Happy 10th Birthday, Capstone Vietnam!

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

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

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

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”

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

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

US Student Visa Issuances Up in May-July 2019 Over 2018

As US international student recruiters know all too well, these are tough times for most institutions for a variety of social, political, and economic reasons.  Viet Nam, however, remains a bright spot on the recruitment horizon.  As of March 2019, there were 30,684 young Vietnamese studying in the US at all levels, most in higher … Continue reading US Student Visa Issuances Up in May-July 2019 Over 2018

How Van Gogh Found His Purpose: Heartfelt Letters to His Brother on How Relationships Refine Us

Below is a reprint from Brain Pickings, a website that describes itself as An inventory of cross-disciplinary interestingness, spanning art, science, design, history, philosophy, and more.  This particular essay is from the BP archives, what Maria Popova, its creator, refers to as "something worth resurfacing and resavoring as timeless nourishment for heart, mind, and spirit."   I … Continue reading How Van Gogh Found His Purpose: Heartfelt Letters to His Brother on How Relationships Refine Us

“Ain’t Gonna Study War No More”

I saw this child during a recent trip to China having fun engaging in stroller-by "shootings" on a crowded city street, and this song popped into my head.   Parents buy toy guns for their children, mainly sons, in many countries because violence, even faux violence, is part and parcel of masculine identity in many cultures.  … Continue reading “Ain’t Gonna Study War No More”