“Employers, sponsors, and overseas recruiting agencies have hijacked the cultural exchange program, turning it into a low-wage guest worker program that benefits their bottom lines at the expense of these workers and the United States’ reputation. Each year that the State Department and Congress fail to reform this program is another year thousands of young … Continue reading Culture Shock: The Exploitation of J-1 Cultural Exchange Workers
Author: Mark A. Ashwill
Nonimmigrant B Visa Adjusted Refusal Rates: Vietnam’s Stock Is Rising
While B visas are not F1 (i.e., student) visas, a look at issuance statistics since 2006 reveals a positive trend for Vietnamese traveling to the U.S. on business or on holiday. (B-1 visas are for tourism, pleasure or visiting, while B-2 visas are a combination of both purposes.) In Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 20.3% of … Continue reading Nonimmigrant B Visa Adjusted Refusal Rates: Vietnam’s Stock Is Rising
An Anti-Ode to Security Guards
They are legion and ubiquitous, these.. dispensers of disdain, guardians of the gutter, helpers of the haves, keepers of the gate, monitors of the masses, movers of the motorbikes, protectors of the pavement, rulers of the realm, supervisors of the street, takers of the tickets. You know who - the bane of many people's existence, the guys … Continue reading An Anti-Ode to Security Guards
Over 20,000 Vietnamese Students in the U.S., Says SEVIS
SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) came online in 2003 to track and monitor the status and activities of nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors who enter the U.S. This web-based system collects real-time information on these two groups, plus approved schools and program sponsors. SEVIS by the Numbers (1.8 MB PDF download ) is … Continue reading Over 20,000 Vietnamese Students in the U.S., Says SEVIS
Ingroup, Outgroup, or Caught In Between?
My last post of the 2013 Lunar Year... Vietnam is a highly homogeneous society. I'm reminded of this whenever I look in the mirror and see a white guy staring back at me. For those who are not Kinh, or ethnic Vietnamese, it's pretty cut-and-dried. We look different and therefore are different. There is a … Continue reading Ingroup, Outgroup, or Caught In Between?
Vietnam: Fastest Growing Facebook Market in the World
The number of Facebook (FB) users has doubled over the past year to over 22 million, which amounts to 61% of all netizens in Vietnam. As one post pointed out, "Global brands are definitely eyeing the Vietnamese Facebook market." The implications for student recruitment are also obvious. If you want to reach out to young people, you need … Continue reading Vietnam: Fastest Growing Facebook Market in the World
TRIỂN LÃM DU HỌC MÙA XUÂN 2014 StudyUSA CÁC TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC VÀ CAO ĐẲNG HOA KỲ
Please indulge me while I share with you this promotional video for Capstone Vietnam's spring 2014 StudyUSA Higher Education Fairs in Hanoi, Danang, Nha Trang, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) & Vung Tau! Enjoy! Hẹn gặp lại bạn tại Triển lãm! See you at the fairs!
The State of Vietnamese Higher Education: Point/Counterpoint
Below is a recent exchange on the Vietnam Studies Group (VSG) listserv between a Vietnamese-American professor and a young Vietnamese who recently graduated from a U.S. institution of higher education. The original post is in reference to an article by Roy J. Nirschel, president of the American University of Vietnam (AUVN), entitled "Picking Up the … Continue reading The State of Vietnamese Higher Education: Point/Counterpoint
Of Emigration, Brain Drain & Brain Gain: Some Reflections
Over the years, I’ve known and helped many young Vietnamese who have studied overseas. Some I knew in passing; others became friends. Quite a few made the decision to remain overseas either in the country in which they studied or a third country. By doing so, they slowly but surely began the transformation from Vietnamese … Continue reading Of Emigration, Brain Drain & Brain Gain: Some Reflections
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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