W ith cranes dominating the skyline and the sound of hammering and drilling filling the air, it is clear that Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's commercial capital, is in an expansive mood. And as the city's skyline rises, so do the hopes of US business schools of recruiting some of Vietnam's young executives on to their MBA programmes.

The MBA Tour - which hosts events around the world at which business schools can interact with potential students - last year included Vietnam on the list of countries it was visiting, when it took a group of business school admissions directors to Ho Chi Minh City.