It makes me think of the Confucius scholars that used to run this civil service in China up until 1911

They had an Monopoly on institutional knowledge and was a reason why after both the 1911 Chinese Revolution

And the 1949 communist takeover that Chinese elites where not very highly educated

Compared to leadership in over Nations but also keep in mind China was highly dysfunctional or in the state of War from 1911 to 1970s

I would say it depends on what is being learned and in Muslim countries they don't have the separation between church and state

Which has held them back due to how their politics work

I recommend reading Asian power and politics the cultural dimensions by Lucian Pye