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A land of sages: A legacy of former elites and university professors in Vietnam

Author

Listed:
  • Luu Duc Toan Huynh

    (School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University of London.)

  • Kiet Tuan Duong

    (School for Business and Society, University of York.)

Abstract

Using a unique manually collected dataset of 3,131 former elites, who successfully passed the imperial examination from 1075 to 1919 (Ly Dynasty to Nguyen Dynasty), and 1,324 successful professorship candidates from the Vietnam State Council of Professorship between 2021 and 2023, we consistently obtain precise estimates that a higher number of former elites is associated with a greater number of appointed contemporary professors (both associate and full). We also document that such modern human capital is influenced by the distance to the Hoan Kiem District, where the professorship examination venue is located. Additionally, we find that the social capital of these former elites primarily benefits those who were born, raised, and currently work in areas with a higher density of former elites. Using manually gathered geographical data on ancestral temples, names of schools associated with elites, and street names attributed to elites, we identified three cultural mechanisms that elucidate the influence of historical elites on contemporary university professorship in Vietnam. Our findings highlight the influence of historical tradition on current human capital in a Confucian country.

Suggested Citation

  • Luu Duc Toan Huynh & Kiet Tuan Duong, 2024. "A land of sages: A legacy of former elites and university professors in Vietnam," Working Papers 115, Queen Mary, University of London, School of Business and Management, Centre for Globalisation Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:cgs:wpaper:115
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    File URL: http://cgr.sbm.qmul.ac.uk/CGRWP115.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Education; Elites; Tenured professorship; Vietnam academia;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development
    • N35 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Asia including Middle East
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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