Elite Education Research Articles

Preparation of the Future Elites of the Communist Party in the Period of Communism in Slovakia

The research is focused on organization and content of education of the future party elites in Slovakia during the period of communism. In 1953, a special Party College of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (renamed to the Political Institute of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in 1965, further on Political Institute of the CC CPC) was created in Czechoslovakia for the purpose of their training. It was directly managed by the Central Committee. After the suppression of the Prague Spring and the onset of normalization (the beginning of the 1970s), a new faculty called the Faculty of the Political Institute of the CC CPC was established in Bratislava and it began its activities in 1972. The research is based on the study of archival sources of relevant funds of the Slovak National Archive in Bratislava. The research shows that the faculty 1) provided a relatively wide spectrum of graduate and postgraduate education in both full-time and part-time form, 2) also provided higher forms of education (rigorous examination procedures and scientific postgraduate studies), 3) had a well-thought-out and well-organized comprehensive system of education for the future elites of the ruling Communist Party, including spending their leisure time. The faculty disappeared after the fall of communism in 1990.

Реорганізаційний рушій процесів генезису публічної політики трансформації та розвитку методичної служби в умовах децентралізації освіти в Україні

The article presents an applied analysis of the consequences of the lack of a public policy for the transformation and development of the methodological service over the past decade. Given a detailed descriptive characteristic of the essence of the decentralization of education in Ukraine. L. Husarchuk introduces a practical deconstruction of this phenomenon through the prism of a consolidated praxeological analysis, which establishes and substantiates in detail the prerequisites for the emergence of the problem under study and proves the critical importance of finding a reorganizational driver that can act as a catalyst for the processes of the genesis of the object of study. It is revealed how the reorganizational driver affects the launch of the implementation of a public policy for the transformation and development of the methodological service in the context of the decentralization of education in Ukraine. The study covers a wide range of problems within the methodological service that arose as a result of political struggle at the regional levels. The risks associated with further ignoring the problem under study are revealed. Among other things, the article considers: 1) Formation of functioning professional methodological activity as a process and as a phenomenon. 2) Key challenges of decentralization of education and their impact on the methodological service. 3) Negative consequences of modern trends in the educational environment of Ukraine, caused by the phenomenon of decentralization. The article is addressed to the educational elite, scientists, enthusiastic researchers, employees of state authorities and will be useful to all those who are interested in the development of Ukrainian education, are actively engaged in scientific and research activities and are not indifferent to education

Search of the Holy Grail

This essay explores the search for an ideal typography course for design students. It analyzes the historical and social context of typography in post-war Poland, highlighting the impact of a non-democratic state on graphic design. It addresses the legacy of elitist education and linguistic uniformity, revealing challenges in the current education system. An interdisciplinary team seeks to define the ideal course through qualitative and quantitative research, underlining the need to understand the history of typography and its current challenges. Models of design education are discussed, recognizing the absence of a perfect course and focusing on the need to define clear frameworks, standardize content and include modern media in typography education.

A Speechless Monarch: Early China’s Battle for Intellectual Authority

Abstract Although the earliest political text from early China, namely the Canon of Documents, comprises speeches attributed to ancient kings, for most of the Eastern Zhou period (770–255 BCE) monarchs remained conspicuously silent. This article surveys the instances of the rulers’ speeches in major historical collections and a sample of philosophical texts from the Warring States period. I demonstrate that the rulers’ voice in these texts is overwhelmingly confined to short questions, approval of proposed policies, or other insignificant uttering. I argue that this silence was deliberately built into the texts by their composers, so as to preserve the intellectual authority in the hands of the educated elite. It was only with the imperial unification of 221 BCE and the dramatic change in the balance of power between the emperors and the intellectuals that the royal speech regained its prominence and political importance.

Elitopedagogy: an educational and cultural perspective in the internationalization process

The problem of elite pedagogy requires, in the context of rapid sociocultural changes, a revision of previous and current international guidelines to fix the potential foundations of a possible educational policy in an area that is currently poorly developed in our educational system. In this article, from a more general perspective, we do not seek to answer what actually works or test a specific hypothesis, but rather to understand what is “going on” with elite pedagogy internationally. The primary thing in this sense is to consider the main ideas on the topic and the differences or similarities between them. The analysis is mainly based on highlighting the situation in countries with the most convincing achievements in the field of elite education, such as France, the USA, and the UK. The author highlights a variety of aspects, including the following: proposing a strong model of socialization and culturalization, individualization of education, revision of the principles of legitimization of elite schools, giving them a more open, more democratic status, promoting the principle of equal opportunities in education, promoting higher quality education based on the talents and abilities of students, promoting an aristocracy of talents, etc. Thus, based on these findings, we formulate the idea of the need to deepen research on elite pedagogy from the point of view of tracing some directions of influence of the elitological mentality at the pedagogical level in order to develop a clearer understanding of elite education in the system. Elite education is increasingly claiming its place, “breaking” the false ideologeme of sociocultural injustice.

Two Kings: Empire, Abolition, and the University of Aberdeen’s First African Student

This article presents a biography and multi-generational microhistory of Nathaniel King (1847–1884), the University of Aberdeen’s first African-born student and a pioneering practitioner of Western medicine in colonial West Africa. Nathaniel’s father, Thomas King, rose from slavery to become a missionary and linguist in Sierra Leone and what would later become Nigeria. Nathaniel, born to survivors of the Middle Passage, graduated M.B., C.M. from Aberdeen in 1876, before returning to West Africa to become a prominent member of the educated elite in Victorian Lagos. The long-established historiography of Scottish ‘sojourners’ abroad has not yet explored the impact of colonial sojourners to Scotland, an itinerary travelled particularly by male students from within the empire, especially as Scotland’s universities became imperial centres of medical training. This article draws particular attention to the significance of Britain’s nineteenth-century campaign against the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the arrival of the first African-born students at Scottish universities, placing King’s history within a broader pattern of Africans born to people liberated from slave ships who ventured to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and St Andrews in the middle decades of the nineteenth century for medical training.

Meritocracy seen through the eyes of its champions: a comparative study of educational elites

This paper explores the way in which elite students from Germany and Romania understand the role of talent, effort, and structural factors in shaping educational success and failure. The image of a successful student aligns with the requirements of the selection processes, with Romanian students emphasising effort, and German students projecting an image of effortless achievement. Although most students acknowledged structural inequalities played into the selection processes, they did not seem to doubt the intelligence and skills of those who were selected to the most prestigious tracks and streams. By exploring the way in which students at prestigious universities talk about success and failure, this paper captures some ways in which they resist reproducing meritocratic discourses, and other ways in which they perpetuate the myth of meritocracy.

The Western Travellers of the Sixteenth Century and the Ancient Monuments Situated along the Route of Via Diagonalis

The paper presents an analysis of the accounts provided by Western travellers from the 16th century regarding the ancient monuments situated along the route of Via Diagonalis, which traverses the Balkans from Belgrade to Istanbul. The ancient Roman road was primarily utilised by Habsburg envoys to the Sublime Porte, although it was also employed by diplomats from Venice and, on occasion, from France. The travelogues provide insight into the condition of the ancient road and the ruins in Nis, Sofia, Plovdiv and Edirne. It is of particular interest to note the remains of the gate in Trajan’s Pass. The information provided by travellers is often limited in scope and lacks sufficient detail. The reasons for this are primarily the lack of time and the suspicious attitude of the Muslims who accompanied the travellers. Nevertheless, travelogues from the 16th century contain invaluable information about monuments and inscriptions that have been destroyed, thereby enhancing our understanding of the history and culture of the Roman provinces of Thrace and Upper Moesia. Furthermore, travellers provide insight into the attitude of the local population towards antiquities. In contrast to Renaissance Europe, where the study and preservation of Antiquity was a prominent aspect of the educated elite’s culture, travellers indicate a lack of interest in these matters among the local population.

A study on the impact of career planning on employability among college students in Hebei Province, China

With the deepening of educational reform in China, higher education has shifted from elite education to mass education, that leading to an annual increase in the number of graduates. However, many college students lack the corresponding competitiveness in the job market. Therefore, enhancing the employability of college students to increase competitiveness has become crucial. Drawing on the Career EDGE employability model as the theoretical framework, this study explores the impact of career planning on employability among college students, with learning attitude as a mediating variable. Through convenient sampling of college students in Hebei Province, China, 430 valid questionnaires were used to empirically test the theoretical hypothesis model. The results indicate that career planning has a direct impact on employability, and learning attitude also has a direct impact on employability. After incorporating learning attitude as a mediating variable, it was found to partially mediate the relationship between career planning and employability.

PECULIARITIES OF THE FUNCTIONING OF DOMESTIC ELITE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The article provides a theoretical and practical analysis of the problem of the formation and development of elite higher education in Ukraine. In the context of the specified problem, the authors singled out: trends in the activity of educational institutions in the conditions of a full-scale invasion of Russia; factors of increased interest of researchers in studying the problem of elites, elite thinking, elite educational institutions; growth trends of private educational institutions in Europe and Ukraine.An analysis of different approaches to the interpretation of the concepts of "elite", "private school", "alternative educational institutions", "elite education", "elite university", etc. is offered. The authors proposed a description of different types of private schools, in particular, elitist, denominational, compensatory, conjunctural, national and alternative models. The article presents the classification of private schools (preschool, primary, day, non-formal, with moderate and high tuition fees, with historically developed traditions and modernity, etc.), and highlights their characteristic features.A comparative analysis of research and elite universities was partially carried out, and the characteristic features of a research university were singled out and characterized (the multi-functionality of the institution, the presence of a system of training specialists with a scientific degree, a wide selection of specialities and specializations, the formation of an intellectual environment around the university, a competitive and selective approach to the selection of students; the presence of corporate ethics, etc.). The article focuses on the specific characteristics of elite universities (autonomy, compactness, own traditions, small numbers, etc.), highlights the most significant factors of the emergence and development of elite higher education institutions in Ukraine (growing demand of the population for appropriate education, creation of an appropriate educational environment, expanded network of social provision of the most gifted students, etc.).

Образование как отражение традиций

The history of Brazil is divided into three periods: colonial (1500-1822), imperial (1822-1889), and republican (1889 to the present). From 2015 at 2024, there have been distinct definitions of what “education” is in Brazil. Therefore, I will examine the concepts of education presented by Dilma Rousseff in her Message to the National Congress (2015), by the National Common Curricular Base – BNCC, (2017), and by Jair Bolsonaro also in the Message to the National Congress (2019), respectively, focusing on the forms of humanist, technicist and elitist education. Having explained the definitions, I present the analysis of two Brazilian “unpublished documents” – a Compendium Philosophicum (1756) and Offended and defended Slavery 1840 – as examples of an education based on innovation and social commitment. From them I point out a critical reading of elitist and technicist forms and advocate for critical and emancipatory education, based on three elements: 1) the need to produce knowledge on a global scale with symmetry, reciprocity and recognition, 2) education thought as an action that transforms the human being, and 3) knowledge and education as the basis for the inclusion and overcoming social inequalities.

Top management team gender diversity and power dynamics in times of change

Abstract Extant research examining the effects of top management team (TMT) gender diversity on firm performance report equivocal findings. We seek to enhance understanding of this critical relationship in the context of an acquisition, which necessitates changes in one or both firms during a process characterized by non-routine decisions, time pressures, high uncertainty, and frequent debates among strategic leaders. Specifically, we examine the effects of gender diversity of top management and female executives’ formal and informal power on post-deal performance. Our results indicate gender diversity has negative effects on post-deal performance. Further, in a subsample of acquirers with gender diverse teams, our results reveal that female executives’ structural power and ownership power have negative performance effects, while power conferred through an elite education has positive performance effects. Our findings highlight the need to expand gender diversity research to consider the strategic context facing diverse TMTs and power dynamics among them.

How Do Elite-Educated CEOs Choose the M&A Payment Method? Evidence from Taiwan

This paper examines the influence of CEOs with elite educations on the selection of payment methods in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Analyzing a unique hand-collected dataset of M&A announcements involving Taiwanese acquirers during 2007–2020, we find that acquirers led by elite-educated CEOs are more likely to opt for cash financing in M&A transactions, a preference that persists even after conducting robustness tests and addressing endogeneity bias. Elite-educated CEOs with a Ph.D. or Master's degree in management- or finance-related disciplines are further found to exhibit a marked preference for cash payments, particularly when their firms face greater financial constraints. These observations can be attributed to potentially lower costs of external funding and might also reflect a perception among these CEOs that their firms are undervalued, as posited by both the financing proficiency hypothesis and the overconfidence trait hypothesis. By dissecting distinct implications of these two hypotheses for M&A valuation, we finally examine and show that acquirers led by elite-educated CEOs, particularly those choosing cash for M&A financing, experience superior post-M&A stock returns and operational performance. Our conclusion thus suggests that the financial acumen derived from elite education, rather than overconfidence, predominantly influences M&A payment methods and favorably impacts subsequent valuation outcomes. Overall, this study represents a pioneering effort to shed light on the often-overlooked role of top executives' elite educational backgrounds in strategic decision-making within the context of M&A.

Family entrepreneurs and their next generations, 1809–1945: educational pathways of business elite in Finland

ABSTRACT This study investigated the history of family business elite education in Finland. It focused on family entrepreneurs who achieved the highest national business elite status between 1809 and 1945 and their successive generations. It explored the characteristics of their education within the framework of educational pathways. Data were sourced from the National Biography, which enabled the selection and examination of families belonging to the business elite up to the fifth generation. The results revealed that the family entrepreneurs and their successors focused on successor upbringing and competitive continuity in the family business. Their educational pathways, shaped by formal and informal education, varied in terms of the unique cultural contexts of their family dynasties. The families employed diverse strategies, including informal conservative education, self-education, growth-oriented education, family wealth governance, higher education-focused learning, industrial education, and elite education pathways. These pathways mirror first-generation family entrepreneurs’ education, the second generation’s evolving educational requirements (in succession, internationalization, and growth), and the third and subsequent generations (in corporate governance and wealth creation). While there were changes in educational needs and content across generations and contexts, this study underscores the importance of educational pathways in conceptualizing the educational history of family businesses.

Educating Inheritors. Economic Socialization in Swiss International Boarding Schools

In the context of the increased concentration of wealth at the top of the social spectrum, the article studies the role of economic inheritance in the education of elites. The article relies on a study at several international boarding schools based in Switzerland to explore wealth-related school policies (notably through pocket money and philanthropy), economic socialization, and their impact on students’ self-identifications as a privileged elite.

The Scholar-Fighter: Chang Nai-zhou and His Book on Martial Art

The article explores the theoretical foundations, practical techniques and social context of the martial art school created in the late 18th century by Chang Naizhou, a native of Henan рrov. An educated man, Chang left a detailed description of the principles and methods of his school. The legacy of Chang Naizhou and the emergence of a large number of enthusiasts of martial arts among the educated elite of society indicates the formation in Qing China a new synthesis of elite and popular culture, which combined the traditions of Confucianism, Taoist and Buddhist selfcultivation and the folklore motifs. A stratum of professional fighters emerged, closely integrated both with the local society and its paramilitary formations (self-defense units, sworn brotherhoods, associations of participants in temple festivals, schools of martial arts, etc.) and the ruling elite of the empire and its military administration. At the heart of Chang Naizhou's method is the concept of configurations of force (shi 势), which are created by the action of the vital energy of the organism (so-called qi 气) and in turn strengthen and direct this action. The primary substrate of this energy is the so-called "centered qi", which in the spiritual-somatic practice of martial arts generates a great variety of properties and qualities of life experience and makes possible the unity of consciousness and physical body. The force in this case is the result of an interaction of the polar elements of Being. Chang Naizhou introduces many original concepts and techniques of martial art, but his outlook is determined by the common arsenal of Chinese tradition. Thus, his school reflected the nature of the whole Chinese civilization: the diversity of forms rooted in a comprehensive structural unity.

Navigating academic prestige: university choice and distinction of German upper milieu students

ABSTRACT This article examines the relevance of different institutional levels in higher education for the educational strategies of upper milieu students in a case study conducted in Germany. Based on our analysis of 95 qualitative interviews with Masters students from different social backgrounds, we show how upper milieu students take advantage of the new vertical stratification in the German higher education system such as the emergence of ‘universities of excellence’, national rankings and ‘elitist’ degree programmes and networks. They also have more resources at their disposal to deal with the new complexity created by the current transformations in the field of higher education in Germany. Instead of referring to common schemes that distinguish between vertical and horizontal differentiation in higher education, we propose to focus on ‘academic prestige configurations’ in order to better understand contemporary processes of social differentiation and distinction between students. In this way, we aim to advance the empirical and theoretical discussion in higher education research on upper class students. The focus of our study is not solely on elite education, but rather on exploring the status reproduction of upper milieus through education.

Elite persistence in Sierra Leone: What can names tell us?

Is elite persistence weaker in Africa than in other parts of the world, given historical barriers to intergenerational inheritance of status, such as limited private property rights and frequent economic and political crises? In the absence of linked intergenerational data, we use name analysis to address this question. Using surnames associated with two Sierra Leonean elites, Krio descendants of settlers and members of chiefly lineages, we measure elite persistence in politics, education and business since 1960. Both groups were highly overrepresented in elite positions at independence, and remain overrepresented today. Benchmarking our results against other countries shows that Sierra Leone's educational elites are as persistent as elsewhere, but elite persistence in the political sphere is lower than in the United Kingdom, our main comparator. We also show marked path dependence: chiefly descendants remain more overrepresented in politics and mining, while the Krio are highly over-represented in education and the professions.

A Tryst with Colonial Modernity: Science and Rationality in Devaki Nandan Khatri’s Chandrakanta

In this reading of Devaki Nandan Khatri’s Chandrakanta, the paper proposes to engage with the wonder tale in the context of the emergent commercial publishing and rise of varied literary cultures, in the nineteenth century, on the one hand and the indigenisation of imperial scientific discourses on the other. The rise of literary genres like periodicals, journals, novels, romantic fiction, chapbooks provided a productive platform for debating the emergent discourses on science and its impact on the extant religious and cultural processes. Chandrakanta deployed this platform to forge a unique idiom of Hindi that could train its neo literate readers in contemporary discourses on science and rationality. The procedures embedded in the construction of this scientifically attuned Hindi not simply contested the universality of western power but also constructed a new class of western educated (upper caste) elite, who eagerly sought ways of deploying science as a value system that could enrich the indigenous knowledge traditions of India. Chandrakanta further illustrates how these scientific discourses played a significant role in contesting the extant gendered contexts of the nineteenth century. The language of rational modernity seized the language of gender dynamics, seeking to redefine the networks of hierarchies within it.

Distinction in higher education: educational strategies of upper milieu students in Germany

This article aims to address the research question of which educational strategies are employed by upper milieus to establish or maintain the ‘structure of distances’ in the field of higher education in late modernity. Inspired by Bourdieu’s theory of social reproduction and conflict, the study examined 95 qualitative interviews conducted with master’s students in Germany. In contrast to the extensive research on elite education, this study specifically focuses on the status reproduction of upper milieus in a country with a limited tradition of elite universities. The study incorporated three academic disciplines – management/business administration, medicine, and musicology – to account for the different capital compositions within the upper milieus. In this article, we discuss four exemplary strategies of distinction that appear to be particularly relevant for the upper milieus, comparing them with interviews conducted with students from middle and lower milieus. Finally, we relate the findings to current sociological diagnoses of social change in late modernity.