SEVIS By The Numbers: March 2011 Quarterly Snapshot

05/05/2011 Mark A. Ashwill Updates student visas, US-Vietnam educational exchange, visa policy

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 31 March 2011, SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) contained records for 1,124,271 active nonimmigrant students, exchange visitors, and their dependents. The total number of records for all … Continue reading SEVIS By The Numbers: March 2011 Quarterly Snapshot

Australia is #1! (Host of Vietnamese Students)

04/05/201105/05/2011 Mark A. Ashwill Announcement, Updates academic globalization, foreign-invested universities

According to the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Oz is once again the most popular study destination for Vietnamese students, with more than 23,000 students enrolled at the country's education institutions and an estimated 10,000 students undertaking Australian education and training courses in Vietnam. The latter includes 6,000 studying at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). RMIT, … Continue reading Australia is #1! (Host of Vietnamese Students)

Study Mississippi

28/04/2011 Mark A. Ashwill Updates international student recruitment, state higher education consortia

Study Mississippi is the a latest in a series of state higher education consortia created to promote higher education in a particular state to international students. I discussed this trend in two previous posts, including State Int’l Education Consortia: Strength in Unity (6.12.09) and Vietnam: Attracting Foreign Students to Maine (1.11.10). Other states in whose … Continue reading Study Mississippi

In the Name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit: Saving Souls Through English Teaching in Vietnam

21/04/2011 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary English teaching, proselytizing, soft power

Why do foreigners come to Vietnam to work for the long-term? Why do they leave their families, friends, jobs, the comforts of home in an “advanced” (i.e., wealthy) nation for life in a (poor) developing country? Money, adventure, penance, reconciliation, professional opportunity, a chance to contribute to Vietnam’s development, love (“home is where the heart … Continue reading In the Name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit: Saving Souls Through English Teaching in Vietnam

The Fourth Education Conference

19/04/201120/04/2011 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Conferences academic partnerships, education reform, knowledge-based economy, US-Vietnam educational exchange, US-Vietnam relations

I recently joined several hundred other attendees at the 4th Education Conference on 9 April in Hanoi, organized by the US Embassy, the Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF), the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) and National Economics University (NEU). Sponsors included the Henry Luce Foundation, the Vietnam Center at Texas Tech University, Johnson & … Continue reading The Fourth Education Conference

Frederick Taylor University & Vietnam

13/04/201118/01/2012 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary corruption, rogue providers, unaccredited schools

A student in the northern port city of Haiphong recently emailed me about Frederick Taylor University (FTU), which is on my list of 25 US-based or affiliated unaccredited schools operating in Vietnam, 13 of which are in the rogue provider haven (heaven?) of California, where they can easily obtain “state approval.” She wrote: I am … Continue reading Frederick Taylor University & Vietnam

VietAbroader Conference 2011: Passing of the Torch

29/03/201128/04/2011 Mark A. Ashwill Announcement, Conferences academic globalization, educational advising, international academic mobility, US-Vietnam educational exchange, vietabroader

Mark your calendars! VietAbroader's annual summer study abroad conferences will take place this year in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) on Friday, 15 July and in Hanoi on Saturday, 16 July. In the spirit of mentorship and social responsibility, the VietAbroader Study Abroad Conference (VAC), entitled “Passing of the Torch,” was first launched in … Continue reading VietAbroader Conference 2011: Passing of the Torch

Education Makes Strange Bedfellows

29/03/201129/03/2011 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Events, Updates education agents, higher education fairs, Vietnamese students

Life is full of surprises. The Institute of International Education (IIE), a US nonprofit best known for its administration of the Fulbright Program, the US Government's flagship international exchange program, is partnering with the US Commercial Service in Vietnam to offer two US higher education fairs on 6 April in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and … Continue reading Education Makes Strange Bedfellows

And the Winners Are…

28/03/201128/03/2011 Mark A. Ashwill Updates national accreditation, visa policy

Here are the top (most frequently read) five posts for the past week in descending order: What’s in a Name? Bill Gates School in Hanoi (25.3.11) Wikileaks & Vietnam (17.12.10) College of Charleston Establishes Center of Vietnamese Enterprise (25.7.10) Of Student Visas & Community Colleges (14.11.10) Nationally Accredited U.S. Institutions with a Vietnam Connection (13.7.10) As you can see, this eclectic … Continue reading And the Winners Are…

Survey for Current & Future Vietnamese Students in the US

27/03/201127/03/2011 Mark A. Ashwill Survey brain circulation, US-Vietnam educational exchange, vietnam development, Vietnamese students

I’m conducting a brief and impressionistic (i.e., unscientific) survey is to collect some basic information about the post-graduation plans of young Vietnamese who are either currently studying in the US or are planning to do so. I will post the results here if I received a sufficient number of replies. Please e-mail me at markashwill[AT]hotmail.com … Continue reading Survey for Current & Future Vietnamese Students in the US

An International Educator in Vietnam

Information, Insights & (Frequently) Intrigue

Year: 2011