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Top Ten Sending Countries & GDP: Vietnam’s Story

12/06/2012

Below is a PPT slide that I used in a recent presentation at the NAFSA annual conference in Houston, TX entitled Beyond Education Agents: An Introduction to Diversifying International Student Recruitment Strategy. The slide presents a comparison of the top ten sending countries, according to the latest (March 2012) quarterly update from the US Department of Homeland Security, their 2011 GDP and their ranking in that category. (SEVIS data include students enrolled at all levels.) Given Vietnam’s recent history (e.g., war, poverty, isolation), the fact that it ranks 8th among all countries sending students to the US is an extraordinary achievement.

As you can see, Vietnam jumps off of the screen with a GDP of $299 billion and a world ranking of 43rd, making it by far the poorest country among its peers. These statistics reveal the following:

the cultural value of education;
the importance of making significant investments in education both in Vietnam and abroad;
the disproportionate amount of income that Vietnamese parents spend on their children’s education; and
the positive prospects for continued growth.

MAA

Categories: Conferences, Updates
Tags: emerging economies, international student recruitment, overseas study, Vietnamese students

Comments: 2 Comments

Should the U.S. State Department Copy the British Council?

31/03/2012

The British Council, as an education provider, a research analyst, and a conference convener is an interesting model. At the very least, taking a look at the British Council makes me wonder why the United States government does not pull back and take a big-picture look at what it might do to provide better global support for U.S. universities.

This is the title of a 14 March 2012 piece by David Wheeler of The Chronicle of Higher Education (CHE). I have often asked myself this question, having worked for a quasi-US governmental organization that once had a contract for EducationUSA activities in Vietnam, among other countries. (Some US diplomats I’ve known over the years have asked themselves the same question.)

The fact that the ”United States government does not pull back and take a big-picture look at what it might do to provide better global support for U.S. universities” has resulted in the absence of a comprehensive national export strategy for education, a sure-fire recipe for disorganization, conflicting signals and piecemeal policy-making. The relevant Cabinet-level departments not only do not cooperate but some colleagues in those departments don’t even talk to each other.

The inability of the US government to present a united front and speak with one voice about all matters related to the promotion of American higher education around the world reflects a lack of vision and leadership at the highest levels. In a sense, the US is resting on its laurels as the world around it changes, and other countries aggressively and persistently chip away at its international student market share.

What about EducationUSA, you may ask? This public affairs activity is constrained by its limited mission, a lack of funding, inadequate staffing, a lack of consistency and coordination, the gaping chasm between rhetoric and reality across countries (i.e., U.S. diplomatic missions) and its steadfast refusal to constructively engage a select group of education consultants. In a phrase “it is what it is.”

The answer to the question posed by the CHE article? A qualified “yes.” Not copy but certainly be inspired by and devise ways to adapt this model in a strategic and productive manner.

MAA

Categories: Articles, Commentary
Tags: british council, educational advising, international students, overseas study

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Vietnam Ranks 3rd in International Enrollment at US Community Colleges

12/03/2012

According to the 2011 Open Doors report on international academic mobility, there were 89,853 international students enrolled at America’s community colleges, a 3.2% decrease over the previous year. (This is out of a total of 723,277 international students in the U.S. during the 2010/11 academic year.)

Of that number, 9.9%, or 8,895 students, were Vietnamese. This means that nearly 60% of all Vietnamese students in the US were studying at a community college, nearly all with the goal of transferring to a four-year school to complete a bachelor’s degree. This was the same percentage as the previous year. The only difference is that China displaced Vietnam by .2%.

Rank	Place of Origin	% of Enrollment
1	South Korea	13.4
2	China	10.1
3	Vietnam	9.9
4	Japan	5.9
5	Mexico	4.8
6	Hong Kong	3.6
7	Nepal	3.2
8	India	2.6
9	Indonesia	2.4
10	Brazil	2.1

In my opinion, this trend will continue for the foreseeable future, given the lower cost and other reasons that explain the popularity of US community colleges in Vietnam and other countries.

Categories: Survey, Updates
Tags: community colleges, overseas study, Vietnamese students

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“Increasing international relations: University opening Vietnam office”

11/03/2012

Below is a reprint of a press release issued by Kansas State University on 29 February 2012.

Anderson Hall, Manhattan Campus, Kansas State University

MANHATTAN — Kansas State University is expanding its international outreach to welcome students from Vietnam.

Administrators at the office of international programs recently announced a partnership agreement with Capstone Vietnam and its managing director, Mark Ashwill. Capstone and Ashwill will represent the university in Vietnam, effectively establishing a recruitment office in the country.

“As a leading academic resource development organization in Vietnam, Capstone is in a position to capture a share of the developing student market quickly and effectively,” said Jim Lewis, the university’s director of international admissions and recruiting. “Mark is dynamic and well-versed about academic connections and U.S.-Vietnam relations. This partnership will give us a full-time representative in Vietnam.”

“The Capstone Vietnam office staff background and knowledge of international education both in the U. S. and in Vietnam will be a great asset to Kansas State University’s international operations,” said April Mason, university Provost and senior vice president. “Mark brings to our university years of experience in structuring and establishing mutually beneficial academic partnerships. This ties in nicely with one of the university’s Vision 2025 goals to further internationalize the campus by continuing to diversify its international student population.”

Marcelo Sabates, interim associate provost for international programs, said establishing an office in Vietnam was an exciting opportunity to maximize the university’s reach into an emerging market and a country that places a high value on higher education.

“Vietnam holds promise for U.S. academic engagement because of its population of more than 90 million people, being the 14th largest country in the world and the rise of English as the second most popular language in its territory,” Sabates said. “More importantly, the quality of Vietnamese students, both undergraduate and graduate, is promisingly high.”

The number of Vietnamese students in the U.S. has grown by more than six times in a decade.

Vietnam will be the third international office established by Kansas State University. An office in China was opened in 2006 and an office in India began in 2008.

“In Vietnam, Capstone will elevate the profile that, in the context of Vision 2025, Kansas State University wants to achieve in terms of collaborative research, faculty-led study abroad opportunities and development of partnerships throughout the country,” Sabates said.

Ashwill previously served as country director of the Institute of International Education in Vietnam. Prior to moving to Vietnam, he was director of the World Languages Institute, adjunct lecturer and Fulbright program adviser at the State University of New York at Buffalo. In 2003, he became the first American to be awarded a Fulbright Senior Specialists Grant to Vietnam.

Ashwill will be on campus Feb. 28-29 to meet with Mason, Sabates, Lewis and other university faculty and staff to gain a greater understanding of university programs and initiatives.

From left to right: Jim Lewis, director of international admissions and recruiting; MAA; April Mason, university Provost and senior vice president; Marcelo Sabates, interim associate provost for international programs.

Categories: Announcement
Tags: academic globalization, academic partnerships, alumni, educational advising, international academic center, international student recruitment, overseas study, US-Vietnam educational exchange, vietnam development

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International Academic Centers (IACs) in Vietnam

26/02/2012

On behalf of Capstone Vietnam, I’m pleased to welcome Kansas State University to our International Academic Center (IAC) in Hanoi.

What is an IAC?

The IAC is a unique offshore development model for US and other foreign institutions of higher education, a shared facility that serves as a home base and an incubator from which a school can promote its programs and services in Vietnam, and even regionally. This includes hiring a local staff member who will exclusively represent the school.

The IACs provide a state-of-the art, multilingual and collegial work environment for a client’s Vietnam country coordinator to do her/his work. The center is supported by Capstone staff, and includes a reception area and conference room for meetings and presentations. I provide assistance, supervision and strategic input on an as-needed basis.

Activities

Some possible activities include the following:

Student recruitment, including representation at fairs and related events	Home base for visiting faculty and staff	Venue for meetings, information sessions, and training
Alumni outreach	Monitoring of local education agents, if applicable	Identify other opportunities in Vietnam, including training and degree programs

Benefits

Long-term, in-country presence
Free advising services provided to students and parents
No commissions
Your representative works for your institution
Build a brand in Vietnam, which ranks 8th among all sending countries in the US
Explore other opportunities, in addition to student recruitment
Convenience: Capstone Vietnam handles all administrative work related to your representative’s employment.

IAC Members

Capstone accepts expressions of interest from officially accredited institutions of higher education (i.e., regionally accredited only, in the case of the US), US state higher education consortia and secondary schools, as well as nonprofit organizations, professional associations, other non-profit organizations and private sector companies whose work is related to education and international educational exchange. Members may share the cost of an in-country representative. There are plans to open an IAC in Ho Chi Minh City later this year.

MAA

Categories: Announcement
Tags: academic globalization, academic partnerships, alumni, community colleges, educational advising, higher education fairs, international academic center, international academic mobility, international student recruitment, overseas study, US-Vietnam educational exchange, vietnam development, vietnamese higher education, Vietnamese students

Comments: 1 Comment

“Rising numbers of Vietnamese study abroad”

19/01/2012

This Ministry of Education and Training report, hot off the press, confirms my estimate of the number of young Vietnamese studying overseas. Since 90% are self-financing, this means that over a billion dollars are being invested each year in overseas education. That’s nearly 1% of the country’s 2011 GDP. (Stay tuned for a later post that attempts to provide a more precise estimate.) According to the latest SEVIS quarterly update, there were 18,044 Vietnamese students – at all levels – in the US as of the end of December 2011.

The top five countries are:

Australia
United States
China
Singapore
France

From the article…

Over 100,000 Vietnamese students studied abroad in 49 countries and territories in 2011, according to the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET).

Of the total, around 90% of students pursued overseas training programmes based on their own funding, a 10-fold increase compared to a decade ago.

Sharp rise in number of Vietnamese students in the US

Vietnamese student numbers in the US rocketed in 2011 to 14,888 people. The country became the second most popular overseas study destinations after Australia, with 25,000 Vietnamese students.

They were followed by China with 12,500, Singapore with 7,000, France with 5,540 students, Russia with 5,000 and Japan with 3,500 students.

Last year, many universities in the US listed Vietnam as among one of the fastest emerging markets in terms of student attraction.

Click here to read the rest. The original Vietnamese article is entitled Việt Nam “xuất siêu” du học.

Categories: Articles, Updates
Tags: overseas study, US-Vietnam educational exchange, vietnam development, Vietnamese students

Comments: 1 Comment

Emerging Markets for International Student Recruitment: Thinking Beyond China and India

23/12/2011

Thanks to Rahul Choudaha for permission to repost this insightful commentary…

With more than 260,000 students from China and India enrolled in the US, many American institutions are over-reliant on these two markets for meeting their international student recruitment goals. With the budget cuts, self-financed students are becoming increasingly important and Chinese undergraduate students are a lucrative and fast-growing segment. However, there are already concerns about concentration of Chinese students in some campuses and India had been showing stagnancy in last few years. This indicates that institutions need to look beyond China and India and cultivate other source countries.

At another level, there is a “stock market” mentality emerging in international student enrollment domain where stakeholders closely watch annual shifts in enrollment figures. However, it is important to look into long-term trends of emerging and declining markets. Here are some contrasting trends with four markets–two declining and two growing.

Japan and Indonesia have declined quite drastically. Decline in Japan is a due to changing demographics resulting in decline of college going pipeline. For Indonesia, decline in US numbers could be explained by attractiveness of Australia and Malaysia due to cost and proximity. Indonesia is second largest source country for Malaysia and third largest source country for Australia.

In contrast to Japan and Indonesia, Nepal and Vietnam have shown robust growth over a decade. Vietnamese students in the US have grown by more than six times in a decade. Even Australia gained from the demand of Vietnamese students by 167% in four years from 9,634 in 2007 to 25,788 in 2010. Likewise, Nepalese students in the US have grown by nearly three times in a decade. Australia saw a strong growth in Nepalese students from 9,106 in 2007 to 22,019 in 2010 (142% in four years).

This growth in internationally mobile students from Nepal and Vietnam is primarily driven by growing aspirations of expanding educated classes which in turn is supported by economic development. Both Vietnam and Nepal saw their GDPs grew by nearly three-times in a decade.

Note: This is obviously a static image. (I’m having a problem importing the “plugin” that I need to make this work properly.) If you are interested in exploring the data, click here.

Categories: Commentary, Updates
Tags: china, emerging economies, india, international academic mobility, international student recruitment, overseas study

Comments: 1 Comment

At Home in Việt Nam

01/12/2011

This is the name of a blog created by Becky Gordon, an English teacher in the School Year Abroad (SYA) program in Hanoi. As she writes in the introduction, “this monthly blog will chronicle the students’ lives in Viet Nam outside the SYA classroom. A process of sharing and peer-editing in their English class will precede all posts thereby creating an individual and collective narrative. Travel-journalist Tom Miller said “The finest travel writing describes what’s going on when nobody’s looking.” May these young writers seek out and find their moments to see, with new eyes, what no one else sees. May they write their stories with sensitivity and passion. And may you, our readers, enjoy imagining their Viet Nam.”

Since there are fewer than 700 US students in Vietnam and most are university students who participate in short-term programs, the SYA Vietnam program is very unique. A group of 15 young Americans from high schools around the US arrived on 1 September 2011 and will spend the academic year in Vietnam. 4 of the 15 students are from public schools and the others are from private, including boarding and day schools. Ms. Gordon describes them as ”members of host families, interns at various community organizations, students on a university campus and participant-observers in a foreign culture and society.”

As the SYA website notes, the program ”was founded in 1964 by Phillips Academy in Andover (Massachusetts, USA) and is now supported by a consortiu,m including top independent schools across the country. School Year Abroad (SYA) is the only secondary-level program which allows students to live with a European or Asian family for an entire academic year while earning U.S. graduation credits and preparing for selective U.S. colleges and universities.” In addition to Vietnam, there are SYA programs in China, France, Italy, and Spain. (SYA’s 2010 operating revenue and expenses were $12,599,371 and $13,393,738, respectively.)

As you may have guessed, this potentially life-changing experience does not come cheap. In 2011-2012, total expenses, including tuition and fees, academic counseling, medical insurance, public transportation to and from school, school trips, room, board, laundry, books and standardized testing fee, international airfare and personal spending money came to over $50,000.

Categories: Programs
Tags: high school students, homestay, overseas study, vietnam

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Hieu’s Story

26/11/2011

Nguyen Trung Hieu (Photo: Tuoi Tre News)

Money may not buy happiness but it can buy security, quality healthcare and access to educational opportunity, among other goodies that also happen to be rights. A lack of it can mean the difference between standing on the outside looking in and entering. You can see and maybe touch but you cannot have. A lack of it can also create a situation in which people eat less in order to meet other pressing needs. This is the conundrum that Nguyen Trung Hieu, a junior at the Hanoi-Amsterdam School for the Gifted, writes about in a widely circulated essay for a literature class assignment.

Hieu writes

Yes, I will do as you told me. I will go to school. I will try to be a very good student to make you and dad happy. But please let me help you, mother. I have thought about it hard. If I can’t do anything to make money, I will go without breakfast to save your money. If I can’t sell bread then I will have rice with sesame and salt. You don’t need to worry, mom. You just need to concentrate on the treatment and take care of yourself. Let me share the burden of poverty with you and dad. I sincerely beg you, mother, not to scold me whenever I miss out on breakfast. Please don’t forbid me when I take out the mortar and pestle to grind sesame. Although I have lost 8 kilos since last year, I believe that with understanding and empathy, our family can live in peace and money will no longer have any role to play in our family’s happiness.

Hieu’s is a story lived by many young people here and in other countries. They are limited and held back in so many insidious ways by poverty and its tentacles. There are a few differences, however: his intelligence, the great eloquence and passion with which he writes and the fact that his story, originally intended for an audience of one (i.e., his teacher), somehow found its way onto the Internet to be shared with an audience of millions. (A third of all Vietnamese are online.)

As you will see, Hieu’s story is deeply saddening and depressing but also inspirational. As educators, citizens, human beings, we must do more, much more to make life fairer for others who are trying so hard and doing so much with so little. So, read the essay and weep but also be inspired and energized; plan your next steps and act. Below are links to the English translation, the original Vietnamese version and a follow-up article in translation:

A heart-rending letter to mom: I hate money

Bài văn lạ của học trò nghèo gây “sốc” với giáo viên trường Ams

Poor student’s essay about the money touch the hearts of millions of people

MAA

Categories: Articles, Commentary
Tags: educational opportunity, high school students, overseas study, poverty, Vietnamese students

Comments: 1 Comment

China as a Study Destination for Vietnamese Students

21/11/2011

According to China’s Ministry of Education, the number of foreign students reached a record high of more than 260,000 in 2010. Earlier this year, statistics from the ministry published by the China Daily revealed that 265,090 students from 194 countries were studying in China, an 8% increase from the 240,000 students in 2009. The top sending country is South Korea followed by the United States, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, Indonesia, India, Kazakhstan and Pakistan.

The ministry plans to use cooperative educational programs to attract 500,000 students to China by 2020, an ambitious goal that, if realized, would catapult the country into the ranks of the world’s leading hosts of international students.

Reasons for Vietnamese students to study in China? It’s…

Asia (i.e., cultural similarities)
China (important)
close
relatively inexpensive

In addition, as a tonal language, (spoken) Chinese is easier to learn than, say, English. (Reading and writing is another matter altogether, since Vietnamese is written in the Latin alphabet, thanks to a 17th century French Jesuit missionary lexicographer by the name of Alexander de Rhodes.)

Anecdotally, I’ve noticed a marked increase in the number of Chinese institutions coming to Vietnam to recruit students in recent years. For example, some colleagues from a nationally ranked Chinese school recently asked me for my advice on student recruitment and in-country articulation programs.

So, the question of the week is this: Can you guess how many young Vietnamese are currently studying in China and what China’s rank is among all destination countries? Hint: There are more Vietnamese students in China than Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the UK combined.

Categories: Updates
Tags: china, international students, overseas study, Vietnamese students

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An International Educator in Vietnam