Author: Mark A. Ashwill

Five-Minute Glass: What Our Government Sees When It Looks Out the Window

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Below is an excerpt from a recent article written by Daniel H. Garrett, a former US Department of State foreign service officer and currently a senior associate at The Asia Institute.  I am posting it because it offers an insider's view of the work of US consular officers, including student visas.   In addition to … Continue reading Five-Minute Glass: What Our Government Sees When It Looks Out the Window

The New College Guide: How to Get In, Get Out, and Get a Job – 100 Questions to Ask About College

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How to Get In, Get Out, and Get a Job - 100 Questions to Ask About  College - by Marguerite J. Dennis, who has been recruiting internationally for over 25 years, first at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. then at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts.  (Follow this link to read her bio on the MJDennis … Continue reading The New College Guide: How to Get In, Get Out, and Get a Job – 100 Questions to Ask About College

Interesting Facts About the Vietnam Education Foundation

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This is a recent search engine term that brought some unsuspecting netizen to my blog.  It reminded me of a recent conversation with a young Vietnamese who was a Fulbrighter a couple of years ago.  He insisted that Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF) funding was from the U.S. government because that's what a VEF official told … Continue reading Interesting Facts About the Vietnam Education Foundation

Briefing for 2014 International Leadership Mission from Washington State

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I was invited to speak to a delegation from Washington state that was here under the auspices of the 2014 International Leadership Mission to Vietnam.  My audience consisted of representatives from the public, private and nonprofit sectors, including Associates in Cultural Exchange, Boeing, Cascadia Consulting Group, Highline Community College, Microsoft, Seattle Central Community College, Seattle … Continue reading Briefing for 2014 International Leadership Mission from Washington State

U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Moving On To Greener Pastures

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How time flies!  After two and a half years on the job (the normal term for an ambassador is three years), David Shear, U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, has been tapped by President Obama to be the next Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs (APSA) in the Department of Defense.  (This job change has already … Continue reading U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Moving On To Greener Pastures

Jumping on the Vietnam War Commemoration Bandwagon: The Vain Search for Honor

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Overcoming the Past? The good news is that while most of America continues to indulge in this national charade, and refuses to come to terms with its bloody past and prevent the "past" from becoming "prologue" again and again, the tiny S-shaped country upon which the U.S. military visited so much death and destruction has … Continue reading Jumping on the Vietnam War Commemoration Bandwagon: The Vain Search for Honor

Helping Academic Dreams Come True in Vietnam: A Little Goes a Long Way

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Fact #1:  In Vietnam, about one million students finish secondary school (i.e., junior high school) every year but public high schools can only accommodate 80% of that number. Fact #2:  An estimated 200,000 students who failed one single high school entry exam have no other choice but to enroll in private schools. For students with economic difficulties, … Continue reading Helping Academic Dreams Come True in Vietnam: A Little Goes a Long Way