[yummyfajitas]

Their educational system focuses more on memorization. Creativity and problem solving are not taught very much. This is going to be a huge problem when hiring programmers right out of university. They will be looking to you to tell them everything they should be doing.

Why do you believe this is different than in the US? While I've never hired programmers right out of university, most of the students I taught in university strongly objected when I demanded independent thought from them.

[mattm]

Sure, it happens in the US too. It's just more prevalent in China. When it comes to cultural differences, you can find the same examples in every culture. People steal from their companies in the US too. It's a matter of if these aspects appear more or less than in your culture.

At least you were trying to teach them independent thought. Teachers and parents do not do this much in China. The sense of hierarchy and obedience to authority appears more in China so the teachers/bosses/parents take advantage of this and just tell students what to do while students do not question them. Again, this is all on a general level.

My opinions were formed by talking to people about it, not from my own experience in the Chinese educational system.

[shadowfox]

> People steal from their companies in the US too. It's a matter of if these aspects appear more or less than in your culture

Is stealing from companies so prevalent in china? Has there been studies on this?

[chaostheory]

I'm going to have to agree with mattm. Individuality and independent thought are not as prevalent in China compared to say the EU or US. You're going to have to tell people exactly how to do something a lot more often than you would in the US. It can be frustrating from one programmer to another programmer even if you have the language down... I wonder how a non-programming PM would do?

[rdl]

I think far more US university students, especially the top 10%, are going to have worked on projects semi-independently or independently. Either "group projects" in software engineering, or maybe personal outside projects.