Zhang Baixi

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhang.

Zhang Baixi
Zhang in official robes
Minister of Post
In office 1906–1907
Preceded by	-
Succeeded by	Lin Shaonian
Personal details
Born	1847
Died	March 30, 1907
Occupation	Politician

Zhang Baixi (simplified Chinese: 张百ひゃく熙; traditional Chinese: 張ちょう百ひゃく熙; pinyin: Zhāng Bǎixī; Courtesy Yěqiū (埜秋); Posthumous name: Wéndá (文ぶん達たち)) (1847 — March 30, 1907) was a Chinese government official during the late Qing Dynasty who is known for initializing the education reform. He was considered to be the "father of university" in China. Both the Peking University and the Beijing Normal University respect him as a founder and president.

Zhang Baixi was born in Changsha County of Hunan province, where he studied in the top local school, Chengnan 城南しろみなみ书院, under Guo Songtao (1818-1891). In 1874, he earned a Jinshi degree and was elevated to the Hanlin Academy. As high administrator for many years, Zhang Baixi advocated profound political, economical and educational reforms. Although he was a member of the reform group led by Kang Youwei in the Hundred Days Reform of 1898, his role was small enough that his career continued to develop after the reformers were suppressed. After the Boxer Rebellion, partly because there were few surviving officials of ability and experience, he became a close advisor to the Empress Dowager.

Zhang proposed to reopen the Imperial Capital University (京師けいし大學だいがく堂どう, former Peking University) founded in 1898. He had several motivations. One was national pride, to show the world that China could have a world-class university even after the Boxer debacle. A second was to keep higher education under the control of the central government, not local or provincial governments or private universities. He succeeded in getting government funding for an expanded and more impressive campus in the heart of the capital and for a well-supported faculty. Among his priorities for the university was a bureau to translate Japanese books and a compilation bureau which would publish text books of modern knowledge. According to one later official, Zhang's contribution to the development of Peking University was second only to that of Cai Yuanpei.

In 1902, Zhang drafted the "Authorized School Regulation" (《欽定きんてい學堂がくどう章程しょうてい》, alternatively called Renyin Educational system (壬みずのえ寅とら學制がくせい)), "renyin" being the year 1902, which was put into effect by Qing government. In 1904, Zhang participated in the establishment of the "Presented School Regulation" (《奏そう定てい學堂がくどう章程しょうてい》, also called "Guimao Educational System" (癸みずのと卯う學制がくせい)), "guimao" being the year 1904, which was the first modern Chinese educational system.

Zhang died in Beijing in 1907.

References and further reading

• Xiaoqing Diana Lin. (SUNY series in Chinese Philosophy and Culture) Peking University, Chinese Scholarship and Intellectuals, 1898-1937. ISBN 0-7914-6321-4; ISBN 978-0-7914-6321-5
• Weston, Timothy B. (2004). The Power of Position: Beijing University, Intellectuals, and Chinese Political Culture, 1898-1929. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0520237676.