iCHSTM 2013 Programme • Version 5.3.6, 27 July 2013 • ONLINE (includes late changes)
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The research of agricultural science in China during World War II
Wang Jianan | Institute for Science, Technology and Society, China
Yang Jian | Institute of Science, Technology and Society,Tsinghua University,Beijing,China, China

As a crucial part of Asian continent during the Word WarⅡ, China was hit hard. A consortium of academics and scientists returned with patriotic enthusiasm to begin a new age. Concerning the important role that agricultural institution of Tsinghua University has played in agricultural science research during the Word WarⅡ, many scholars, including Dr. Joseph Needham, have worked on studying agricultural institution. This paper is focus on the characteristics of agricultural science and technology during the Word WarⅡother than some works of predecessors, such as specific research projects and significant research findings and formation of discipline on agriculture science.

Firstly, this paper presents history and members of studying groups, and traces the origin and results of research by documents and reports. Mei Yiqi, the president of Tsinghua University, has pointed out that solve the practical issues was the main aim of agricultural institution. Under the guidance of practicality scholars, who had studied abroad by the boxer indemnity, took full use of advanced knowledge and communicated with foreign experts, such as R.W.Gerard, Theodure.F.Dykstra, and so on. At that circumstance, traditional technologies, which have accumulated for thousands of years, combined with modern agricultural science have greatly influenced on the research the scholars done then.

Secondly, agricultural research organizations, researchers and topics in the whole country are classified and quantified. Though the concise description on the research of agricultural science, we intend to explore the communicative, practicability and regionalism on the research of agricultural science,reflected what was important and essential to the wartime China.

Finally, after a comprehensive survey on agricultural institution, it would be clear that the concerns of agricultural science research in the Word WarⅡincluding three aspects, which making agricultural research at Word WarⅡseems to be a paradox. It was hangovers of traditional agricultural questions, international concerns, and applications in military, that had manifested in most papers. Scientists, who have received the traditional education as a young teenager but admired modern science, were eager to promote the backward status of China. With these complex feelings, they are caring about reality of agriculture, communicating with foreign scholars on hotspot issues and converting studies into military equipment. That is to say applied agricultural science of china on agriculture was rise in the Word WarⅡ.