2 50 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



mechanical engineering, 3; naval architecture, 3; marine engineering, 

 2; technology forms, 2; electrical engineering, 3; architecture, 3; ap- 

 plied chemistry, 4 ; technology of explosives, 1 ; mining, 2 ; metallurgy, 

 3 ; applied mechanics, 1 ; dynamics, 1 ; a total of 32. In addition, 

 students in each college take courses in other colleges, so that the effect- 

 ive faculty is largely increased. Geology, for example, is taught to 

 students in mining and engineering, by the professors in the College of 

 Science. 



In examining these lists the reader will probably be struck first 

 with the breadth of the instruction given. For example, in no Ameri- 

 can law school of which I know is it possible to take courses in three 

 systems of foreign law, and in America political economy and the 

 related group of subjects would be taught by a separate faculty instead 

 of as part of the law course. In Japan as in America, a law course is 

 the common preparation for many branches of the public service, but in 

 the former country only is that fact recognized by placing under charge 

 of the faculty of law the whole of the instruction in politics and public 

 affairs. The Japanese are an intensely practical people, and this is one 

 instance of their regarding university education from the utilitarian 

 standpoint — using that word, I repeat, in a broad sense. The same 

 disposition is shown in the College of Engineering. Provision of in- 

 struction in naval architecture, technology of arms, and technology of 

 explosives, is not common in American universities. It is the more 

 striking since Japan maintains a separate school corresponding to our 

 own West Point for training army officers, and others for preparing 

 officers for the navy, the railway service, and even for educating officers 

 for the merchant marine. University instruction in these branches is 

 of a higher type than in these special schools, and is more closely 

 related, through University Hall, with research. Another peculiarity 

 is the provision of several professors in the same subject. In Japan 

 there is more democracy and less organization within each department 

 than in the United States. There are coordinate professors, each per- 

 haps with his specialty, rather than a rigorous system of head pro- 

 fessors, professors, assistant professors, assistants and so down to the nth 

 order. Still another instructive feature of the system may be seen by 

 examining the courses in some one department. For that purpose those 

 given in mining and metallurgy at Kyoto may serve. It will be noted 

 that the courses provide for what in the United States would be con- 

 sidered undue specialization and make almost no provision for funda- 

 mental training. It is true that Japanese students are supposed to have 

 this before taking up their university work and have in fact much 

 better opportvmity for acquiring it than have American students. One 

 may none the less retain a doubt whether in this case practise and 

 theory run hand in hand. 



