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Rh years later he successfully passed the examinations for a Ph. D. degree. His subject for the doctor's dissertation was “A Survey of Constitutional Development in China.” In August 1911, he returned to China. He went to Peking and was appointed a member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1912 to 1913 he served as Commissioner of Foreign Affairs in Chekiang, his native province. He was later recalled to Peking and appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He held the position of Secretary from 1913 to 1916. In 1916 he was appointed a member of the Office of the Cabinet. In the same year he was made managing editor of the Chinese Social and Political Science Review. In November 1918 he was awarded the Second Class Wenfu in connection with the European War service. In January 1919 he accompanied Minister Lu Cheng-hsiang's mission to the European Peace Conference in the capacity of Technical Delegate. He returned to China two months ago, and rejoined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as a Councillor. In May 1919 he was given the Fifth Class Paokuang Chiaho and in January 1920 the Second Class Wenfu decoration. In the beginning of 1920 a dispute arose over the management of the Tsinghua College. A board of three directors was created by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. In February 1920 Dr. Yen was one of them, the other two being Mr. Peck of the American Legation and Dr. Tyau of the same Ministry. Upon the decision of the Board to elect one of its own members to take charge of the management of the College, Dr. Yen was appointed president of the Tsinghua College pro-tem. In September 1920 his name was recorded with the Cabinet Office as an ambassador-in-waiting. In February 1921 he was relieved of the Couneillorship of the Foreign Office. During the Washington Conference, in the winter of 1921-22, he was Deputy Chief Secretary to the Chinese Delegation as well as one of its technical experts. In December 1922 he was appointed Chief of the Bureau for the Preparation of the Special Tariff Revision Conference. In September 1923 he was commissioned to be a technical member of the Financial Reorganization Commission. In January. 1924 he was appointed Vice-Minister of Agriculture and Commerce. This position he held for about half a year.