Comments on: Slate Asks Why Harvard Is Training The Next Generation Of Chinese Communist Party Leaders. Answer: Why Not?

By: Grace

Grace — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:48:02 +0000

It doesn’t matter. All elite universities have been training world leaders since the 50s. If you ever look at any of the world presidents, cabinets and see where they are educated, almost all of them are from Ivy Leagues, the sisters, or Stanford. They pay tuition. Unless you are exceptionally gifted, you rarely get merit scholarships at Ivies unless you fall under an income threshold or sports scholarship or ‘other’ considersation. Stanford and Harvard offered me no scholarship while USC offered a 20k scholarship. People in my hall at Stanford were from all over the world and it was interesting to note how many of those who were poli sci majors ended up in high levels of government in their own countries. They saw themselves leading their countries. Most were from wealthy families but a few had their tuition paid by the government with the stipulation that they would promise to work for the government for a set period (Singapore for example).

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:51:57 +0000

“Certainly each of these students gained acceptance to Harvard on their own merits,”

Didn’t Bo Guagua get suspended for a while from Oxford because his academic performance was dreadful?

By: » Pictures Of Bo Guagua At His Harvard Commencement Ceremony Beijing Cream

» Pictures Of Bo Guagua At His Harvard Commencement Ceremony Beijing Cream — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:48:25 +0000

[...] Guagua graduated yesterday from Harvard Kennedy School. Adam Samberg gave a speech, and with that, another lot of wide-eyed, partied-out [...]

By: Chris Devonshire-Ellis

Chris Devonshire-Ellis — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:25:55 +0000

Hes a bit late making observations over Chinese leaders being edcuated overseas – its being going on since the early 1980′s. And as you rightly say “Why not?”. Why not indeed. Its a welcome effect of globalisation and will ultimately breed greater respect amongst us all; our differences and similarities. – CDE

By: D

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:49:42 +0000

China may have some prestigious universities.

Whether or not these universities can actually produce “top-notch students” is another matter entirely.

By: A

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:58:03 +0000

Sure, why shouldn’t Harvard and other elite schools in the US accept the next generation of the Chinese Communist Party leaders?

But I think part of the question which has been asked of late (but not necessarily by Slate in this post) and which no-one has yet answered articulately is, how are these next generation and their families affording the tuition? We all know that it’s not cheap to attend school in the US for a Chinese person, let alone for a state politician who — in theory — draws a salary from the Chinese government to send his child overseas to study. It’s not just the case of 1 or 2 politicians either. Washington Post and Slate have all listed a number of students of politicians currently and in the past who have been educated overseas. Who’s paying for this education? Is it the Chinese government itself? If not, is Harvard and other elite universities accepting these students and providing some sort of financial aid or scholarship? If its the latter, than there’s another whole set of questions such as should this financial aid or scholarship be given to other students who deserve it more? And if it’s neither, how are these politicians themselves affording the tuition?

And then of course there is another question that comes to mind, why are so many children of Chinese leaders being educated overseas? China has some prestigious universities that produce top-notch students. Cultural exchanges of course are important, and yes Western pedagogy does emphasize creativity and innovation more than Chinese pedagogy, but one can still wonder – do Chinese leaders have faith in their own education system?