Chapter 325 Many Talents
Many who were still waiting and watching finally gave up after hearing the news. After wailing in pain, they began to look for a way out for their children. Many people also took a fancy to Aurora University and asked their children to come and apply for the exam.
Seeing that there were many students coming, Aurora University held two more rounds of examinations at their request and recruited some students.
Students who failed the exam or arrived late don’t have to worry. Aurora University has specially opened training classes for them. They can go to the training class to study first, and then apply for the exam next year. This way, their chances of passing the exam will be greater.
After the enrollment work was completed, Zhang Xingjiu took the student list and looked through it carefully, and found many famous figures in history.
Mao Yisheng, whose courtesy name was Tangchen, was from Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province. His grandfather Mao Qian was a juren (a scholar) who founded the Nanyang Official Gazette and was a famous figure in Zhenjiang. His father Mao Naideng was a newspaper reporter. Born into such a family, Mao Yisheng received a good education since childhood.
He started attending a private school at the age of 6, and studied at Nanjing’s first new-style primary school, Siyi Academy, at the age of 7. This year, when he was only ten years old, he came to apply for Aurora University. As expected, he failed to be admitted to the undergraduate class. He was not discouraged and turned around to apply for the affiliated middle school of Aurora University. This time he was admitted.
When the teacher asked the students about their aspirations at the time of enrollment, Mao Yisheng replied, "When I grow up, I must build the strongest bridge possible."
When the teacher asked the reason, he learned that during the Dragon Boat Festival this year, a dragon boat race was held in his hometown. People who watched the race stood on the Wende Bridge, but he did not go because of a stomachache. The bridge collapsed due to too many people on it, killing or drowning many people. This incident touched him deeply and he came up with the idea of building a bridge.
After entering school, in addition to studying hard, he went to the library to look for various articles and pictures about bridges whenever he had time. He copied and excerpted them, and soon he had accumulated a thick book.
When Zhang Xingjiu found out about this, he specially called him home and gave him some bridge drawings he brought back from Europe. He encouraged him to make this his ambition and to be admitted to Aurora University as soon as possible so as to lay a solid foundation before going abroad for further studies.
Hou Debang, courtesy name Zhiben, was from Nantai Powei Village, Min County, Fujian Province. He was born into a poor family. Fortunately, he was financially supported by his aunt and was able to go to school. He studied in a church school for a period of time and laid a good foundation. When he heard that Aurora University was recruiting students, he applied and was admitted to the Department of Chemistry.
As soon as Zhang Xingjiu heard the name, he arranged for Fan Yuanrang to take care of him. The two of them were good partners in the original history. They had worked together to develop a new method of alkali production, breaking the monopoly of Western companies.
Now they hit it off right away. Whenever Hou Debang encounters a problem he doesn't understand, he goes to Fan Yuanrang for advice. Fan Yuanrang also gains a lot of inspiration from him and is very impressed by Hou Debang's talent in chemistry. He often praises his talent as far superior to his own.
Qian Chongshu, a native of Haining County, Zhejiang Province, came from a scholarly family. He passed the imperial examination and became a scholar last year. He had planned to try again and pass the imperial examination this year, but he was struck by a bolt from the blue: the imperial examination was cancelled by the court.
After being depressed, Qian Chongshu quickly cheered up and decided to follow the trend and apply for the New School. Zhejiang is very close to Shanghai, and Aurora University is so famous, so Qian Chongshu heard the news and came to apply. He passed the exam successfully and was admitted to the Department of Agriculture.
According to the original history, he would be admitted to Tsinghua University's Preparatory School for American Studies a few years later and travel across the ocean to the United States for further studies. He would first study agronomy at the University of Illinois and then major in botany.
After graduating from the University of Illinois, he went to the University of Chicago and Harvard University to study plant physiology and plant ecology, and obtained a master's degree from the University of Chicago.
After returning to China, he has been devoted to research and teaching. He served as the first director of the Department of Biology at Tsinghua University, and professor and dean of the College of Agriculture at Fudan University. He was selected as one of the first academicians after the founding of the People's Republic of China. He is one of the founders and pioneers of modern botany in China, and one of the founders of Chinese plant taxonomy, plant physiology, geobotany, and flora.
Chen Yinke, whose courtesy name was Heshou, was a native of Yining County, Jiangxi Province. His grandfather, Chen Baozhen, was a famous official during the reign of Emperor Guangxu. He once served as the governor of Hunan and was a powerful figure in the reformist faction. His father, Chen Sanli, was an outstanding writer and was known as one of the "Four Gentlemen of the Reformist Party" along with Tan Sitong, Xu Renzhu, and Tao Jucun.
Born in such a family, Chen Yinke naturally received a new-style education since childhood. Three years ago, he went to study in Japan with his uncle. This year, he returned to China due to a foot disease and was admitted to the preparatory class of Aurora University to study liberal arts.
Weng Wenhao, whose courtesy name was Yongni, was a native of Yin County, Zhejiang Province. He was born into a gentry and merchant family. He passed the imperial examination and became a scholar at the age of thirteen. He then came to Shanghai and entered a French Catholic school. By chance, Zhang Xingjiu met him when he visited President Jiang Yixu, and persuaded him to apply for Aurora University.
After some consideration, Weng Wenhao followed Zhang Xingjiu's advice and took the entrance examination of Aurora University to study geology. Zhang Xingjiu planned to send him to study abroad once he had mastered the basics and foreign languages.
According to original history, he was the most famous geologist in early China. He made outstanding contributions to China's geological education, mineral exploration, earthquake research and other aspects. Such talents should not be missed.
Chen Jiangong, like Zhu Kezhen, is a fellow townsman of Zhang Xingjiu from Shaoxing. He was smart and studious since childhood and studied at Jishan Academy. When Zhang Xingjiu returned home for the Chinese New Year last year, his father also brought him to visit their home. Zhang Xingjiu found that he was quite talented in mathematics and suggested that he study at the Affiliated Middle School of Aurora University.
Considering that Chen Jiangong was only 12 years old, Zhang Xingjiu arranged for him and Zhu Kezhen to live together in his home. Chen Jiangong did not disappoint his expectations. He showed extraordinary talent at a young age and could learn mathematics textbooks just by reading them once. At this rate, he would be able to officially enter Aurora University in two years.
These were all famous scholars in China in the future. Zhang Xingjiu was very happy to be able to recruit them. In the following years, he stayed in Aurora University, patiently cultivating talents, assisting Ma Xiangbo in the management of the school, and constantly opening up new sources of funds for Aurora University, allowing Aurora University to maintain stable development and become the largest, best-educated and most famous university in the country.
In the academic field, Zhang Xingjiu has not been idle. Not only has he continued to produce steady results in the field of physics, he has also made many contributions in the fields of chemistry, biology, etc. As time goes by, his contributions will gradually show their influence, and when the time is right, he can also look forward to a Nobel Prize.
In 1909, Zhang Xingjiu received a letter from A Zhang, saying that he would be back soon.
(End of this chapter)
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