1901 between the Qing Empire of China and the Eight-Nation Alliance that had provided military forces plus Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands after China's defeat in the intervention to put down the Boxer Rebellion at the hands of the...
awarded the U.S. more than it had originally demanded, he initiated a campaign to pressure the U.S. into returning the difference to China. After several years, the Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
administration decided in June 1907 to use the difference to create a scholarship program for Chinese students to study in the U.S. American missionary Arthur Henderson Smith also helped persuade Roosevelt to use the indemnity payment for education.
Development
The program, set up in 1909, funded the selection, preparatory training, transportation to the U.S., and study for the scholarship beneficiaries. Part of the first remission of money included establishment in 1911 of a preparatory school (肄業館 Yìyèguǎn) in Peking (Beijing) for the Chinese graduates pursuing further studies at American universities, named Tsinghua College in 1911 and also called the "American Indemnity College" (美國賠款學校 Měiguó Péikuǎn Xuéxiào). This school was later expanded to offered four-year undergraduate and post-graduate programs and became Tsinghua UniversityTsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
.
A second remission in 1924 provided for the establishment of the China Foundation (中華文化教育基金會 Zhōnghuá Wénhuà Jiàoyù Jījīnhuì) which would in turn fund the China Institute in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1926.
Approximately 1,300 students were able to study through the program from 1909 to 1929. In 1929, after Tsinghua had become a true university itself, the Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program was opened to all candidates. A total of five groups of scholars were educated in the U.S. before the Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
invasion of China
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
in 1937.
Legacy
A number of prominent Chinese and Chinese AmericanChinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
s were beneficiaries of the Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program, including philosopher Hu Shih
Hu Shih
Hu Shih , born Hu Hung-hsing , was a Chinese philosopher, essayist and diplomat. His courtesy name was Shih-chih . Hu is widely recognized today as a key contributor to Chinese liberalism and language reform in his advocacy for the use of written vernacular Chinese...
, Nobel Physics prize
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
winner Chen Ning Yang, mathematician Kai Lai Chung
Kai Lai Chung
Chung Kai-lai , was a Chinese American mathematician famous for his significant contributions to modern probability theory.-Biography:...
, linguist Yuen Ren Chao
Yuen Ren Chao
Chao Yuen Ren was a Chinese American linguist and amateur composer. He made important contributions to the modern study of Chinese phonology and grammar....
, educator Kuo Ping-Wen, and rocket scientist Tsien Hsue-shen
Tsien Hsue-shen
Qian Xuesen was a scientist who made important contributions to the missile and space programs of both the United States and People's Republic of China. Historical documents in the U. S. commonly refer to him with the earlier family-name last spelling, Hsue-Shen Tsien or H.S...
. The scholarships served as a model for the Fulbright Program
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
's grants for international educational exchange.
The United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
also later set up similar programs for Chinese students.
See also
- Boxer Indemnity Scholarship recipients