In my bustling neighborhood in the Cau Giay District of Hanoi, I can see over a billion dollars of local investment and foreign direct investment (FDI) from my front door, so to speak, where new condos, office buildings, and hotels are sprouting up like mushrooms. A field that just a few years ago was a hot spot for … Continue reading Welcome to My Neighborhood (aka Letting in the Fresh Air and the Flies)
Commentary
Corruption in Education: The Scourge of Forged Documents
Dear US Admission Colleagues, As you may know, corruption in its many forms, both large and small, permeates Vietnamese society, including (use your imagination) and education. Vietnam ranks 112/183, according to the 2011 Transparency International Corruptions Perceptions Index (CPI). If you're Vietnamese or an expat who has lived in Vietnam for a long time, you know what I'm talking … Continue reading Corruption in Education: The Scourge of Forged Documents
“50 percent of Vietnamese teachers regret their career decision”
This is one of the highlights of a survey conducted by the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences (VIES), a damning indictment of the working conditions of Vietnamese teachers. The survey of 526 teachers from 27 schools in five provinces asked primary, secondary (junior high) and high school teachers this question: Would you still choose to work as a teacher, if you could make … Continue reading “50 percent of Vietnamese teachers regret their career decision”
Secrets of the Capitalist Class (in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam)
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE: psychological conflict resulting from incongruous beliefs and attitudes held simultaneously. I recently came across the 3/12 issue of Kinh Tế tập đoàn (Economy Group), a bilingual magazine that features articles about a variety of business- and economy-related topics, including laws on regulating operation of state-owned enterprises and financial mechanisms and policies for state-owned economy groups and … Continue reading Secrets of the Capitalist Class (in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam)
To Emigrate or Not to Emigrate, That is The Question (With Apologies to Mr. Shakespeare)
I recently received an email from a Vietnamese student (I’ll call her “Hoa”) who just earned her bachelor’s degree in the US. Hers is the story of many young Vietnamese who study overseas, which is why I want to share it with you. I’ve changed the names to protect the innocent. 🙂 Hoa writes: I … Continue reading To Emigrate or Not to Emigrate, That is The Question (With Apologies to Mr. Shakespeare)
“In Vietnam, P&G Woos Hearts, Minds, and Schools”
Aside from the title of this 5 July Bloomberg Businessweek article, an unfortunate play on what has been described as a "short-lived campaign by the United States military during the Vietnam War intended to win the popular support of the Vietnamese people," I always have mixed feelings when I read about this type of project. While it's great that … Continue reading “In Vietnam, P&G Woos Hearts, Minds, and Schools”
“Patent Pending: How Immigrants Are Reinventing The American Economy”
While this is not exactly breaking news, I am pleased to see how this trend is being documented in order to build an even stronger case for visa policy reform. It's an issue that unites key business and political leaders, including President Obama, as well as professional associations such as NAFSA: Association of International Educators. This report, issued by The Partnership for a … Continue reading “Patent Pending: How Immigrants Are Reinventing The American Economy”
US Nationalism
As the 4th of July approaches, I thought it would be a fitting time to share something I've noticed in my statistics: US nationalism frequently ranks among the top ten search engine terms that lead many people to my blog. By entering this term in Google, Yahoo or wherever, they're obviously interested in learning more about the topic. They're also on to something. … Continue reading US Nationalism
“Institute Accused of Falsely Reporting How It Spent State Dept. Funds Settles Lawsuit for $1-Million”
Now that's a headline you don't see very often in The Chronicle of Higher Education, the weekly bible of the US higher education community. This is not just any run-of-the-mill institute but the Institute of International Education (IIE), one of "the world's largest and most experienced international education and training organizations," according to its website. This 16 April … Continue reading “Institute Accused of Falsely Reporting How It Spent State Dept. Funds Settles Lawsuit for $1-Million”
“Obama targets diploma mills that market to vets”
White House issues new protections for military families, veterans targeted by diploma mills You're dealing with folks who aren't interested in helping you. They're not interested in helping you find the best program. They are interested in getting the money. They don't care about you; they care about the cash. That's appalling. That's disgraceful. It … Continue reading “Obama targets diploma mills that market to vets”
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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