This paper aims to clarify the actual studying conditions and characteristics of Chinese architecture students studying in Japan in the first half of the 20th century. This study uses a variety of literature from China and Japan to sort out the information of international students and makes the list containing students’ personal details, study abroad situations, post-graduation activities. Based on this list, this paper analyzes from the following three aspects:
1) Details about the Japanese schools accepting Chinese architecture students and the systems established by each school for international students.
2) On the basis of the previous section, the admission statuses of Chinese architecture students are sorted out, and statuses’ characteristics are analyzed and compared according to the studying aboard systems.
3) Based on the above list, funds sources of Chinese international students are clarified and the relationship between the study aboard systems and funds is analyzed.
According these aspects, this paper concludes the followings.
1) According to the current statistics, there were 254 students studying in Japan from 1906 to 1945. Because of the detailed and comprehensive investigation, this number is close to the total number of Chinese architecture students studying in Japan at that time. Although the numbers are hard to compare, the students who went to America were all graduates of Chinese colleges and universities. And most Chinese architecture students who studied in Japan had come to Japan after graduating from secondary education institutions in China and receive preparatory course in Japan before they received higher education in architecture. The number of 254 Chinese students shows the composition of such study abroad by Chinese architecture students at that time.
2) There are 26 Japanese public and private schools that accepted Chinese architecture students, and each has established its own admission system. Among them, Tokyo Higher Technical School accepted the largest number of students, accounting for 43% of the total. It had detailed stipulations in the setting rules for international student base on the “Student Programs in Five Japanese Universities”, the special agreement of Sino-Japan Governments and some measures by Japanese Government.
3) The statuses of Chinese architecture students include elective student, preparatory student, regular student, research student and auditor. To obtain the regular course in architecture is the main purpose of these students to study abroad. However, in public school, it is difficult for foreigners to be educated in the same environment as Japanese. Due to the difficulty of admission, most of the Chinese architecture students entered preparatory course and then regular course.
4) The sources of public funds came from the support of the governments of Japan and China. The most important thing is that the “Student Programs in Five Japanese Universities” not only provided necessary fees for Chinese students, but also stipulated that at least two students should be received by Architecture Department of Tokyo Higher Technical School every year. This is the main reason why the number of Chinese architecture students at Tokyo Higher Technical School is the largest.
Thus, the basic conditions and initial information about studying abroad in architecture are clarified.
