Volume 2 of the Complete Works of ZHU Kezhen

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 time when the land of China was sinking and the nation faced peril. Especially, when facing national crisis, he took charge of Zhejiang University. From the warm breezes of the West Lake to the remote and borderland region of Mianyang, he and his faculty endured hardships and turmoil, with Japanese air raids overhead and bandits and strongmen below. Leading all the faculty and students, he persevered and worked diligently under extremely difficult conditions, educating and nurturing talent, 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." His 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 Beigujie, Nanjing, cultivating and gathering a skilled research team, launching journals, holding annual meetings, actively participating in international academic exchanges, and vigorously advancing the development of China's meteorological cause. Following geology and biology, meteorology became a representative discipline that achieved rapid localization and institutionalization. With his high-level research achievements and outstanding organizational talent, ZHU Kezhen earned 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 contributions to 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 a team of excellent teachers, implemented the principle of "governance by professors," established the motto "Seeking Truth," emphasized liberal arts education, and promoted scientific research. After experiencing relative stability during the move westward in the war, Zhejiang University rose from adversity to become one of the few renowned universities in the country. At his dual positions at Zhejiang University and the Institute of Meteorology, ZHU Kezhen devoted most of his energy to organization and management. Additionally, as a distinguished scholar of his time, he was frequently invited to attend various conferences and commemorative events, and his speeches, recorded in writing, highlighted the intellectual freedom and personal independence cherished by free-thinking intellectuals, always showing deep humanistic concern for the people's livelihood, national quality, the fate of the nation, and human peace and development. 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.