Asian universities produce businessmen or designers...?

I had a really interesting conversation with a friend from uni the other day... My friend studied his architectural degree in Hong Kong and I studied my architectural degree in London. He completed the second part of the course (his diploma and masters) at The Bartlett, University College London, where I studied and we were both using our shared experiences to debate education in Asia and education in Europe.

An interesting theory came up: Due to speed and ambition for up-and-coming Asian cities to become developed and modern, architectural students in Asia, by default, are prematurely trained to take on huge responsibilities at a young age and be 'architects' too soon; to win projects, execute projects and build projects in no time at all. In Europe, perhaps there is less emphasis or pressure or quick development, which gives students the room and opportunity to forget about the 'adult stuff' and free their young minds to actually challenge design...

Well in my opinion, both aspects of the architectural world are equally as important... but which is more important first...? As an aspiring architect I know I can learn the architectural game through experience - but being a thoughtful designer is surely something which comes from within and needs to blossom...thoughtful and good design I believe is the foundation of successful architecture...perhaps learning how to challenge design at a tender age is something we should prioritise...

What do you think?

Also, any views on architectural education in both Asia and Europe are welcome!