Neoliberalism in a socialist state: Political economy of higher education in Vietnam

Over the last three decades, Vietnam has experienced significant economic growth, with millions lifted out of extreme poverty through economic reforms and global economic integration. However, assumptions within this dominant discourse have largely gone unchallenged. This study aims to use a neolibe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Ephemera Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 111 - 147
Main Author:	Lê, Khang
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Leicester Nick Butler (On Behalf of the Editorial Collective of Ephemera) 01-08-2023
Subjects:	Anniversaries Bureaucrats Capitalism Collusion Commodification Corruption Critical theory Dominance Economic growth Economic integration Economic reform Free trade Global economy Globalization Hegemony Higher education Inequality Market economies Mental disorders Neoliberalism Political economy Political parties Poverty Privatization Rent-seeking Socialism Subjectivity Vietnam China
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Summary:	Over the last three decades, Vietnam has experienced significant economic growth, with millions lifted out of extreme poverty through economic reforms and global economic integration. However, assumptions within this dominant discourse have largely gone unchallenged. This study aims to use a neoliberalism lens and critical theory approach to develop an alternative view of the current developmental trend in Vietnam. The analysis consists of three interconnected themes: political economy, higher education, and subjectivity. I argue that neoliberalism - as an economic paradigm - leads to the emergence of rent-seekers and a crony capitalist economy despite being under a socialist state. The dual impact of the rent-seeking economy and neoliberal globalization has promoted higher education neoliberalization, featuring financial autonomy, privatization, marketization, and Englishization. This transition also creates certain vulnerabilities that manifest through education commodification, ideological domination, and hegemony. Under such a system, educated youths exhibit characteristics of neoliberal subjectivity and experience a range of mental illnesses, disproportionately more than the general population. The study ends with a discussion on the tensions (or lack thereof) between socialism and neoliberalism.
ISSN:	2052-1499 1473-2866