That was also true of the USSR.<p>Anatoly Dobrynin, the Soviet ambassador to the US for many years, writes in his autobiography how he became a diplomat. One day, Stalin was annoyed at his diplomats over something, and remarked that the USSR needed diplomats who were New Soviet Men, like aircraft designers.<p>Shortly thereafter, Anatoly Dobrynin, aircraft designer, was 
taken by the KGB from his drafting table at the Yakovlev Design Bureau and shipped to the Higher Diplomatic Academy in Moscow. He rose from there to ambassador to the US.