Commentary

US Student Visas in Vietnam: Putting the Pieces Together

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates , ,

This post addresses one seemingly simple yet important question.  What are the current US student visa (F-1) issuance and rejection rates in Vietnam?  As the US State Department points out, the worldwide student visa issuance rate was 87% (rounded up) in the 2010 US government (USG) fiscal year ending 30 September 2010.  Answering this simple question is … Continue reading US Student Visas in Vietnam: Putting the Pieces Together

In the Name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit: Saving Souls Through English Teaching in Vietnam

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary , ,

Why do foreigners come to Vietnam to work for the long-term?  Why do they leave their families, friends, jobs, the comforts of home in an “advanced” (i.e., wealthy) nation for life in a (poor) developing country?  Money, adventure, penance, reconciliation, professional opportunity, a chance to contribute to Vietnam’s development, love (“home is where the heart … Continue reading In the Name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit: Saving Souls Through English Teaching in Vietnam

The Fourth Education Conference

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Conferences , , , ,

I recently joined several hundred other attendees at the 4th Education Conference on 9 April in Hanoi, organized by the US Embassy, the Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF), the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) and National Economics University (NEU).  Sponsors included the Henry Luce Foundation, the Vietnam Center at Texas Tech University, Johnson & … Continue reading The Fourth Education Conference

Frederick Taylor University & Vietnam

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary , ,

A student in the northern port city of Haiphong recently emailed me about Frederick Taylor University (FTU), which is on my list of 25 US-based or affiliated unaccredited schools operating in Vietnam, 13 of which are in the rogue provider haven (heaven?) of California, where they can easily obtain “state approval.”  She wrote:  I am … Continue reading Frederick Taylor University & Vietnam

Education Makes Strange Bedfellows

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Events, Updates , ,

Life is full of surprises.  The Institute of International Education (IIE), a US nonprofit best known for its administration of the Fulbright Program, the US Government's flagship international exchange program, is partnering with the US Commercial Service in Vietnam to offer two US higher education fairs on 6 April in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and … Continue reading Education Makes Strange Bedfellows

David Shear’s US Senate Confirmation Hearing

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates ,

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing “to examine the nominations of David Bruce Shear, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (my italics), and Kurt Walter Tong, of Maryland, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as United States Senior Official for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) … Continue reading David Shear’s US Senate Confirmation Hearing

What’s in a Name? Bill Gates School in Hanoi

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates ,

Yes, dear readers, there is a Bill Gates School (BGS) in Hanoi, which consists of a kindergarten and an elementary school.  I saw an ad in my neighborhood and thought I'd check it out.  Perhaps the founders were inspired by several visits to the City of Peace by the Man Himself and his Microsoft success … Continue reading What’s in a Name? Bill Gates School in Hanoi

Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop: Of Sham Universities & SEVIS Approved Schools

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates , , ,

Fact: The United States is the world’s leading host of unaccredited schools, also known as rogue providers. Fact: The US State Department represents officially (i.e., regionally and nationally) accredited colleges and universities. Fact: One of the three criteria that consular officers use to make the determination whether or not an applicant "is entitled to a nonimmigrant … Continue reading Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop: Of Sham Universities & SEVIS Approved Schools

Vietnam’s Younger Generation & the Future

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary , ,

Vietnam is a "young" country.  You can see it everywhere you look and in the statistics (median age:  27.4).   It's what economists refer to as a "demographic dividend," which Vietnam is hoping to take advantage of.    I recently spent a couple of mornings and afternoons conducting Skype interviews with young people, high school and … Continue reading Vietnam’s Younger Generation & the Future

If Vietnam were your home instead of The United States you would…

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates ,

I recently came upon this site, which was created last year at first “as a way to show the magnitude of the BP Oil Spill. Through a number of conversations with visitors to the site, we realized that we had stumbled onto a very powerful concept. Representing large facts in relation to a person's own home is … Continue reading If Vietnam were your home instead of The United States you would…