1872, the first batch of 30 young children studying in the United States by the Qing government set sail from Shanghai for the United States, which opened the prelude to China's modern history of studying abroad. Previously, three young people, Yung Wing, Huang Kuan and Huang Sheng, went to study in the United States on 1847 under the guidance of missionaries, which was regarded as the beginning of modern overseas education in China. However, the study of Yung Wing and others in the United States is mainly a small-scale personal behavior, rather than an organized government behavior.

The rise of overseas students' dispatch and education in modern China began under the huge gap between China and the West. The closed-door Qing government was defeated in the Sino-British Opium War in 1840, and was forced to sign the treaty of nanking to cede territory and pay reparations. Under the double crisis of the country and society, some people of insight began to "look at the world with their eyes open". In his book Atlas of the Sea, which introduced the western society and summarized the experience and lessons of the Opium War, Wei Yuan called for "learning from foreigners to control foreigners". This proposition is a prelude for China people to go abroad and go to the world.

1. The main overseas education movements in the late Qing Dynasty

The most representative and influential study abroad movements in the late Qing Dynasty are: sending young children to study in the United States, sending overseas students to study in Europe, sending overseas students to study in Japan, and sending special funds for overseas students to study in the United States.

/kloc-in 0/854, as the first China native to graduate from "The First University of the United States" (Yale University), Yung Hong set off for home from new york. After he returned to China, he always adhered to the educational ideal of "letting the left-behind enjoy the same welfare, instilling western learning in China, and making China increasingly prosperous and civilized" [1], which promoted the formation of the American children's study abroad program. 1870, Yung Wing proposed to Zeng Guofan, the leader of the Westernization Movement, a plan to send overseas students to study in the United States through Ding Richang. Zeng Guofan immediately agreed, and the following year, he and Li Hongzhang jointly played in the Qing court and were allowed. 1872 In August, the first batch of 30 young children studying in the United States went to study in the United States under the leadership of Chen Lanbin, Director of the Supervision and Punishment Department for Overseas Students, and Hong Rong, an alternate researcher from Jiangsu. In the following three years, young children were sent to study in the United States every year as planned, and these four groups of young children *** 120 became the first generation of public students in modern China. However, due to the obstruction of feudal conservative forces, most young children failed to finish their studies as planned (only two of them graduated from college) and dropped out of school early. 188 1 year, the remaining 94 children studying in the United States were sent back to China in three batches, which was a pioneering measure in the history of educational exchange between China and the United States proposed by Hong Rong and facilitated by the Westernization School [2].

After young children went to the United States, Fujian Shipping Bureau, established under the auspices of Westernization School, began to send overseas students to Europe. In order to cultivate naval talents and strengthen coastal defense, the Westernization School established new schools such as navy and ship administration school. At the same time, they put forward the idea of "foreign building materials". By sending overseas students to European countries with advanced shipbuilding and driving skills such as France and Britain, they can acquire their knowledge and technology, so as to achieve the goal of "self-improvement". At the beginning of 1877, the regulations on sending overseas students to work abroad, led by Li Hongzhang and formulated by three shipping ministers after years of repeated consultations, was approved by the Qing court and promulgated and implemented. This charter explains in detail the necessity of sending students to study abroad, and clearly puts forward the goal of studying as a French manufacturer and a British driver. That year, 28 students and artists set off from Fuzhou and started their trip to Europe. The first batch of students studying in Europe in Fujian Shipping Bureau returned to China from 1878 to 1880, and soon became the backbone of the Bureau and Beiyang Navy. Later, 49 students studying in Europe were sent to three sessions. The purpose of sending these students to Europe is clear, which is conducive to making corresponding teaching plans and adopting appropriate teaching forms according to needs. The dispatch charter also clearly stipulates the authority and responsibility of foreign supervision, and puts forward clear requirements for international students [3].

1894 Sino-Japanese War 1894, the Qing government was defeated and forced to sign the treaty of shimonoseki, which humiliated the country. The unprecedented crisis of national subjugation and extinction aroused the awakening of the Chinese nation. The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 ended the wandering situation of studying abroad for more than 20 years in the late Qing Dynasty, and it developed rapidly. Studying in Japan became the beginning of overseas education after the Sino-Japanese War. The number of students studying in Japan increased rapidly from 13 in 1904 to more than 2,400 in 1906 and 12000, forming an unprecedented upsurge of studying in Japan [4]. The causes and development of the upsurge of studying in Japan are very complicated. To sum up, on the one hand, it is related to the Qing government's study abroad policy of "taking the enemy as a teacher" and "learning from Japan", on the other hand, it is related to the "attraction" policy pursued by the Japanese government. Zhang Zhidong of the Westernization School set up a chapter on "Study Tour" in 1898 "Encouraging Learning" to discuss the necessity of studying in Japan. He pointed out that the reason for Japan's rapid prosperity lies in a group of talents studying abroad, and he also listed five advantages of studying in Japan. At that time, the Qing government distributed this book to the whole country. Kang Youwei, the leader of the Reform Movement, once suggested to Emperor Guangxu the necessity of studying in Japan. Guangxu told the Minister of Military Affairs to determine the national policy of sending overseas students and giving priority to sending overseas students to Japan [5]. At the same time, the Japanese government adopted the policy of "attracting" China students under the guise of "being friendly with London" and "cultivating talents for generations" to gradually control China. Students studying in Japan mainly study crash courses and general courses, majoring in politics and law, many studying military affairs, and few studying science and engineering. Due to the influence of new ideas, many students studying in Japan set up some revolutionary organizations with the goal of "exhausting the people and opposing the Qing Dynasty", and the Qing government began to adjust the policy of studying in Japan, limiting the number and qualification level of students studying in Japan. After 1906, the upsurge of studying abroad in Japan gradually subsided.