China:The Glorious Tang And Song Dynasties - Asian Art Museum ...

The viewpoint of these generations of students who have made their way to America is also colored
by China’s tragic history of the last century. Science is seen as the discipline that can adequately
host a revival of those Neo-Confucian ideals and pull China out of a dark age of civilizational decay.
New generations have committed themselves to improve, first, themselves, and then China, particularly
in the fields of science because this is where it is possible to investigate things, extend knowledge,
and thereby dedicate oneself to the social welfare of society.
As we can all see, these values have created a phenomenon—indeed, several social phenomena in
the United States. Waves of overseas Chinese students fill spots in graduate science programs in just
about every university across the country. Those graduates have then been filling teaching and
research positions in those same institutions. Still more have found their way to Silicon Valley to
start technology businesses, while their children born and raised here continue to file into the scientific
and technical professions.
And finally, those first waves of students who had initially committed themselves to this personal
and philosophical program are witnessing the fruits of their efforts. Having cultivated their
own persons through investigating things and enhancing knowledge, their efforts are resulting in
real progress for China. Today, China’s future in science and technology is more promising than
ever.
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