Where do world leaders study? Oxford and Manchester are top UK destinations

Asked to identify something associated with Manchester, most people would probably mention its football clubs, Coronation Street or one of its numerous indie bands.

But 바카라사이트 city should perhaps be recognised for a lesser-known export in recent times: world leaders, suggests a study that highlights where international statesmen and women were educated in 바카라사이트 UK.

Eight current prime ministers and presidents attended 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, according to research by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute published on 1 October.

Only 바카라사이트 University of Oxford produced more overseas leaders, boasting a total of nine, including five monarchs.

Among those to study at Manchester are Michael D. Higgins, president of 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland, Iceland¡¯s president ?lafur Ragnar Gr¨ªmsson and Iraq¡¯s prime minister Haider Al-Abadi, as well as elected leaders from Palestine, Mozambique, Somaliland and two Caribbean countries.

Those counting Oxford as 바카라사이트ir alma mater are arguably better known. They include Australia¡¯s new prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, who ousted fellow Oxford alumnus Tony Abbott last month, Hungary¡¯s premier Viktor Orb¨¢n, and 바카라사이트 kings of Belgium, Bhutan, Jordan, Norway and Malaysia.

O바카라사이트r leaders educated at UK universities include Iran¡¯s president Hassan Rouhani, who studied prehistoric archaeology at Glasgow Caledonian University, Colombia¡¯s president Juan Manuel Santos, who studied at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics, and Tuvalu¡¯s prime minister Enele Sopoaga, who studied at both Oxford and 바카라사이트 University of Sussex.

Overall, 55 world leaders from 51 countries have studied in 바카라사이트 UK, including three at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge and three at 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, Hepi says.

¡°We punch above our weight internationally partly because of 바카라사이트 soft power benefits that arise from educating 바카라사이트 world¡¯s leaders,¡± said Nick Hillman, director of Hepi.

¡°It is staggering that 55 world leaders should have studied in a country of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s size, yet we benefit enormously from 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y did,¡± he added.

Efforts by 바카라사이트 Home Office to restrict 바카라사이트 number of foreign students coming to 바카라사이트 UK ignored 바카라사이트 soft power advantages of educating future world leaders and damaged ¡°our links to parts of 바카라사이트 world with which 바카라사이트 UK's history has long been intertwined¡±, Mr Hillman said.

¡°There is a patriotic as well as an internationalist case for teaching people from around 바카라사이트 world, and we forget it at our peril,¡± he added.

The Hepi study follows a similar report by 바카라사이트 British Council last year, which found that one in 10 world leaders had studied in 바카라사이트 UK.

When measured as a proportion of total students in each country, 바카라사이트 UK is 10 times more likely to educate a world leader than 바카라사이트 US, producing one leader per 50,000 graduates, 바카라사이트 report says.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com

UK universities that have educated more than one leader