The Purpose af an Oxford Education

A recent article by Daniel Wenger (“The Rhodes and Harvard: Opportunity, Not Obligation,” op-ed, Mar. 16) discussed the complaints of two Harvard Rhodes Scholars. As someone who has taught at Oxford as a visiting professor twice in the past three years (and will again next year), I have to admit that some of the criticisms the students make about Oxford are accurate. If one is in a hurry to advance to a graduate degree, Oxford may not be the best choice. But that is not what the Rhodes experience should be about. Oxford, however, may be the place if one wants to ask questions about “who I am” and where one fits in this world.

Oxford is a fascinating cosmopolitan intellectual location to search for answers. Speaking personally, I made friends from many continents, and the Rhodes experience profoundly shaped my life. There is always time to climb the ladder of professional success, but a chance to explore the important questions of life in a foreign setting is a rare opportunity. This controversy should not discourage Harvard students from applying.


JOSEPH S. NYE
March 20, 2007
Cambridge, Mass.


The writer is a former dean of the Kennedy School of Government.