Much to my chagrin, I noticed that IIE permitted Jose Maria Vargas University, a nationally accredited (NA) school based in Florida, to join its US higher education fairs in Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). This in spite of the fact that IIE guidelines state that "Only regionally accredited (RA) two-year, four-year and … Continue reading A Hole in the Dike?
Commentary
Point/Counterpoint
This is an exchange of comments that appeared in response to a late July article entitled SUNY Bets Big on Agents that appeared in Inside Higher Ed. The article is about “an ambitious agency-based recruitment strategy, with the goal of increasing its total foreign student enrollment by more than 13,000 over five years. A portion … Continue reading Point/Counterpoint
CMU’s Ubiquitous Online Presence
u·biq·ui·tous/Adjective: Present, appearing, or found everywhere: "his ubiquitous influence". It seems that everywhere you look (online), you'll see a California Miramar University (CMU) banner ad. (CMU is a nationally-accredited, for-profit online university that I featured in a previous post.) Such is the magic of a powerful IP-based advertising tool known as geo targeting, the method of determining the … Continue reading CMU’s Ubiquitous Online Presence
Vietnamese US Higher Education Alumni
Just over two years ago, I helped to organized the 1st annual US alumni conference in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in my previous incarnation as country director of IIE-Vietnam. That it was called the "1st" reflects the fact that I am an optimist by nature. It's been the only alumni conference to date for US-educated … Continue reading Vietnamese US Higher Education Alumni
The importance of being honest
This is the title of an editorial piece that appeared in the "Talk Around Town" section of Việt Nam News the a few days ago. It's about the booming business in fake certificates and the broader issue of corruption in the Vietnam's educational system... Who reads Việt Nam News? Mostly foreigners I discuss the issue … Continue reading The importance of being honest
Subject: Still Lucid at 97: General Vo Nguyen Giap Talks Education
This is the title of a fascinating diplomatic cable from the US Embassy-Hanoi, about Ambassador Michael Michalak's 25 April 2008 meeting with the legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap at the latter's home in Hanoi. This unclassified document appears on the Wikileaks Cable Viewer website. It's one of several devoted to education in Vietnam and US-Vietnam educational exchange. … Continue reading Subject: Still Lucid at 97: General Vo Nguyen Giap Talks Education
Vietnamese Student Visa Applications to Australia Drop by 31%
A Guest Post By Justin Birch Australia has enjoyed its status as the number one destination for Vietnamese university students but it shouldn't get too comfortable. A recent report released by the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship reveals that offshore applications from Vietnamese students dropped by 31%. This decrease is not the largest, however, with India’s applications having … Continue reading Vietnamese Student Visa Applications to Australia Drop by 31%
Chutzpah & Unaccredited (US) Higher Education Providers
Chutzpah (pronounced /ˈhʊtspə/) is the quality of audacity, for good or for bad, but it is generally used negatively. The word derives from the Hebrew word ḥuṣpâ (חֻצְפָּה), meaning "insolence", "audacity", and "impertinence." This word, one of my favorites, describes with great precision a recent email exchange I had with the representative of an unaccredited California-based school. … Continue reading Chutzpah & Unaccredited (US) Higher Education Providers
A Year Ago Today
Today is the first anniversary of the day that An International Educator received the most traffic ever in a 24-hour period - 1,315 views. The catalyst? An interview in the Vietnamese language media (i.e., Tuổi Trẻ Online) about unaccredited US schools in Vietnam that spread like wildfire. 2010-07-30 Title Views Home page 1,015 US-Based or Affiliated … Continue reading A Year Ago Today
Location, Location, Location…
... combined with the laws of supply and demand=a small (53 m2/602 ft2) building in downtown Hanoi that recently sold for $2.3 million. Where this charming Hanoi house once stood is now a pile of rubble. On this site, at the intersection of Hang Bai and Hai Ba Trung streets in the Hoan Kiem District, which I pass … Continue reading Location, Location, Location…
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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