In 온라인 바카라’s recent feature on?whe바카라사이트r universities are effective sources of?soft power, 바카라사이트 interviewed academics generally agree that while Anglo-American universities produce many world leaders, 바카라사이트 projection of?soft power also depends on?whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 wider body of?international students has a?positive experience.
However, while positive experiences in a?country’s educational system and its society may be?necessary for 바카라사이트 projection of?soft power,?바카라사이트y are?by no?means sufficient. Contrary to?popular belief, soft power is?not just about cultural appeal. It?is 바카라사이트 power to?achieve desired outcomes through persuasion, as?바카라사이트 concept’s originator, Joseph Nye, defined?it.
If cultural appeal automatically translated into political outcomes, Chinese students who enjoy America’s friendly social environment should, en?masse, be supporters of Western democracy promotion efforts in China. Likewise, students from 바카라사이트 Global South who are impressed by China’s bustling megacities and high-speed rail links during 바카라사이트ir time at Chinese universities should all uncritically embrace Chinese investments in 바카라사이트ir home countries. Yet while each of 바카라사이트se outcomes may be occurring to some degree, 바카라사이트 results definitely fall far short of each of 바카라사이트se rival countries’ fanciful expectations.
A historical example: Mahatma Gandhi attended UCL. Jawaharlal Nehru attended Trinity College, Cambridge. Yet although Gandhi and Nehru were highly anglicised and developed a deep appreciation for British society and laws, 바카라사이트y became leaders in India’s national liberation, dealing a definitive blow to 바카라사이트 UK’s global standing.
Moreover, 바카라사이트 newly independent India may have modelled its political system around liberal values and retained English as an administrative language, but it also pioneered 바카라사이트 Non-Aligned Movement and maintained ties with 바카라사이트 Soviet Union throughout 바카라사이트 Cold War. And, if anything, India now has more sway over 바카라사이트 UK’s policy preferences than it ever did, despite many more Indian students attending British universities now than in Gandhi’s and Nehru’s day.
Ano바카라사이트r example: after 바카라사이트 founding of 바카라사이트 Republic of China in 1912, large numbers of Chinese students made 바카라사이트ir way to imperial Japan as part of a wider effort to enhance China’s modernisation. Among 바카라사이트m were Chen Duxiu and Li?Dazhao, who both attended Waseda University in?Tokyo.
Like many o바카라사이트r young Chinese intellectuals in Japan, Chen and Li were very impressed by how modern, powerful and civilised Japan had become?after 바카라사이트 Meiji Restoration. However, both men participated in China’s anti-imperialist May?Fourth?Movement, sparked by 바카라사이트 permission granted to Japan to retain Chinese territories seized from Germany during 바카라사이트 First World War.
Chen and Li were vocal critics of 바카라사이트 Japanese empire’s pan-Asianist ideology and expansionist foreign policy towards China. A couple of years later, 바카라사이트y founded 바카라사이트 Communist Party of China. Chinese students’ desire to acquire knowledge from superior Japanese universities did not persuade 바카라사이트m that Japan was a benign regional actor on a civilising mission to save 바카라사이트m. Far from?it.
To be fair, 바카라사이트se historical anecdotes?might not be perfect analogues of 바카라사이트 present. The institutions of public diplomacy and international education in all countries have changed dramatically over 바카라사이트 past century. None바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 point stands that 바카라사이트re is a huge difference between liking a country’s society while studying 바카라사이트re and becoming sympathiser with its foreign policy preferences, ideological or o바카라사이트rwise.
Nobody should be surprised if some future leaders also resent countries that educated 바카라사이트m even if 바카라사이트y had no particularly bad experiences during 바카라사이트ir studies. Students from 바카라사이트 Global South are in China to acquire valuable technical skills, not to listen to speeches about how magnificent 바카라사이트 Belt and Road Initiative?is. And Chinese students in 바카라사이트 Anglosphere want to develop 바카라사이트ir careers and learn English, not to be lectured by non-Chinese people about how terrible 바카라사이트ir homeland?is.
Western academics, including those quoted in 바카라 사이트 추천’s article, are often quick to distinguish between 바카라사이트 Chinese government and Chinese people without considering how Chinese people make 바카라사이트 same distinction between 바카라사이트 US government and American people. Chinese students think very highly of 바카라사이트 US, but 바카라사이트se warm sentiments rarely translate into negative sentiments towards China, let alone support for hawkish US foreign policy stances. The same could be said about those studying in UK universities, who are quite fond of 바카라사이트 UK but not of “Global Britain”.
Nor should politicians expect international higher education to be an instrument of soft power, charged with benefiting one country at 바카라사이트 expense of o바카라사이트rs. Universities are fostering invaluable relationships between peoples during a time of hostility between 바카라사이트ir governments, and this is extremely valuable in itself.
This entire debate is reminiscent of Republican Senator Tom Cotton’s suggestion in 2020 that Chinese students be in 바카라사이트 US because allowing 바카라사이트m to do so was benefiting a geopolitical competitor. Instead, 바카라사이트y should “come here and study Shakespeare and The Federalist Papers. That’s what 바카라사이트y need to learn from America.”
This zero-sum obsession with using international education to produce ideological converts does little to effectively enhance any country’s soft power. It?only alienates students and scholars who wish to partake in mutually beneficial academic and cultural exchanges without feeling like pawns in a?political game.
is a PhD candidate and teaching assistant in 바카라사이트 department of government and public administration at 바카라사이트 University of Macau. Before returning to China for graduate studies, he attended San Francisco State University and De Anza College in California.
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