According to the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), 98% of all students want to learn English. While I knew that English was the most popular foreign language, I didn't realize it was THAT popular. This popularity, however, is a double-edged sword. While it makes it easier to focus resources on one area, it is exceedingly … Continue reading 98% of Vietnamese Students Prefer English!
Author: Mark A. Ashwill
“In Return to Vietnam, Vets Tackle Mess They Left Behind”
Some excerpts from this 2 December 2013 Newsweek magazine article written by Jeff Stein: It’s not easy to find a turkey dinner in Hanoi, but a handful of Americans and their Vietnamese friends gathered last Thursday over an imported bird cooked for them at a fancy restaurant in the capital’s old quarter, and they gave thanks. … Continue reading “In Return to Vietnam, Vets Tackle Mess They Left Behind”
Education Companies in Vietnam: Take a Walk on the Wild Side (Part II)
Note: Follow this link to read the first post in this two-part series. Due Diligence Some advice to my foreign higher education colleagues: don't trust any of the come-ons or be seduced by the slick lines in (sometimes) passable English that arrive in your inboxes on a regular basis. Do your homework, check references, and find out who's really behind … Continue reading Education Companies in Vietnam: Take a Walk on the Wild Side (Part II)
Businesses criticize universities’ training quality
Tell us something we don't know. This is a perennial issue that should be addressed sooner rather than later. I can attest to the results of this survey as an observer of the education scene here and an employer in two different sectors. (The bold in the article excerpt is mine.) Keep in mind that this survey is specific to … Continue reading Businesses criticize universities’ training quality
Education Companies in Vietnam: Take a Walk on the Wild Side (Part I)
In Vietnam, where cheating is a national pastime and ethical business practices are in dangerously short supply, the world of educational consulting is no exception. EducationUSA fantasies notwithstanding, the reality is that most parents and students work with an education agent instead of applying directly to U.S. (and other foreign) colleges and universities, as in other … Continue reading Education Companies in Vietnam: Take a Walk on the Wild Side (Part I)
At 30,000 Feet All I See Are Alumni
Below is a guest post from Marguerite Dennis, who has been recruiting internationally for over 25 years, first at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and then at Suffolk University in Boston, Massachusetts. Those colleges and universities that have dedicated and active alumni certainly have a competitive advantage over those that don't in terms of student recruitment and exploring … Continue reading At 30,000 Feet All I See Are Alumni
“Revitalizing Vietnam’s Economic Miracle”
Last month, I was invited to speak to a group of U.S. students who are participating in a fall study abroad program that begins in HCMC and spends the remainder of the semester in Hanoi. My assigned topic was Revitalizing Vietnam’s Economic Miracle. After a brief refresher on Vietnam in the recent past, I took them on a … Continue reading “Revitalizing Vietnam’s Economic Miracle”
Record Number of International & Vietnamese Students in the U.S.
It's morning in America on Monday, 11 November, time for the annual Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange press conference! According to the Institute of International Education's (IIE) 2013 report, the number of international students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities increased by 7% to a record high of 819,644 students in the 2012/13 academic year. (Note: The … Continue reading Record Number of International & Vietnamese Students in the U.S.
Gaming the System, International Student-Style
Gaming the system (also referred to as gaming the rules, bending the rules, abusing the system, milking the system, playing the system, or working the system) can be defined as using the rules and procedures meant to protect a system in order, instead, to manipulate the system for a desired outcome. Here’s a relevant hypothetical … Continue reading Gaming the System, International Student-Style
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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