Zhu Kezhen Complete Works. Volume 2

Author: ZHU Kezhen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: This volume collects ZHU Kezhen's articles, speeches, work reports, conference proposals, consultations, letters, prefaces, announcements, and notices from June 1929 to June 1949, totaling 287 pieces. The Complete Works of ZHU Kezhen, Volume 2, includes 287 writings of the late master from June 1929 to the first half of 1949, a period when the nation was facing its darkest hour. Especially, when the country was in turmoil and peril, the master took charge of Zhejiang University amid national crisis. From the warm breeze-laden West Lake to the remote and borderland region of Mianyang, he and his faculty endured hardships and turmoil, with Japanese aircraft bombings from above and bandit disturbances from below. The master led all faculty and students, enduring hardships and striving for excellence, educating and nurturing talent under extremely difficult conditions, thereby accumulating valuable intellectual resources for the revival of the Chinese nation. Zhejiang University was also hailed by international friends as the "Cambridge of the East." The master's words and deeds during this critical period were enough to earn him the title of "The Backbone of China." From 1928 to 1946, ZHU Kezhen served as the director of the Institute of Meteorology at the Academia Sinica, personally overseeing the establishment of a meteorological research base in Nanjing's Beigujie. He cultivated and gathered a skilled research team, launched journals, organized annual meetings, actively participated in international academic exchanges, and vigorously promoted the development of the national meteorological cause. Following geology and biology, meteorology became a discipline that rapidly achieved localization and institutionalization. With his high-level research achievements and outstanding organizational talents, ZHU Kezhen gained recognition from both academia and society. He served as a member of the Academic Council of the Academia Sinica from 1935 and was elected as a fellow of the Academia Sinica in 1948. In April 1933, ZHU Kezhen, along with WENG Wenhao and ZHANG Qiyong, proposed the establishment of the Chinese Geographical Society, which was founded the following year. Due to his outstanding achievements in geographical education and research, he was revered as a master of modern Chinese geography, just as he was in meteorology. In April 1936, ZHU Kezhen was appointed as the president of Zhejiang University, where he vigorously reformed corrupt practices, organized an elite faculty team, implemented the principle of "governance by professors," established the motto "Seek Truth," emphasized liberal arts education, and promoted scientific research. After experiencing relative stability during the move westward during the war, Zhejiang University rose from adversity to become one of the nation's most renowned universities. At his dual positions at Zhejiang University and the Institute of Meteorology, ZHU Kezhen devoted most of his energy to organizational management. Additionally, as a renowned scholar of his time, he was frequently invited to attend various conferences and activities, and his speeches, recorded in writing, highlighted the intellectual freedom and personal independence cherished by free-thinking intellectuals. He consistently demonstrated a deep humanistic concern for the people's livelihood, national quality, the fate of the nation, and the peace and development of humanity. This book adheres to the principle of "preserving authenticity," striving to faithfully present ZHU Kezhen's academic achievements and life path, reflecting the historical process of political changes and social and cultural transformations in modern China.