Rhodes Scholars in Education

There are more Rhodes Scholars working in education around the world than in any other sector. In the latest addition to our Scholar Impact Showcase, we highlight the work of a small subset of these.

Sir Rick Trainor (Rhodes Island & Merton 1970), Interim Warden of Rhodes House, whose own distinguished career in education is profiled in the feature, notes the importance of Scholars’ contribution in this area and how it aligns with goals of the Scholarship:

"Right from the early 20th Century when the Scholarships began, Rhodes Scholars have been active in the educational world: in higher education (including research as well as teaching), secondary schools, primary schools, and educational theory and research.  This is highly appropriate: as education at all levels is fundamental to the welfare of society, involvement in education aligns very well with the Rhodes Scholarships’ basic aim of public service."

The interactive map also features 25 interviews with Rhodes Scholars, elected from 5 continents over a 56 year period, talking about their work from primary schools to higher education. Across this diverse sample, several common themes emerge: 

The perennial pressures on funding of education, particularly in the arts and humanities
"I think of many Rhodes Scholars who are just exemplary as teachers - their commitment to that vocation of educating the next generation, which has probably got harder over time, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. They're usually an embattled part of the university, and it's very often the Rhodes Scholars who are in the front line, having to fight those fights."
- Nicholas Jose (South Australia & Magdalen 1974)

The threat to academic freedom, and the impact of recent US government policy both inside out outside the US
“My contacts are typically with the universities that this American administration is targeting - the great universities, the ones they want to bring to heel. This latest effort calls for universities to sign a “compact”. They better act as one in rejecting that - it is the most unconscionable instrusion on academic freedom that you could possible imagine”
- Richard Portes (Illinois & Balliol 1962)

Government pressure on numbers of international students, having both financial and more intangible impacts
“When someone spends their student years in a country, they have a soft spot for that country, they remember it positively. So in the future, when they become leaders, there is attraction to that country where they’ve had a good experience as students.”
- Humaira Khan (Pakistan & Somerville 1982)

The evolving role of a university in the 21st Century
 “I think in the next decade, we’re going to see very interesting changes in the vision of a what a university space is for. University has never just been about education, it’s also about being the rounded person, it’s about learning how to debate, it’s about getting insights into other people, into other ideas”
- Síofra Pierse (Ireland & Trinity 1994)

Yet despite these challenges, Scholars continue to find inspiration and reasons for optimism. Carolyn Evans (Victoria & Exeter 1995), VC of Griffith University and Chair of Universities Australia, reminds us that nostalgia for “the good old days” is misplaced:  

"We are doing a much better job now at bringing more people in, at creating more flexibility. We are better engaged with the outside world as a sector than we've ever been.”

We hope you enjoy hearing about the work of these Rhodes Scholars, and encourage others working in education who would like to add themselves to the map to get in touch via connect@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk.