This is a post I wrote for The World View, a Boston College Center for International Higher Education blog hosted by Inside Higher Ed (IHE). It is as much a wake-up call as it is a call to action. One of my main points, which obviously went over the heads of some readers who commented, … Continue reading #YouAreWelcomeWhere? A Call to Action
Author: Mark A. Ashwill
Gun Violence & Study in the USA
I spoke to some students last Friday at a top private high school in Hanoi about overseas study. Among the small group that was planning to study overseas, they mentioned Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and New Zealand as potential destinations. Not one expressed interest in studying in the US. When I asked why, they … Continue reading Gun Violence & Study in the USA
An ethical approach to commissions-based recruitment
Below is the unabridged version of an article with the above title that Eddie West and I wrote for University World News (UWN). Follow this link to read that version. Incentive-Based Compensation & International Student Recruitment: Is There a Better Way? By Mark A. Ashwill & Eddie West The agent issue in the US is reminiscent … Continue reading An ethical approach to commissions-based recruitment
Teaching Tolerance: A Facebook Message from the Head of School, The Northwest School (Seattle, WA, USA)
I noticed this post on my Facebook feed and felt compelled to share it with a wider audience. The Northwest School has 509 students, 70 of whom are international, including some from Viet Nam. Shalom (שלום), MAA Dear Parents and Families: Sadly, I write yet again to acknowledge and denounce acts of hate and violence that … Continue reading Teaching Tolerance: A Facebook Message from the Head of School, The Northwest School (Seattle, WA, USA)
Visa Issuance Rate as Institutional Selling Point (or Not)
Note: This post is devoted exclusively to the US student visa for the obvious reason that it has the most irrational and unpredictable process of the top host countries for Vietnamese and other international students. This is heartfelt advice to US colleagues, especially higher education, who have their work cut out for them these days … Continue reading Visa Issuance Rate as Institutional Selling Point (or Not)
Secondary Sector in USA Still Going Strong
As I mentioned in the last post, there are nearly 30,000 Vietnamese (29,788, to be exact) studying in the US at all levels. (Source: Mapping SEVIS by the Numbers, August 2018) Of those, 3,472, or 11.7%, of them are enrolled in boarding and day schools. While that's 720 fewer students than in December 2017 (4,192 … Continue reading Secondary Sector in USA Still Going Strong
Viet Nam Once Again Ranks 5th in US International Student Enrollment
According to the August 2018 SEVIS by the Numbers update, Viet Nam once again ranks 5th among places of origin with 29,788 active students at all levels and in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, inching past Canada, which had displaced it in June 2018. (One always has to take summer statistics with a grain … Continue reading Viet Nam Once Again Ranks 5th in US International Student Enrollment
When in Viet Nam, Drive as the Vietnamese Do!
An expat shares some philosophical reflections and practical tips on the free-for-all that is Vietnamese traffic. This is my latest English language article for VNExpress International. Follow this link to read it in its entirety. Below is the unabridged version: In any country, driving culture and etiquette, or a lack thereof, is a window into … Continue reading When in Viet Nam, Drive as the Vietnamese Do!
“The story of Viet Nam’s economic miracle”
Walking around in Ha Noi, Viet Nam’s capital, you can feel boundless energy everywhere. People whiz by on scooters, buy and sell everything from phones to food in the countless small shops, and run to and fro to get to school or work. Viet Nam is young, growing, and anything feels possible. It wasn’t always … Continue reading “The story of Viet Nam’s economic miracle”
“Humpty Dumpty” As World View, Overseas Vietnamese-Style
Here are the concluding paragraphs of my latest CounterPunch piece. If you're interested in reading the essay in its entirety, follow this link. If Humpty Dumpty – as world view and personal identity – were to have a great fall, I’m afraid it would be exceedingly difficult for all of the king’s horses and men … Continue reading “Humpty Dumpty” As World View, Overseas Vietnamese-Style
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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