Elite Formation in the US and China

In this episode, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss China as America’s mirror, how the prestige of American universities is waning while Chinese students are increasingly choosing to study within China, the role of gender in political divergence and what Chinese “woke” looks like, and how China’s leadership is shifting to academia from businessmen. If you need an ecommerce platform, check out our sponsor Shopify: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial period.

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We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: www.eriktorenberg.com

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LINKS:

Samo’s Bismarck Brief: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/

The Growing Power of China’s Elite Universities: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/p/the-growing-power-of-chinas-elite

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:02:53) - Academia during The Cultural Revolution

(00:08:36) - China’s “woke”

(00:11:15) - How Xi wants China to not fail in the same way the Soviets did

(00:15:00) - Rise of student activism in the US

(00:17:02) - The translation of regional/ethnic inequalities into ideological ones

(00:20:54) - The political ideological paradox generates an opportunity to organize young people

(00:26:28) - Chinese feminism

(00:32:51) - Sponsor: Shopify

(00:36:21) - Materialist focused education in China vs legal focused education in US

(00:41:53) - Will American universities have as much power in the next 10 years as they do now?

(00:45:00) - What positive and negative changes will China see in the near future?

(00:48:30) - Wrap

This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.