<p>It shouldn’t be all that surprising that even well-educated Russians are a little confused by the American system of higher education; there’s really nothing else quite like it in the world, in terms of quality, nearly universal access and history.</p>
<p>First of all, there’s bound to be some confusion over the terms “college” and “university”. Historically, Americans have tended to use the terms interchangeably (think, Wesleyan <em>University</em> and Dartmouth <em>College</em>); if you look in Webster’s Dictionary, the definitions for the word, “college” include, “a preparatory or high school” – so, who knows what the Russian translation might be for the same word!</p>
<p>But, the biggest difference is the vast and robust private sector role for higher education that exists in the United States. The idea of a private institution (often founded by a religious order) that morphs over the centuries into a powerful engine of secular change is pretty much an Anglo-American historical anomaly. Most of the premier universities of the world are state run, usually by a central national authority; and, specialization – both academically and vocationally – begins far earlier. In light of its history, it’s easy to understand why the same continent that brought us Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Robespierre, and two or three different Bonapartes would be bemused by colleges with names like, Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan, and Smith.</p>