Chow Time in America

13/06/202312/06/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary obesity, USA

A panoramic view of a food court in a US shopping mall. Every trip to the US reminds me that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the fat are getting fatter. Nowhere is the latter more obvious than in a shopping mall, especially at the food court, where the eating … Continue reading Chow Time in America

The Military is US(A)

12/06/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary military discount, peace, USA, war

There are few countries in which you'll find more fawning over the military than in the US. I took the above photo in a Coach store in a shopping mall. To be honest, I'm not sure how many current or retired military personnel shop at Coach, but I understand the sentiment and PR value of … Continue reading The Military is US(A)

2023/24 Vietnam – Country Commercial Guide

08/06/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates EducationUSA, soft power, study in the USA, US Commercial Service, us foreign policy

Education and Training: This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data. Last published date: 17.3.23 MAA: Below is an updated version of this useful education and training update from the US Commercial Service. My commentary is prefaced by "MAA," my initials, and is italicized. Shalom (שלום), MAA … Continue reading 2023/24 Vietnam – Country Commercial Guide

Guiding Students to the Highest Bidder

23/05/202323/05/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary commission-based recruitment, education agents, fatal flaw

Credit: Fatal Flaw Literary Magazine I recently had a video chat with a US secondary colleague who expressed frustration over how hard it is to work with education agents in Vietnam, many of whom seem mostly concerned with the amount of the commission they will receive for each student. Since this particular high school's commission … Continue reading Guiding Students to the Highest Bidder

This Land is Whose Land?

19/05/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary buffy sainte-marie, mali obomsawin, pete seeger, this land is your land, woody guthrie

This unattributed meme about sums it up. This famous song by Woody Guthrie recently popped into my head . It's a catchy tune that I liked it as a child before I learned that much of US history, which parallels that of my family history, including the good, the bad, and the ugly, has been … Continue reading This Land is Whose Land?

2022 SEVIS by the Numbers Report: Vietnam

17/05/202317/05/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates international students, sevis by the numbers, study in the USA, vietnam, Vietnamese students

While the periodic SEVIS updates, sometimes monthly, other times quarterly, contain real-time statistics, the annual reports present cumulative totals. According to the 2022 report (PDF download), the total number of SEVIS records for active F-1 and M-1 students was 1,362,157 in 2022, an increase of 10.1% from 2021 and the largest number since 2019. There … Continue reading 2022 SEVIS by the Numbers Report: Vietnam

Fulbright University Vietnam Board Member Shows His True Colors

10/05/202311/06/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary bard college, bob kerrey, fulbright university vietnam, fundraising, jeffrey epstein, leon botstein, philanthropy

It may seem, at first blush, an unlikely connection: Leon Botstein, the president of Bard, one of the country’s most progressive colleges, and Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced billionaire accused of sexually abusing teenage girls. Leon Botstein has led Bard College for nearly five decades. Credit: Richard Beaven for The New York Times Leon Botstein (LB), … Continue reading Fulbright University Vietnam Board Member Shows His True Colors

The Toad That Lived to See Another Day

08/05/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary hanoi, toad, vietnam

One of her/his distant cousins. Recently, a rather well-fed toad found its way into my car, a first since I began driving a lifetime ago. I was transporting a couple of plants and trees to my Hanoi office and the critter must have been hiding in one of the pots. When my wife came to … Continue reading The Toad That Lived to See Another Day

Not All Phở is Created Equal; That’s Phở Sure!

28/04/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary hanoi, hcmc, ho chi minh city, Mama Phở, phở bò, Phở Thìn

Phở Thìn's Hanoi Location It's not often that I write a restaurant review. I think the last one was about a hole-in-the-wall noodle shop in downtown Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), long since relocated to the suburbs, that had the best wonton noodles I've ever had. This one is about Phở Thìn, a veritable Hanoi … Continue reading Not All Phở is Created Equal; That’s Phở Sure!

“When HE internationalisation operates as an industry”

26/04/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary international student recruitment, international students, internationalization, us-centric

There is a facade of higher education internationalisation that paints an idealistic picture of providing students with a global experience, stressing collaboration in research and strengthening ties among universities worldwide. Image: iStock This spot-on article by Philip G. Altbach and Hans de Wit asserts that internationalization primarily refers to revenue generation through international student recruitment. … Continue reading “When HE internationalisation operates as an industry”

An International Educator in Vietnam

Information, Insights & (Frequently) Intrigue

Author: Mark A. Ashwill