The introduction of Western education into the rest of the world occurred to a large degree through
imperialism. This affected the way that Western education was absorbed and influenced by the world.
Africa Asia East Asia In China, as reformers sought to grapple with the foreign domination of the late 19th century, they came to a conclusion of re-ordering Chinese society through a process of
self-strengthening, which included taking ideas from the West. Even before the
Edo period, Japan had established significant contact with Western knowledge through
Rangaku (Dutch Learning). While maintaining its isolationist
sakoku policy, Japan permitted limited trade with the
Dutch East India Company at
Dejima, Nagasaki. This unique arrangement allowed Japanese scholars to study Western medicine, astronomy, mathematics, and other sciences through Dutch books and interactions with Dutch traders. Rangaku scholars like
Sugita Genpaku and
Maeno Ryōtaku made groundbreaking translations of Dutch medical texts, including the influential "
Kaitai Shinsho" (New Book of Anatomy), which introduced Western medical knowledge to Japan. This early exposure to Western learning through the Dutch connection laid an important foundation for Japan's later modernization efforts during the
Meiji era, when Japan sought to further modernize itself by learning from the West. It sent scholars and diplomats to Western countries to learn from their education systems.
South Asia The British colonised India starting in the late 18th century, and began to impose Western education by the early 19th century. They saw this as a highly positive step, and felt that it was a way to
civilise the people. Native kingdoms also sometimes sought such education to understand how to deal with the British threat. == Contemporary history outside of the West ==