Here's another one to add to my long and ever-growing list. It's a variation on the theme of the classic dog and pony show that so many education fairs are these days. As a fair organizer, do you want to guarantee a certain number of students at your events? Don't go the route of ethical … Continue reading Cheating in the Education Industry: Let Me Count the Ways!
Author: Mark A. Ashwill
Top US 10 States & Leading Host Institutions by Location
689,063 international students in the US in 2017/18, or 63% of the total, studied in 10 states, according to Open Doors 2018 data. You can see a list of 50 states and some US territories by following this link, or click on each state below to see its fact sheet (PDF download). Each fact sheet … Continue reading Top US 10 States & Leading Host Institutions by Location
Fulbright University Vietnam & Moral Leadership?
Given events of the past few years, these are two phrases that mix like oil and water. Think textbook cognitive dissonance. Or a feeble attempt at rehabilitation in the eyes of the public, an audacious means of gaining the moral high ground from the morass of historical tone deafness and gross insensitivity. My first reaction … Continue reading Fulbright University Vietnam & Moral Leadership?
About Viet Nam’s “gifting culture”
Giving gifts to people in authority has become normal, but we have to be aware it institutionalizes an 'underworld.' Also known as an "envelope culture" (văn hóa phong bì) because envelopes are used for more than sending letters, so passé in the digital age, and giving "lucky money" (lì xì) at Lunar New Year. A … Continue reading About Viet Nam’s “gifting culture”
English Proficiency in Viet Nam: Giving Credit Where Credit’s Due
An article entitled What is the real English profiency level of Vietnamese? (yes, the word "proficiency" was misspelled) recently graced the Internet in Viet Nam with this description: While an education organization has ranked Vietnam in the seventh position among 21 Asian countries in proficiency of English, some experts call the result ‘flashy’, saying it does not … Continue reading English Proficiency in Viet Nam: Giving Credit Where Credit’s Due
Chúc mừng Năm mới 2019! Happy Solar New Year!
Wishing everyone a New Year filled with happiness, good health, prosperity, & peace! Chúc mừng Năm mới hạnh phúc, mạnh khỏe, vui vẻ và an lành! Shalom (שלום), MAA
The Importance of Speaking Up About “Things That Matter”
After telling an acquaintance who is well-known in Viet Nam circles that I intended to write about the rhetorical bombshells that Thomas Vallely dropped in an early 2018 interview about Bob Kerrey and Fulbright University Vietnam, he warned me about possible backlash. In case you're just tuning in, Vallely is Senior Adviser for Mainland Southeast Asia … Continue reading The Importance of Speaking Up About “Things That Matter”
Happy Holidays from Viet Nam!
Wishing those of you who celebrate the holiday Merry Christmas and all of you a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous, & Peaceful Solar New Year! Shalom (שלום), MAA
US Government Form Letter Generates Excitement Among Colleagues. Say What?
A couple of colleagues shared this letter by Marie Royce, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, US State Department, on social media. It was sent to participants in a small international student recruitment conference in early December in the US. I'm not sure what they were so excited about. As … Continue reading US Government Form Letter Generates Excitement Among Colleagues. Say What?
The College of the Ozarks Patriotic Education Travel Program to Viet Nam: A Vietnam-Era Veteran Responds
I received a number of comments in response to my recent article entitled A “Patriotic” Education Study Abroad Program in Viet Nam: God Bless America, Right or Wrong!, mostly from US veterans of the war in Viet Nam, or "Vietnam-era" veterans. One who falls into the latter category decided to take it one step further … Continue reading The College of the Ozarks Patriotic Education Travel Program to Viet Nam: A Vietnam-Era Veteran Responds
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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