This is one of my favorite recent headlines in the English language media here. Is it something in the water? A more liberal definition of "gifted"? At any rate, the plan is to build at least one high school for gifted students in each city/province with the goal of placing about 2% of high school students … Continue reading “More Vietnamese students to be gifted by 2020”
Year: 2010
SEVIS By The Numbers: June 2010 Snapshot
This quarterly report (PDF) is a statistical breakdown of the system's performance and trends in foreign student representation in U.S. academic and exchange programs. As of 30 June 2010, SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) contained records for 1,084,122 active nonimmigrant students, exchange visitors, and their dependents. The total number of records for all … Continue reading SEVIS By The Numbers: June 2010 Snapshot
Vietnam Ranks Among Top 20 Countries on the Internet
According to Pingdom, a Swedish company whose "focus lies on covering the uptime monitoring needs of 90% of the companies in the world," there are a total of 1.8 billion Internet users in the world (i.e., about 27% of the human race). Vietnam ranks 20th just behind Canada. 24.3 million Vietnamese are connected to the Internet, which … Continue reading Vietnam Ranks Among Top 20 Countries on the Internet
Empower Vietnamese Youth
Empower : to promote the self-actualization or influence of. This is a fitting slogan for VietAbroader (VA), a non-profit, student-run organization "dedicated to helping Vietnamese youth pursue higher education abroad and attracting talent (back) to Viet Nam." (Follow this link to learn about VA's values.) During my first trip to Vietnam in January 1996, a US diplomat … Continue reading Empower Vietnamese Youth
Landon Carter Schmitt Memorial Fund
I was not a friend of Landon's but our paths crossed several times when I was country director of IIE-Vietnam (2005-09). My brief encounters with him made a lasting impression. What I remember are his thoughtfulness, intelligence, humility and sincerity. I regret that I didn't know him better. Landon had lived in Vietnam since 2004, … Continue reading Landon Carter Schmitt Memorial Fund
“Vietnamese teens’ thirst for college outpaces country’s educational system”
Stories like this one, poignant and inspirational, abound in Vietnam, especially during the annual rite of passage that is the university entrance examination. As the article points out, the demand for postsecondary education far outstrips supply and graduation is much easier than admission. To take the most important test of her life, Le Thi Hoai Thuong, 18, traveled 38 … Continue reading “Vietnamese teens’ thirst for college outpaces country’s educational system”
College of Charleston Establishes Center of Vietnamese Enterprise
Earlier this year, the College of Charleston signed an agreement with Jack Tate, a South Carolina entrepreneur who founded Carolina Baby Superstores, through which Tate will donate up to $1 million to the College Foundation over the next two years, according to a College press release. The College will match Tate’s financial gift in-kind and … Continue reading College of Charleston Establishes Center of Vietnamese Enterprise
“Vietnam Stats Show Remarkable Progress”
Well, yes and no... Positives: advances in health and education + cash income; increase in average living space from 9.2 m2 to 16.9 m2; literacy is now 94%, "almost universal among younger groups and there is little difference between urban and rural;" increase in life expectancy to 72.8 years ("largest gains among women," not surprisingly); 1.2% … Continue reading “Vietnam Stats Show Remarkable Progress”
Hillary Clinton Visits Hanoi
(Nelson Ching/Bloomberg News) I was one of the "Vietnamese and American businesspeople" who attended a July 22nd luncheon at the Melia Hotel in Hanoi in celebration of 15 years of diplomatic relations between the US and Vietnam. Among the VIP guests were US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister … Continue reading Hillary Clinton Visits Hanoi
Positioning Vietnam: today determines tomorrow
A short and sweet overview by Vu Minh Khuong, Assistant Professor of Economics at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, of three strengths (geographic, strategic, and demographic advantages, political stability, and human capital) and three "fundamental weaknesses" (lack of commitment to "unleashing the full impact of market forces," inadequate attention paid to good … Continue reading Positioning Vietnam: today determines tomorrow
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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