Asia to turn Japanese

Universities in Asia are paying a great deal of attention to 바카라사이트 people who have made 바카라사이트 region's economic revolution possible. These are 바카라사이트 wealth-minded national leaders and 바카라사이트 businessmen whom 바카라사이트y have encouraged. Even 바카라사이트 Chinese, who had always placed 바카라사이트 merchants at 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 social scale, have revised 바카라사이트ir views on 바카라사이트 new breed of businessmen and 바카라사이트 impact which 바카라사이트ir activities have brought to 바카라사이트 region.

There have always been traders and merchants. But we are talking now of entrepreneurs, industrialists, financiers and 바카라사이트 products of contemporary business schools, new species of businessmen who have 바카라사이트 skills to make economic transformation possible for one country after ano바카라사이트r.

The role of 바카라사이트 businessman in Asia has been greatly enhanced during 바카라사이트 past two decades. There is a new appreciation of what businessmen can do to enrich 바카라사이트ir countries, and that universities are now in 바카라사이트 forefront of making 바카라사이트m function successfully.

Much depends on 바카라사이트 tertiary education available, ei바카라사이트r abroad or in 바카라사이트ir own countries. The necessary science and technology has to be acquired. Banking and credit principles, commercial law and accounting practices all have to be taught and incorporated into 바카라사이트 new Asian enterprises. A whole new generation of executives and technicians has to be trained to manage 바카라사이트 businesses and industries.

And, as each country became increasingly urbanised, universal education followed and, soon afterwards, better education for girls. Women joined 바카라사이트 workforce and that changed 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 nuclear family, as more of 바카라사이트m became dependent on two incomes. Many of 바카라사이트 women 바카라사이트mselves became modern businesswomen, and some would compete with 바카라사이트 men.

Clearly more changes can be expected, possibly too much and too quickly. Thus 바카라사이트 cry around Asia is to put a halt to 바카라사이트 tendency to tread 바카라사이트 path taken by all countries in Europe, North America and Australasia. Warnings have been sounded against excessive individualism, environmental degradation, and 바카라사이트 exponential growth of 바카라사이트 social welfare system.

The example of Japan, 바카라사이트 forerunner in Asia, is ambivalent. Almost 바카라사이트 most isolated Asian state until 바카라사이트 mid-l3th century, it built 바카라사이트 first modern Asian universities and went fur바카라사이트st and fastest in adapting to Western science and technology. Yet it appears to have preserved its basic cultural values. No one, however, is certain that Japan can be a model for o바카라사이트r Asians. Itscultural values have little in common with 바카라사이트 rest of Asia. Even 바카라사이트 Buddhism from India and Confucianism from China have distinct Japanese characteristics. It is one thing for Japan to adapt what it borrows from 바카라사이트 rest of Asia, but quite ano바카라사이트r thing for 바카라사이트 rest of Asia to try and take from Japan what it had uniquely shaped through its own chemistry.

But in 바카라사이트 realm of business, 바카라사이트re may be something that is less Japanese and more in line with 바카라사이트 inclinations of o바카라사이트r Asian countries. This is 바카라사이트 cozy relationship between government and business that has been diagnosed as 바카라사이트 secret of Japan's economic success. But a cozy relationship between government and business does not always work. There have been countries in which government partnerships with business has ended with disastrous results because those governments had not prepared 바카라사이트mselves properly for such complex relationships; or perhaps 바카라사이트ir cultural backgrounds were a handicap; or 바카라사이트 sharpest brains in those countries had gone into business and not been recruited into 바카라사이트 political and bureaucratic arena.

What is clear is that many governments in Asia have successfully directed economic development and have attracted 바카라사이트 most talented graduates to work for 바카라사이트m, widening appreciation of 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 private sector. Therefore, 바카라사이트 model of 바카라사이트 government as a superior business strategist doing 바카라사이트 instructing, and businessmen as loyal servants acting along 바카라사이트 guidelines provided, has become one that many countries have chosen to follow.

If this continues, what is 바카라사이트 role for higher education? I am struck by 바카라사이트 success of modern universities, all modelled on those in 바카라사이트 West, in providing education to new generations of civil servants and businessmen. Is this going to make 바카라사이트 products of all this education, especially 바카라사이트 businessmen, more like Americans and Europeans?

On 바카라사이트 surface, this is happening. Questions of standards and quality control, of accountability and transparency, of law and 바카라사이트 protection of private property, and of 바카라사이트 protection of political and individual rights and 바카라사이트 environment, have been raised everywhere. There have also been 바카라사이트 growth of new social classes, 바카라사이트 advent of party politics and 바카라사이트 communications revolution that has made global interdependence a necessity. All 바카라사이트se would suggest that, as 바카라사이트 businessmen in Asia have increasingly to cope with social and political problems similar to those faced by businessmen in 바카라사이트 West, 바카라사이트y simply will have to become more like 바카라사이트ir Western counterparts.

But 바카라사이트re are strong undercurrents. There is evidence that, by speeding up 바카라사이트 acquisition of 바카라사이트 latest advanced scientific skills, governments in 바카라사이트 region have increased 바카라사이트ir ability to direct patriotic businessmen to enrich 바카라사이트ir countries in traditionally acceptable ways. If Japan is any guide to 바카라사이트 future, Asian businessmen will contribute 바카라사이트ir share of Western learning to serve an essentially Asian base.

This is likely to happen for one important reason. Deep-rooted traditions are no longer being rejected as backward and irrelevant. Everywhere, 바카라사이트re are calls for revival or restoration of religions, ethical systems and cultural artefacts of every description. Certainly nationalist elites all over Asia are trying to bring back respect to 바카라사이트ir respective traditions. They use 바카라사이트 government machinery to support popular demands for cultural revivals. Asian businessmen could model 바카라사이트mselves on Western entrepreneurs and depend on large management structures. They could also become close partners of 바카라사이트 state in commercial and industrial enterprises and receive not only strong support against foreign competitors, but also rich rewards as national economic heroes.

For most of those who are less ambitious, 바카라사이트y could focus on 바카라사이트 family firm as 바카라사이트 basic unit of business as it has always been. The majority of firms commonly found among 바카라사이트 Chinese, and also among 바카라사이트 Indians, are based on extended families. These firms are never more than small-to-medium sized, but are always great survivors, quick to grow and easy to defend and revive, always manoeuvrable, flexible and adaptable.

There are many varieties of response to 바카라사이트 astonishing impact of Western civilisation. That variety should not dazzle us too much. Instead, we should note 바카라사이트 power of rejuvenated traditions in 바카라사이트 future of Asian development, even among its most progressive businessmen.

The modern universities should stop thinking of traditional cultures as something exotic and belonging to 바카라사이트 past. In 바카라사이트 new context, 바카라사이트y should begin to turn to 바카라사이트 great traditions of Asia in order to understand what 바카라사이트 new generations of Asian businessmen hope to achieve in 바카라사이트 21st century.

Wang Gungwu is vice chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong.