Chapter 542: Nanhua University is a bit difficult (third update, please subscribe)
"The future of the country is determined by the podium!"
What impression has Nanhua left on people over the years?
Pay attention to education!
Attach great importance to education!
The most direct manifestation of the importance attached to education is the expenditure on education funds, which accounts for 15% of total expenditures!
Sufficient funds allowed Nanhua to build an education system that covers everyone for ten years. As early as 1864, the Compulsory Education Act was passed to promote compulsory education. Although compulsory education only lasted for four years, 50% of outstanding students could still be promoted to high school every year and receive high school education in the form of scholarships. 50% of the outstanding students among high school graduates could receive scholarships to attend junior high school, half of the junior high school graduates entered specialized technical schools to receive professional technical training, and the other half entered public high schools and then passed the examination to enter higher schools.
This education system was founded by Zhu Xianhai by drawing on the experience of later generations. Although the elimination rate is very high, it can ensure that everyone can receive education, at least everyone can receive primary education. Excellent students will not drop out of school due to financial problems. As long as they are good enough, whether it is a grant or a scholarship, it can cover their tuition and living expenses during school.
It was this seemingly cruel education system that enabled Nanhua to surpass many European and American countries in education in just ten years and cultivated a large number of talents that could be used.
The most representative of Nanhua's educational achievements is probably the University of Nanhua, which is not only the first engineering university in South America, but also the first university in Nanhua. Of course, this highest institution of learning in the Ming Dynasty is also the goal of Li Jingfang and others to study.
That morning, when more than a hundred teenagers aged 13 or 14 walked into the university accompanied by several adults, they looked at the university with eyes full of longing. After all, they had heard too many rumors about it along the way.
Something like the first engineering university in South America.
Don't be surprised. These days, South American countries have medical schools and universities that teach art, literature, music, and animal husbandry, but they don't teach science or engineering.
Why? Because there is no demand. For those manor owners and landowners, studying engineering? Is it useful? It is better to learn music, literature, and art to attract a few women at the dance.
But Nanhua is different. Nanhua is an industrial country. How can it be an industrial country without engineering and talent training? Even the first higher education institution in Nanhua is a higher vocational college, that’s right, it is specially for training engineers. The first school built by Nanhua is also a technical school for workers. It is for training technical workers.
This is also a reflection of Nanhua’s emphasis on practical benefits.
When the University of South China was founded, it focused on engineering and hired hundreds of well-known scholars from the United Kingdom, France and Germany to teach.
Such an institution of higher learning naturally attracted the attention of these young people, who looked around curiously at this beautiful university. Here, they could not see the leisurely students in the domestic academies, but only students rushing to the classroom with books in their hands.
Looking at the students hurrying on their way, Yung Wing asked with some curiosity.
"Mr. Liu, how many students are there at Nanhua University now?"
"Currently, there are about 2,500 students enrolled at the University of South China!"
Liu Yize, who graduated from a higher business school, was the receptionist of Governor Li's group of young children in Ming. He was not an official representative, but received them as an employee of the American Company. After all, Governor Li had always been a major client of the company.
This number made Yung Wing gasp in shock.
"2,500 people! This university!"
This is no wonder. In this era, universities often have only three or four hundred students, but the University of South China... is really big.
It can even be called a university in the world. But he didn't know that in Emperor Zhu's plan, such a university would at least double in size, and there would never be too many people.
After all, what Ming Dynasty lacks most now is technical talents, and Ming Dynasty cannot do without these talents if it wants to rise. After all, only industry can make Ming Dynasty become a powerful country.
The development of industry cannot be separated from talents, especially those high-end talents who have received higher education.
"Yes, Nanhua currently has 37 colleges and universities, with a total of only 18,600 students. This is the number at the beginning of the year. When His Majesty inspected the Ministry of Culture, he also urged to increase investment in higher education..."
What!
18,600...
Looking around in astonishment, especially when he saw students playing football and running in the playground in the distance, Yung Wing could hardly believe his ears.
18,600 college students!
What is the concept?
When Yung Wing was studying in the United States, how many college students were there in the country? Only a few thousand. Even in Germany, there were only more than 20,000!
“You, do you need so many college students?”
Yung Wing's tone was full of surprise.
"The vast majority of these people are graduates from higher vocational colleges, and many of them enter factories and enterprises as technicians, engineers, and middle and senior managers of factories."
Do you need so much?
how?
There really aren't many, at least until now. Daming's demand for talent has never been met. After all, Daming's factories are constantly expanding, and the number of enterprises is constantly increasing. Naturally, the demand for talent is also increasing.
"It was not until two years ago that the industrial development of Daming formed a real torrent. It is most appropriate to call this accelerated development speed a "revolution". At present, Daming is transforming from an agricultural country to an industrial country during this period. Some emerging industries that are the symbol of the "future" industrial era, such as machinery manufacturing, electrical industry, chemical industry, optical industry, etc., all require a large number of technicians. If we want to catch up with and surpass Britain in comprehensive national strength, we must adhere to the path of a strong country in science and technology... Talents, no matter how many, are not too many!"
Looking at the dumbfounded Yung Wing, Liu Yize directly quoted His Majesty's speech in the Ministry of Culture at the beginning of the year. Why did it start from two years ago?
This is because it was not until two years ago that the first batch of international students trained by Daming and the first batch of local high-end talents began to enter the company in large numbers. It was also from that time that Daming underwent earth-shaking changes.
And it is those talents that make the change happen.
At the end, he even spoke earnestly.
"If you come here to find the way to make our country strong, the answer is very simple - education!"
Looking around the campus of South China University, Liu Yize said in a rather sighing tone.
"The future of the country is determined by the podium! Mr. Rong, I hope you can all pass the high school entrance examination and achieve excellent results, and then be admitted to this university. After all, this is the highest institution of learning in the Ming Dynasty."
Achieve excellent results?
Among a group of international students, Li Xuexian, the oldest one, looked at Li Jingfang deliberately and thought to himself.
"The eldest son will definitely go directly to the University of South China, right? No, we have to work harder and hold on to the eldest son's thigh tightly!"
Just when Li Xuexian made up his mind to cling to the eldest son's thigh, Liu Yize explained again.
"Mr. Rong, I don't know the level of your students, but the entrance exam for Nanhua University is very difficult, and there is no favoritism. His Majesty once said that even the crown prince cannot be specially admitted if he cannot pass the exam!"
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment as Liu Yizhe spoke. The Crown Prince couldn't just study there! This was too unbelievable!
"If you want to go to the University of South China, my suggestion is that you should first go to the preparatory school of the University of South China, study for one to two years, and then try again. But even if you fail the entrance exam, it doesn't matter. After all, the University of South China is a world-class university, and you must be the best to enter this university!"
Liu Yize's persuasion stunned everyone. The eyes of all the international students, including Li Jingfang, were full of desire. At this moment, the University of South China became their desire and goal.
When they made the vow in their hearts, they did not know that in the following decades, for the young people of China, entering the University of South China would be their life goal. Even in the era of the "Six Major Chinese Universities", as the earliest and most famous university in China, the University of South China still enjoys a top reputation.
Tens of millions of young students have chosen this university as their life goal. In the next few decades, hundreds of thousands of young students will graduate from this school and enter various industries, becoming the top backbones of various industries and playing an extremely important role in the overall rise of the Chinese nation. Later, this university was even equated with the revival of China to some extent.
But all this is just a matter of the future. After all, they are just the first batch of international students that the school is about to accept.
Staring at this university silently, Li Jingfang instantly set himself the goal of coming to Nanhua.
"This is it..."
It’s the University of South China!
But what Li Jingfang didn't know was that in the next two years, he had to work so hard and endure so much suffering in order to get into this university! He wanted to give up so many times, but in the end, he persisted.
It was two years later that he was admitted to the university. It was from that time that the phrase "Everyone is equal before the gate of this school" became widely known.
After all, even the son of Governor Li had to take the exam four times in two years before he was admitted to the most ordinary law department of this university.
But now, everyone, including Li Jingfang, looked eager to try when they were looking at this university...
(End of this chapter)
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