如何培养国家领导人才?——对历任英国首相教育背景的综合考察与分析

Who Cultivate Political Leaders in the United Kingdom? A Comprehensive Study on the Educational Background of Former British Prime Ministers

高等教育在国家与地方领导人的培养和选拔中具有重要的作用,然而这种作用如何具体实现则有待认识。本研究以历任英国首相为考察对象,对其教育背景进行了深入的考察和分析。结果表明,早期英国首相选拔存在贵族化取向。他们接受的教育大致分为三个阶段,基础教育阶段多接受重在培养贵族子弟的公学教育,高等教育阶段进入有"领袖摇篮"之称的牛津、剑桥,毕业之后的游学则是其正规学校教育之外的必要补充。其中每一教育阶段都贯穿着明确的目标、完善的制度(如导师制)、有效的措施和方法(如牛津辩论会、游学等)等具体内涵。尽管随着时代发展和社会进步,越来越多的英国首相出身平凡,但在高等教育阶段,出自牛津大学的首相仍占很大比例。英国政治领袖的培养形成了自己鲜明的特色,这为我国世界一流大学建设和领导人才培养提供了不同维度的参照。

Education plays an important role in the cultivation and selection of national leaders. However, it is unclear how to fulfill the role. This paper conducts a comprehensive study on the educational background of former prime ministers in the United Kingdom. The results show that there are aristocratic tendencies in the selection of British prime ministers in early times. Their educational experience can be broadly divided into three stages. Specifically speaking, they receive basic education at colleges dedicated to cultivating nobility, receive higher education at Oxbridge （also called ＂the cradle of leaders＂）, and take the Grand Tour after graduation, which is a necessary complement beyond their formal education. Every stage of education has clear objectives, perfect systems （such as tutorial system）, effective measures and methods （such as Oxford Union, the Grand Tour, etc.）. With the development of the times and social progress, more and more British prime ministers come from ordinary families, but Oxford graduates still account for a large percentage of them. The cultivation of national leaders in the UK, featured by distinctive British traditions, may shed light on China＇s endeavors to establish world-class universities and cultivate leaders.