NOTE: This blog was updated on 24 August to include a table and brief commentary on additional countries, specifically those in the G20, and their Government leaders. The update reinforces the key points that almost none of the leaders of the most economically powerful countries in the world studied in a higher education institution outside their own country.
The recent HEPI blog on soft power reminded me that it is easy to get stuck in a world view and to simply repeat things without questioning their validity. It’s even worse when this results in a league table and some cheap headlines which people never interrogate for underlying validity or worth. The HEPI chart also has some oddities, such as listing some monarchs who have extremely limited executive powers and often stand apart from political, economic or social decision making.
While some may be comforted to see the UK coming second on the HEPI measure with 55 “world leaders educated in countries other than their own” there is a need for more rigour at a point when Global Britain is the mantra/lifebelt at a time of economic gloom. When the UK Prime Minister goes to meetings with, say, the G7 are they really amongst friends with a common and lived sense of the value of a UK higher education? The facts suggest not.
More troubling might be that of the top 15 countries by GDP in 2022 suggests that only two country leaders have any meaningful experience of higher education outside their own country. Three appear to have ended their studies at undergraduate/military academy level. This is a snapshot of the world leadership in August 2022 but I suspect that the notion of a well-travelled, multi-country education is relatively rare amongst the world’s most powerful political leadership.
In a world where nationalist politics appears to have taken an increasing grip this may be a passing phase and it would be reasonable to argue that this is a small section of the global political elite. However, some would argue that economic realities shape most political decisions and so factors shaping the leadership of the countries with economic power is worth considering. It is always best to make an effort to understand who you are dealing with.
Table 1: Education of Political Leaders in Top 15 Countries by GDP
| Country | Name | Title | Undergrad | Postgrad |
| United States | Joe Biden | President | US | US |
| China | Xi Jinping | President | China | China |
| Japan | Fumio Kishida | Prime Minister | Japan | Japan |
| Germany | Olaf Schulz | Chancellor | Germany | Germany |
| United Kingdom | Boris Johnson | Prime Minister | UK | UK |
| India | Narendra Modi | Prime Minister | India | India* |
| France | Emmanuel Macron | President | France | France |
| Italy | Mario Draghi | Prime Minister | Italy | USA |
| Canada | Justin Trudeau | Prime Minister | Canada | |
| South Korea | Yoon Suk-yeol | President | S Korea | S Korea |
| Russia | Vladimir Putin | President | Russia | Russia |
| Brazil | Jair Bolsonaro | President | Brazil | |
| Australia | Anthony Alabanese | Prime Minister | Australia | |
| Spain | Pedro Sanchez | Prime Minister | Spain | Belgium |
| Indonesia | Joko Widodo | President | Indonesia | |
| *contested |
Adding the five additional countries that make up the G20 does not make any difference to the overall findings. The meeting in Bali in November 2022 will feature heads of government that have enjoyed almost no cross-cultural influences at higher education level. If one strength of universities is intended to be that they offer a pathway for different cultures and influences to gel and gain understanding it is a route that appears to be firmly closed for those who make it to the top of country politics.
Table 2: Leadership of Additional Countries in the G20
Notes:
- Information on the senior figure in the structure of a country’s “executive” leadership is taken from public sources but it is acknowledged that power structures are more complex and authority seldom wholly resides in an individual.
- Information on the academic qualifications is taken from public sources and has erred on the side of benevolence. One qualification is flagged as being publicly disputed. Where there is no entry for a higher degree level the author has found no evidence of a qualification at that level. Any amendments are gratefully received and will be corrected.
- It is recognized that public profiles are often manipulated so any other authoritative corrections are also welcome.
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay