Background
The following translation came from the Shengshi Weiyan. In it, Zheng Guangying talks about how Kuang was telling Zheng about industrial schools. Kuang was excited about these new types of schools because he felt it would be a new way for Chinese to learn about various industrial skills. He also told Zheng about patents.
This description is a clear indication that Kuang was telling Zheng Guanying about schools and it is schools that Zheng and Kuang both focused on heavily in their writings. Patents are also something both encouraged.
Translation of Kuang’s Recommendation to Promote Industrial Schools in the Shengshi Weiyan
Kuang Rongjie [Qizhao] came back from the United States and talked about more than 20 industrial schools in the United States….[Each school has] about 200 students and around 10 trainers [teachers]. The land is provided by the government. The buildings are constructed with funds from the government or from taxes. The [operational] budget is funded with donations from benefactors. If the budget is not enough, each student pays a hundred or two hundred. If the budget is enough, no need to pay fees. Whichever country the selected students comes from, they must be good at language and math. Schools only provide knowledge, not practical experience in a real factory. Therefore, the students are sent to factories to practice for several years after graduating from school.
In 1876, at the [Philadelphia] Exposition, the USA observed that Russians set up factories attached to their technical schools. They copied Russia’s idea. It helps the students to improve their skills greatly. Anyone who has new ideas will draw it up and explain it to others. If others approve, he can try the invention on the machines. If everything goes well and it improves efficiency, it will be given a patent. The new patent will be announced in the newspapers. This system encourages innovation.
Source: Zheng Guanying, Shengshi Weiyan, v. 4, 31.
Translation courtesy of Mr. Sam Wong
