The Development of Business Education and the MBA in Vietnam

Abstract

The MBA, as is well known, emerged in the US in the late nineteenth century, largely to educate engineers and other technical professionals for the world of business. Much has been written about the evolution of the MBA, and periodically it has been criticised as outmoded or as failing in one or other aspect. Certainly, the teaching of business ethics has not been a strong point of MBA programmes historically and this has come into sharp focus in recent years, particularly in the context of the global financial crisis. For the present purposes what is of most interest is the spread of MBA programmes in the last three decades, especially into developing countries such as Vietnam. Here the development of the MBA occurred in the context of the development of business education more generally and it is inseparable from the arrested development of the country, which stems not only from the legacy of the 'American War' but also the influence of colonial occupation by the French. Following the reunification of the country, the higher education sector has developed rapidly with business education at the forefront.