Author: Mark A. Ashwill

Education investment catching attention

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Here's an informative article from the September 2019 issue of Vietnam Economic Times about the growth of private education in Viet Nam.  The introductory paragraph should whet your appetite for more, assuming you have at least a casual interest in this topic. The International School @ ParkCity Hanoi (ISPH) will officially welcome hundreds of students to study … Continue reading Education investment catching attention

Reflections on the passing of General Giap and the end of an era

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Hot off the digital press, a retrospective view of the passing of the legendary Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap, who died six years ago this Friday at the age of 102 in Hanoi.  Click on the image to read the article in its entirety.   Here are two photos that will appear in the forthcoming Vietnamese … Continue reading Reflections on the passing of General Giap and the end of an era

Happy 10th Birthday, Capstone Vietnam!

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Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc (Independence - Freedom - Happiness) 10 years ago this week Capstone Vietnam, now one of Viet Nam's premier full-service educational consulting companies, was established in Hanoi. That was a time when our vision, mission and values were still taking shape and the groundwork being laid for our future work.  Since 2012, … Continue reading Happy 10th Birthday, Capstone Vietnam!

B-1/2 vs. F-1 Visas to the USA

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The adjusted refusal rate for B (tourist/business) visas issued to Vietnamese citizens in 2018 was 26.2%, which means the issuance rate was 73.8%. I wish we had access to the same information for F-1 (student) visas broken down by state and even institution and type of institution.   Student visa issuance rates are generally quite a … Continue reading B-1/2 vs. F-1 Visas to the USA

Whose Bread I Eat, His Song I Sing: An International Education Nonprofit and a Devil’s Bargain

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2019 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Institute of International Education (IIE), a well-known US-based private nonprofit that focuses on international student exchange and aid, foreign affairs, and international peace and security. IIE refers to itself as “a world leader in the international exchange of people and ideas.” While IIE has numerous … Continue reading Whose Bread I Eat, His Song I Sing: An International Education Nonprofit and a Devil’s Bargain

Motivations for Studying Abroad and Immigration Intentions: The Case of Vietnamese Students

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Here's a perfect example of serendipity.  I noticed that someone had visited my blog from this referrer:  Motivations for Studying Abroad and Immigration Intentions The Case of Vietnamese Students, Journal of International Students.  Why?  Because the author cited this 2018 blog post:  Viet Nam Ranks 5th in International Enrollment in 3 Countries.   It was written by … Continue reading Motivations for Studying Abroad and Immigration Intentions: The Case of Vietnamese Students

Patriotism: “The tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime”

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Vietnam’s National Day is a fitting time to take stock of what this country and its people have accomplished but also to think about what each and every citizen can do to meet unmet needs and challenges and make Vietnam an even better place to live, including environmental awareness and action, heightened civility on the … Continue reading Patriotism: “The tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime”

Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam

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For the people of Vietnam, who were just beginning to recover from five years of ruthless economic exploitation by the Japanese, the end of World War II promised to bring eighty years of French control to a close. As the League for the Independence of Vietnam (Vietnam Doc Lap Dong Minh Hoi), better known as … Continue reading Declaration of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam