The Renwen Society at China Institute presents a special lecture on March 22, 2025, featuring Professor Sun Jianjun, an expert on 19th-century Sino-Japanese relations, to discuss the life and contributions of Samuel Robbins Brown (1810–1880).
Brown, an American missionary and educator, played a pioneering role in modern Chinese and Japanese education. Arriving in Macau in 1839, he served as the principal of the Morrison Memorial School, where he mentored young Chinese students, including Yung Wing (容闳), who later became the first Chinese student to graduate from an American university. Brown’s efforts in bringing Yung Wing and others to the United States in 1847 marked the beginning of China’s modern overseas study movement.
After returning to the United States, Brown resumed his missionary work in Japan in 1859, where he contributed to Christian education and interacted with early Meiji-era thinkers. His book A New Book on Wealth (致富新书), first published in China in 1847, was later reprinted and translated in Japan, demonstrating his lasting influence on economic thought in both countries.
Professor Sun’s lecture will explore Brown’s impact on education and cultural exchange between China, Japan, and the United States, shedding light on his role in shaping the intellectual and educational landscape of the 19th century. The talk will also delve into his relationship with Yung Wing, his contributions to the dissemination of Western knowledge in East Asia, and his legacy in cross-cultural exchange.
鲍留云（Samuel Robbins Brown，1810-1880），美国传教士，汉语名鲍留云，亦称布朗牧师，曾在中国和日本从事传教和教育工作。他于1839年抵达澳门，担任马礼逊纪念学校校长，1847年回国时带领容闳、黄宽、黄胜等学生赴美留学，从此开启了中国近代留学之旅，成为中国学生赴美求学的先声。1859年，鲍留云赴日本开展传教事业，先后在多所学校任教，培养了多名日本基督教领袖。鲍留云在中国有过近8年的传教经历，在日本的传教时间更长，在日本期间还多次到过中国。这样的传教士在19世纪并不多见。
鲍留云离开中国前夕出版了《致富新书》。该书出版于1847年，鲍留云编译，内容涉及商业、农业、手工业等经济学方面的知识，学者认为是用于马礼逊纪念学校的教科书。1871年和1875年，日本相继发行了该书的翻刻版和翻译版，该书在日本的流传很可能与鲍留云本人的推动有关。
鲍留云在日本期间，与明治初期的启蒙思想家有过交流，并在著名的明六社进行过演讲。然而，由于语言和年龄等因素，鲍留云与日本思想家的互动有限，对近代知识建构的影响也较为有限。
热心于教育事业，为自己的弟子而深感自豪的鲍留云曾经通过《东京新报》连载中国驻美公使容闳的小传，描写了一些容闳自传中未曾出现的内容。
华美人文学会于美东时间3月22日晚8时至9时半（北京时间3月23日早）特邀鲍留云专家孙建军教授做《来往于中日之间的美国传教士鲍留云》专题讲座。本次讲座将围绕鲍留云的生平与贡献展开，重点探讨他作为一名美国传教士在19世纪中日两国之间的活动轨迹，讲座内容还包括介绍鲍留云带容闳等人赴美留学的历史背景及其重要意义。
China Institute’s cultural programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
