刘湛恩与国民外交

Herman C. E. Liu and National Diplomacy

刘湛恩是抗战期间为国牺牲的唯一的大学校长。他参与创建了中国太平洋国际学会、上海国际友谊社等多个民间国际组织,接待了包括孟禄、泰戈尔、范朋克、莫列德等在内的诸多外国友人,更多次出席国际会议,是1920—1930年代上海国际交流领域的弄潮儿、国民外交的重要推动者之一。抗战全面爆发后,刘湛恩坚持留守上海,一方面继续领导沪江大学,一方面不遗余力地开展抗战的国际宣传,坚决拒任伪"中华民国维新政府"教育部长之职。导致刘湛恩被敌伪暗杀的原因之一正是他在国民外交尤其是关于抗战的国际宣传方面的重要作为和重大影响。

Herman C. E. Liu is the only university president who sacrificed for his own country during the Anti-Japanese War. He participated in the founding of China Institute of Pacific Relations, Shanghai Cosmopolitan Club and many other international nongovernment societies. He also hosted receptions for several foreign friends including Paul Monroe, Rabindranath Thagore, Douglas Fairbanks and Femard Maurette and attended international conferences. He played a leading and active role in the social circle from 1920s to 1930s and promoted National Diplomacy. During the Anti- Japanese War, he stayed in Shanghai as a university president, publicizing the situations of the War to the world. Later, he refused to serve as the Education Minister for the so-called Reform Government. It was his contributions to and influence on national diplomacy, especially his efforts in publicizing the situations of the Anti-Japanese War, that led to his assassination.