Global leaders educated at Oxford
USA
One US President, Bill Clinton, was educated at Oxford. At least two members of the US House of Representatives, three members of the US Senate, one US State Governor and three Associate Justices of the Supreme Court are also Oxford alumni. There are at least eight Oxford alumni in President Obama’s team.
UK
Among Oxford’s alumni are 26 British Prime Ministers, including the current Prime Minister. In the current government, 9 members of the Cabinet were Oxford-educated. 117 members of the House of Commons and over 140 members of the House of Lords are Oxonians. Oxford has produced nine of the 12 prime ministers elected since the Second World War: Attlee, Harold Wilson and Tony Blair for Labour; Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home, Edward Heath, Margaret Thatcher and David Cameron for the Conservatives. James Callaghan and John Major did not go to university, and Gordon Brown went to Edinburgh.
India
Two Indian Prime Ministers have been educated at Oxford: the current Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and Indira Gandhi, the first ever female Prime Minister of India. Other prominent figures educated at Oxford include Cornelia Sorabji, India’s first female lawyer; Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission; Deepak Nayyar, member of the National Knowledge Commission; and Mukund Rajan, Vice-President of Tata Sons Ltd.
Japan
Oxford University has enjoyed close links with the Japanese Imperial Family, dating to the 1920s when His Imperial Highness Prince Chichibu studied at Oxford. Five members of the Imperial Family, including Crown Prince Naruhito, Crown Princess Masako, and Prince Akishino, have now been educated at Oxford. A sixth, Princess Akiko, niece of the Emperor, is currently doing a doctorate in Oriental Studies.
Singapore
Singaporean leaders who studied at Oxford include: Mr Raymond Lim Siang Keat, the Singaporean Minister for Transport and the Second Minister for Foreign Affairs; Mrs Ow Foong Pheng, Second Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Industry; Lieutenant-General Desmond Kuek Bak Chye, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, former Chief of Defence Force; Mr Eddie Teo, Chairman of the Public Service Commission; Professor Lim Chong Yah, past President of the Economic Society of Singapore and former Chairman of the National Wages Council; Mr Ronnie Tay, former Chief of the Navy, now CEO of Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore.
Pakistan
Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan (1988-90 & 1993-96), Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, former President (1970-73) and Prime Minister (1972-77) of Pakistan, and Liaquat Ali Khan, first Prime Minister of Pakistan, were all Oxford-educated.
Other 20th and 21st century global leaders who were educated at Oxford
HM King Abdullah II of Jordan
Sir Grantley Adams, Premier of Barbados, 1954-1958; Prime Minister of the West Indies, 1958-1962
J M G (Tom) Adams, Prime Minister of Barbados 1976-85
Solomon Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, 1956-1959
Lakshman Kadirgamar, former Sri Lankan Foreign Minister
John Kufuor, President of Ghana 2001-2009
Roland Michener, Governor-General of Canada 1967-74
Dom Mintoff, Prime Minister of Malta, 1955-1958 & 1971-1984
Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary (2010- and 1998-2002) and leader of the Fidesz political party
Lester B Pearson, Prime Minister of Canada, 1963-1968, and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
Hon Raymond Robinson, President of Trinidad and Tobago, 1997-2003
Aung San Suu Kyi, leader, Burmese National League for Democracy and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
Dr Eric Williams, historian and politician, Chief Minister of Trinidad and Tobago 1956-1959, Premier 1959-1962, Prime Minister 1962-1981
Sir John Grey Gorton, Prime Minister of Australia, 1968-1971
Bob Hawke, Prime Minister of Australia, 1983-91
