One of College's First Soviet Grads Returns to Ed School

One of Harvard's first Soviet students sang his way to Cambridge. And now he's back, researching a new book on American education.

In 1959 Boris A. Gontarev was a post-graduate chemistry student in Leningrad when he was chosen to participate in the first student exchange program between the Soviet Union and the United States.

At Leningrad State University, Gontarev was known for his imitations of French singer Yves Montand. One night, Gontarev was asked to perform before an audience of administrators and faculty, and it changed his life.

"A couple of days later the dean received a letter from the Minister of Education about the exchange program," Gontarev says. "[The dean] said, 'Yes, we've got this post-graduate who even sings in a foreign language. Hey bring me his files.' So then he asked me if I wanted to go to America."

After making the final cut for the exchange program, Gontarev came to Harvard and continued his chemistry research.

Although he later earned a Ph.D., Gontarev did not remain a chemist.

In fact, Gontarev says, his time at Harvard completely changed his life. "Whatever happened after my year in Harvard was because of that year."

After a stint working at the United Nations in New York, Gontarev returned to the Soviet Union and assisted the president of Leningrad Technical Institute in an attempt to reorganize the school according to an American model.

Gontarev was soon considered an expert on American education and published a book, Technical University, USA.

Gontarev continued studying different educational systems and was often in demand in the USSR as a lecturer on education management and restructuring.

Now the author is working on another book: Managing Quality in Higher Education, An American Experience. Earlier this week he returned to Harvard to continue his research.

While here, Gontarev hopes to teach at the Graduate School of Education.

Gontarev says he is happy to finally be back in Harvard Square. "It's like using a time machine. I feel young again."

"Some things have changed, but the spirit of Harvard is the same. It has stayed with me," Gontarev says.

"I am very proud of being a Harvard man," he adds.