Yasheng Huang: China's Examination System and its impact on Politics, Economy, Innovation — #45
Oct 5, 2023
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Yasheng Huang, MIT professor, discusses China's examination system's impact on politics, economy, and innovation. Topics include: his personal journey, civil service exams, developing human capital, impact of the exam system, China's innovation peak and decline, collaboration with the West, and the future of U.S.-China relationship.
The civil service exam system in China had a significant impact on shaping society, evaluating human capital, and consolidating imperial power.
The autocratic nature of the Chinese political system, reinforced by the civil service exam system, has posed challenges to innovation and diversity of perspectives.
Collaboration with Western countries has played a crucial role in China's technological advancements, but geopolitical factors may limit future innovation potential.
Deep dives
The Influence of the Civil Service Exam System on Chinese Politics and Economy
The podcast episode discusses the influence of the civil service exam system on Chinese politics and economy. The civil service exam system, which originated in the sixth century, played a significant role in shaping Chinese society. It evaluated human capital based on memorization of Confucian texts, selecting individuals for government positions. The system had a broad socio-economic base and was highly advanced, even implementing double-blind review processes. It also consolidated imperial power by excluding those with independent wealth or power. Although there were major inventions during the system's existence, the overall rate of innovation declined. Today, while China has seen successes in technology and innovation, the decline in collaborations and academic freedom may impede future innovation.
The Challenges of Autocracy and Cultural Values in China
The podcast explores the challenges posed by autocracy and cultural values in China. The autocratic nature of the Chinese political system has persisted throughout history, even with economic successes. This contrasts with the trend of democratisation in other countries experiencing economic development. The civil service exam system played a role in reinforcing autocratic values, conformity, collective interests, and the consolidation of power. However, the current system in China, while autocratic, has seen advancements in science, technology, and market economy. The decline in collaborations and diverse perspectives may affect future innovation.
The Impact of Collaboration and China's Future Innovation
The podcast discusses the importance of collaboration for China's future innovation. The success of China's technological advancements can be partially attributed to collaborations with Western universities, companies, and access to foreign investments and resources. Collaboration has allowed for the exchange of ideas, access to diverse expertise, and a reduction in innovation costs. However, as the space for collaboration with foreign countries shrinks due to geopolitical factors, the rate of innovation in China may be affected. While China can still innovate, the narrowing range of innovations and higher costs may limit its future potential for technological advancements.
Impact of the Exam System on Innovation
The podcast episode discusses the impact of the exam system on innovation in China. The host mentions the famous debate among historians about why Chinese technology collapsed and introduces the Needham question. Through the analysis of a database, it is found that technology in China began to decline with the introduction of the exam system. The correlation between the decline in technology and the exam system is significant. It is argued that the exam system, with its emphasis on conformity and lack of cognitive diversity, hindered inventiveness and innovation.
US-China Relationship and Future
The episode also touches on the current US-China relationship and the future outlook. There are discussions regarding the need to establish a floor in the relationship to prevent further deterioration and potential conflict. The importance of open communication, especially among professionals, is highlighted. It is emphasized that the public needs to be educated about the consequences of mishandling the relationship, as the risk of a war with China is a concern. Additionally, the episode mentions the role of business leaders in recognizing the impossibility of decoupling from China and the need for realistic approaches to the relationship.
Yasheng Huang is the Epoch Foundation Professor of Global Economics and Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His new book is The Rise and Fall of the EAST: How Exams, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology Brought China Success, and Why They Might Lead to Its Decline.
Steve and Yasheng discuss:
0:00 Introduction 1:11 From Beijing to Harvard in the 1980s 15:29 Civil service exams and Huang's new book, "The Rise and Fall of the EAST" 37:14 Two goals: Developing human capital and indoctrination 48:33 Impact of the exam system 57:04 China's innovation peak and decline 1:12:23 Collaboration and relationship with the West 1:21:31 How will the U.S.-China relationship evolve?
Music used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure.
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Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU.
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