On: Why do Chinese political leaders have engineering ...

[kelukelugames]

Getting an engineering degree in China was the equivalent of graduating from an Ivy. At least in the prestige department.

[khc → kelukelugames]

Is that true? My impression is that most parents wanted kids to be doctors and lawyers, until very recently at least.

[dagw → khc]

Are you talking about Chinese parents inside or outside China?I guess most parents want their kids to be whatever is the most prestigious. In China the means (or at least meant) engineering, outside china that means doctor or lawyer.

[kelukelugames → khc]

I'm talking about Chinese people in China during my parents' generation.

Are you thinking of Asian stereotypes in America?

[byw → kelukelugames]

I'd say in America it's mostly just STEM or business/economics, depending on your family background. Business for children of business owners, STEM for everyone else. There's also a clear political divide along this line in oversea Chinese demographics.

Lawyers, although well-paid on the higher-end, carry somewhat of a bad rep of being predatory and unreliable income-wise across the spectrum.

[rmah → kelukelugames]

You can get an engineering degree from most Ivy's :-)