Hanoi and HCMC staff off- and online after speeches and a party. Earlier this week, my staff and I celebrated our 15th anniversary. Here's a message I shared on Capstone's social media channels in text and video form. HCMC and Hanoi staff on- and offline after speeches and a party. On the auspicious occasion of … Continue reading Happy 15th Birthday, Capstone Education!
Commentary
Lies, damned lies and statistics: Overseas study edition
Here's the original version of an article I wrote for University World News. Mark A Ashwill 20 July 2024 “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” – Mark Twain As someone whose tagline is “an academic by training and an international … Continue reading Lies, damned lies and statistics: Overseas study edition
Seeing the World Through A Child’s Eyes
In 1901, Austrian poet and novelist Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) sent the following letter (and poem) to Helmuth Westhoff, a German painter and the brother of Clara Westhoff (1878-1954), a German sculptor who had recently married Rilke. Those who are primarily introverts know "how beautiful the world is and how much splendor is revealed in … Continue reading Seeing the World Through A Child’s Eyes
so you want to be a writer?
This verse by Charles Bukowski (1920-1994) is the finest explication of writing I have ever seen. If you write, this will resonate with you. Writing is one of those precious times when I experience flow, described as "the melting together of action and consciousness; the state of finding a balance between a skill and how challenging … Continue reading so you want to be a writer?
“Disappointed, violated and disgusted with poor treatment from Vietnam locals”
Below is a comment I stumbled upon in the Travel/Du lịch section of a Vietnam Reddit thread. It received 535 comments within 20 hours. As someone who has lived here for nearly 19 years and whose first trip was in 1996 in another lifetime, everything she describes rings true, especially for a first-time "female solo … Continue reading “Disappointed, violated and disgusted with poor treatment from Vietnam locals”
A Telecommunications Relic of the Past
Remember these? Your answer will date you. Even more so if it's the rotary version. I chuckled as I walked by this one in a New York City restaurant. I guess they left it there, damage and all, for posterity. The end of an era. It brought back memories of rifling through my pockets for … Continue reading A Telecommunications Relic of the Past
Bystanders No More.
Helping people speak up about human rights in Palestine. Screenshot Once there is seeing, there must be acting. Otherwise, what’s the use of seeing? -Thích Nhất Hạnh (1926-2022) To be a Jew means always being with the oppressed, never with the oppressors. -Marek Edelman (1919/1922-2009) – last surviving leader, Warsaw ghetto uprising I love this … Continue reading Bystanders No More.
Homelessness in the Wealthiest Country on Earth
Photo by MAA How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity. Statement by Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the UK Mission to the UN at the Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict I saw many scenes like the above in the major US cities I visited earlier … Continue reading Homelessness in the Wealthiest Country on Earth
Chess as a Substitute for Real-world Conflict: A Fantasy
I've been known to play the occasional game of chess, especially the fast variety, e.g., bullet and blitz on Chess.com. It's exciting and it's (duh!) quick. Your fate and your opponent's can be decided within seconds if one of you makes the wrong move. It's more about reaction time and anticipation than it is about … Continue reading Chess as a Substitute for Real-world Conflict: A Fantasy
What Educational Consulting Companies Expect from Partner Institutions: A View from Vietnam
Here's the unabridged version of my most recent University World News article, published last weekend under the (editor's) title Student recruitment: What a good partnership looks like. Peace, MAA Image: iStock Last December, I participated in a webinar as part of a virtual book tour for Student Recruitment Agents in International Higher Education – A … Continue reading What Educational Consulting Companies Expect from Partner Institutions: A View from Vietnam
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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