Author: Mark A. Ashwill

Over 100,000 Vietnamese Studied Overseas in 2012

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Last year around this time, I wrote a post about about the 100,000+ Vietnamese students who studied in 49 countries and territories in 2011, according to the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET).  90% of them were self-financing.    I conservatively estimated the investment in overseas study to be in the $1+ billion range.  This year's report, released early … Continue reading Over 100,000 Vietnamese Studied Overseas in 2012

Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam

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This post is quite obviously NOT about education or US-Vietnam educational exchange.  It's about history, its impact on the present, and the United States' (in)ability to overcome its past.  The German word that describes this process, Vergangenheitsbewältigung, implies dealing with, learning from, but also overcoming the past.  It's about a horrible truth that Nick Turse tells his fellow citizens and the world about … Continue reading Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam

My Top 15 Personal Favorites

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Last year, I wrote a total of 84 posts, an average of 7 per month.  Below are some of my favorite posts starting with one from February and ending with one from last month.  Collectively, they cover a lot of ground - from updates and personal stories to commentaries and analyses.     If You’ve Got It, Flaunt … Continue reading My Top 15 Personal Favorites

“Unaccredited foreign universities to be fined”

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No, not in the USA, unfortunately, but in Kenya.  This is a textbook example of how one country can learn from another in the finest tradition of comparative education in particular and comparative studies in general.  In this case, Kenya and the US have a teacher-student relationship.    Shut down the unaccredited education companies (or for-profit enterprises masquerading … Continue reading “Unaccredited foreign universities to be fined”

Ten Most Popular Posts of 2012

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It’s that time of year again.  First, I would like to wish you, dear reader, a New Year filled with happiness, good health, peace and prosperity.  Secondly, I hope that you’ve been found something on these pages – bits and pieces of useful information, an insight, an idea - that is some benefit to you.  People visit … Continue reading Ten Most Popular Posts of 2012

Internet Penetration, Social Media & Student Recruitment

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40 years ago this week in the waning months of the American War, as it's known in Vietnam, US bombs were raining down on Hanoi in what came to be known as "The Christmas Bombings."  This morning, sitting in my office in downtown Hanoi, I listened to children singing Christmas songs in a nearby kindergarten and thought about … Continue reading Internet Penetration, Social Media & Student Recruitment

MBA 2012: Its Image & Identity

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Below is a guest post by Loek Hopstaken (b. 1951), a business consultant, management trainer & MBA professor, working in both The Netherlands & Vietnam. His areas of expertise include leadership, communication and human resource management. The image of MBA: an all-round education in management that offers in-depth knowledge and the latest insights in a … Continue reading MBA 2012: Its Image & Identity

“Overseas study consultancy put under no control, students suffer”

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VietNamNet Bridge – The number of students becoming the victims of overseas study consultancy firms’ trickeries has been increasing. Meanwhile, the firms cannot be prosecuted for their swindling, because there has been no regulation on the punishments.  This recent article, the latest in a large number that I've seen over the years, documents abuses perpetrated by … Continue reading “Overseas study consultancy put under no control, students suffer”