Say it ain't so, Mike! Michael Sestak, the former NIV (Non-Immigrant Visa) chief in the US Consulate General in HCMC, got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. To paraphrase a verse from the The Good Book: greed and arrogance goeth before a fall. Apparently, his generous foreign service officer salary and the various goodies that … Continue reading Corruption Sans Borders: U.S. Visas for Sale in Ho Chi Minh City
Articles
“From the Lion’s Den: An Open Letter (and Invitation) to Vietnam Veterans”
What America owes Vietnam it can never repay, though there are many Americans in the U.S. and Vietnam today, including veterans, who are striving mightily and in myriad ways to contribute to the physical and spiritual healing process. The "Nam," as some of you still think of it, this country of your dreams and your … Continue reading “From the Lion’s Den: An Open Letter (and Invitation) to Vietnam Veterans”
“Washington Eyes Raising State Tuition of Foreigners”
This headline in a recent New York Times article caught my attention. Washington state ranks 11th in international enrollment, according the 2012 Open Doors report, with 20,198 foreign students, an increase of 13.4% over the previous year. Vietnam ranks 3rd with 8.2% of total enrollment at WA colleges and universities. (In case you're counting, that's over … Continue reading “Washington Eyes Raising State Tuition of Foreigners”
The Rushford Report on the “Consul General’s Candidacy as the Next Ambassador to Vietnam”
This blog post from Diplopundit and the 15 April 2013 article on which it's based, entitled "How (Not) to Become a U.S. Ambassador" by Greg Rushford of The Rushford Report fame, definitely fall into the category of Intrigue.
Slow Down To Catch Up
Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) recently announced plans to reduce enrollment at 23 universities and colleges. According to Bui Van Ga, a vice minister, the intent of the policy is to "focus on quality instead of quantity.” Enrollment quotas will be reduced between 10% and 100% at the 23 institutions “because of failures to … Continue reading Slow Down To Catch Up
“Diaspora talent is lured back, but fails to stay”
by Hiep Pham, 6 April 2013, Issue No: 266 Hai Tran never imagined, when he waved farewell to his parents at the boarding gate of Vietnam’s Noi Bai airport in 1998 to study information technology at a Russian university, that it was the start of a 15-year adventure in several foreign countries. The recipient … Continue reading “Diaspora talent is lured back, but fails to stay”
Not What They Signed Up For
"The bittersweet fact is that America exports some of the world's best and worst higher education." (MAA) When Albert Anarwat applied to the for-profit Aristotle University, in California, the Ghanaian student said he asked the university if the institution was accredited. Not only was he told yes, he said, but he also was told that … Continue reading Not What They Signed Up For
Hagel Hearings & The Vietnam War/Kill Anything That Moves (KATM)
Below is another Vietnam Studies Group exchange about Nick Turse's new book Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam (KATM). I responded to a colleague from the University of Arizona whose main criticisms are that Turse "tells us nothing new" and that he commits a sin of omission by excluding information that contradicts this colleague's theory - hypothesis … Continue reading Hagel Hearings & The Vietnam War/Kill Anything That Moves (KATM)
Study Abroad Consultant Regulations Tightened
The winds of change are blowing in the regulation and oversight of education agents in Vietnam This is the result of recent scandals and demands from the public for closer scrutiny of education agents. It seems that the Wild West environment in which many of these businesses have operated is going the way of the dinosaur, … Continue reading Study Abroad Consultant Regulations Tightened
Over 100,000 Vietnamese Studied Overseas in 2012
Last year around this time, I wrote a post about about the 100,000+ Vietnamese students who studied in 49 countries and territories in 2011, according to the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET). 90% of them were self-financing. I conservatively estimated the investment in overseas study to be in the $1+ billion range. This year's report, released early … Continue reading Over 100,000 Vietnamese Studied Overseas in 2012
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