Agency-based recruitment has belatedly been embraced by U.S. colleges and universities even as it is becoming passé, one example among many that the US has much to learn from the rest of the world. It is only one of a growing number of options in the international student recruitment "bag of tricks" and already has limited utility in increasingly competitive markets such as Vietnam. Those schools … Continue reading The Times They Are a-Changin’: Agency-Based Recruitment
Commentary
U.S. Visa Policy: Guilty Until Proven Innocent
“Applicants must demonstrate that they properly meet student visa requirements.” In other words, the onus is on the applicant to make her/his case and do it quickly. The application fee of $140 and the SEVIS fee of $200 ensure a visa interview that usually lasts in the five-minute range. As most of you probably know, the “big three” … Continue reading U.S. Visa Policy: Guilty Until Proven Innocent
VEF: From Vietnam With Money ($)
In April 1997, during a three-day visit to Vietnam, then Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin announced that the Vietnamese government had agreed to repay the $146 million wartime debt of the former South Vietnam. Four years earlier, Vietnam agreed in principle to assume the debt from its former enemy as part of a larger … Continue reading VEF: From Vietnam With Money ($)
About Comments
Since An International Educator in Vietnam just celebrated its first anniversary, a word about comments is in order. I appreciate (and "approve") most of the comments I receive because they contain useful information, valuable insights or a combination thereof. There are some others that clearly fall into the "smart ass" or "smart aleck" category, defined by Merriam-Webster as an obnoxiously … Continue reading About Comments
“Students warned of rogue education providers”
This excellent article by Le Quynh Anh, which included an interview with me, appeared in the 18 November issue of the English language daily Viet Nam News. Below is the unabridged version of that interview. As the international educator, who has five years of experiences working in Vietnam, what are the reasons do you think behind … Continue reading “Students warned of rogue education providers”
Of Student Visas & Community Colleges
Community colleges (CCs) continue to be the most popular entry point to U.S. higher education for Vietnamese students. Vietnam ranks 2nd behind South Korea in international student enrollment at CCs and 80% of the student visas issued by the U.S. Consulate General are for CC-bound students, according to an official source. That's the good news. The bad news is … Continue reading Of Student Visas & Community Colleges
“Fighting corruption in education sector an uphill battle”
According to Transparency International, corruption in education is particularly damaging because it endangers a country's social, economic and political future: Corruption in education is more detrimental than corruption in other sectors because of its long-term effects. Corruption threatens equal access, quantity and quality of education. Its consequences are particularly harsh for the poor who, … Continue reading “Fighting corruption in education sector an uphill battle”
“Universities weep over shortage of lecturers”
Fact: According to the Ministry of Education and Training, from 1987-2009, the number of students was thirteen times higher, while the number of lecturers only tripled. Fact: The current average ratio of students to lecturers is 28:1. At the Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology it is 47.3/1, at the … Continue reading “Universities weep over shortage of lecturers”
Buyer Beware: The Potential Pitfalls of Agency-Based Recruitment
In the remarks referenced in my last post Ambassador Michalak also spent a couple hundred words on the subject of education consultants, or agents. His advice was spot-on (my italics): "Some parents may choose to work through an agent when looking to find the appropriate school for their child in America. Agents are local representatives for … Continue reading Buyer Beware: The Potential Pitfalls of Agency-Based Recruitment
U.S. Ambassador Highlights Accreditation in Remarks
I was pleased to see Ambassador Michael Michalak talk at considerable length about accreditation at a recent ribbon cutting ceremony for the Embassy's new EducationUSA advising office. In fact, over half of his speech focused on this important topic. When I was IIE-Vietnam country director from 2005-09, this was one of my "signature issues," and … Continue reading U.S. Ambassador Highlights Accreditation in Remarks
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