ABSTRACT

When the United Kingdom has figured in the modern history of study abroad, it has featured almost exclusively in the role of host country with little attention paid to the study abroad patterns of UK students. In order to gain a rounded picture of the UK’s role in post-war study abroad, this article explores the position of the UK within the context of the rich data gathered by UNESCO. It argues that there is strong evidence that the UK was actually one of the most active countries in sending its students overseas and that this activity increased (both in absolute terms and relative to other countries) significantly in the 1960s and 70s. Following a brief analysis of the UK’s role as both a host and exporter of study abroad students on a global scale, its relationship as a sender country with two particular geographical areas is considered: firstly, the Commonwealth that has been the focus of much of the existing secondary literature, and secondly, continental Europe and the USA which have featured much less frequently in the work of historians. Various reasons for the significant rise in the number of UK students studying abroad are explored – in particular, the role of government attitudes towards overseas study including the possibility of developing student exchange as an instrument of cultural diplomacy. The article pays particular attention to the period between the publication of the Robbins Report in 1963 and the beginnings of the institutionalisation of study abroad (in Europe) in the late 1970s.

摘要

当英国在现代留学史上崭露头角时，它几乎完全是东道国的角色，很少有人关注英国学生的留学模式。为了全面了解英国在战后留学中的作用，本文在联合国教科文组织收集的丰富数据的背景下探讨了英国的地位。它认为，有强有力的证据表明，英国实际上是向海外派遣学生最活跃的国家之一，而且这种活动在 1960 年代和 70 年代显着增加（无论是绝对值还是相对于其他国家）。在简要分析英国在全球范围内作为留学生的东道国和出口国的角色后，我们考虑了它作为输出国与两个特定地理区域的关系：首先，英联邦一直是许多现有二手文献的焦点，其次，欧洲大陆和美国在历史学家的著作中出现的频率要低得多。探讨了英国留学人数显着增加的各种原因——特别是政府对海外留学态度的作用，包括发展学生交流作为文化外交工具的可能性。这篇文章特别关注了从 1963 年罗宾斯报告发布到 70 年代后期出国留学（欧洲）制度化开始之间的时期。欧洲大陆和美国在历史学家的著作中出现的频率要低得多。探讨了英国留学人数显着增加的各种原因——特别是政府对海外留学态度的作用，包括发展学生交流作为文化外交工具的可能性。这篇文章特别关注了从 1963 年罗宾斯报告发布到 70 年代后期出国留学（欧洲）制度化开始之间的时期。欧洲大陆和美国在历史学家的著作中出现的频率要低得多。探讨了英国留学人数显着增加的各种原因——特别是政府对海外留学态度的作用，包括发展学生交流作为文化外交工具的可能性。这篇文章特别关注了从 1963 年罗宾斯报告发布到 70 年代后期出国留学（欧洲）制度化开始之间的时期。