A Tale of Two Visas Types: B1-2 & F-1

A colleague recently asked me about the difference between issuance rates for two types of non-immigrant visas: tourist (B-2) and student (F-1). The question was in reference to a summer program for students at her university. (Note: A B-1 visas is for business.) The FY2022 stats from the US State Department confirm my answer, which … Continue reading A Tale of Two Visas Types: B1-2 & F-1

Telling Our Stories: A Tale from Vietnam

29/06/202327/06/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Books, Commentary autobiography, oral history, people's history, vietnam

What's Past is Prologue (W. Shakespeare, The Tempest, 1610-11) We all have stories to tell, knowledge and experiences to share, and advice to offer. The longer we live, the greater the supply, generally speaking. For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about history as a means of making sense of what … Continue reading Telling Our Stories: A Tale from Vietnam

Untapped Potential for Vietnamese Student Recruitment in Ireland

21/06/202321/06/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates enterprise ireland, study in Ireland, Vietnamese students

I recently reached out to a representative of Enterprise Ireland to find out how many Vietnamese students are studying there. (Note: This is a government organization that's "responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. We work in partnership with Irish enterprises to help them start, grow, innovate and win export … Continue reading Untapped Potential for Vietnamese Student Recruitment in Ireland

Professor Scott Fritzen Named Second President of Fulbright University Vietnam

16/06/202316/06/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary fulbright university vietnam, FUV, NDA, scott fritzen

The FUV plot thickens. Knowing how quickly many faculty and senior administrative staff come and go, I told a colleague who shares my interest in this university that we should place bets on how long the second president will last. For example, Ted Osius, former US ambassador to Vietnam, submitted his resignation after a mere … Continue reading Professor Scott Fritzen Named Second President of Fulbright University Vietnam

Chow Time in America

13/06/202312/06/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary obesity, USA

A panoramic view of a food court in a US shopping mall. Every trip to the US reminds me that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the fat are getting fatter. Nowhere is the latter more obvious than in a shopping mall, especially at the food court, where the eating … Continue reading Chow Time in America

The Military is US(A)

12/06/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary military discount, peace, USA, war

There are few countries in which you'll find more fawning over the military than in the US. I took the above photo in a Coach store in a shopping mall. To be honest, I'm not sure how many current or retired military personnel shop at Coach, but I understand the sentiment and PR value of … Continue reading The Military is US(A)

2023/24 Vietnam – Country Commercial Guide

08/06/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates EducationUSA, soft power, study in the USA, US Commercial Service, us foreign policy

Education and Training: This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data. Last published date: 17.3.23 MAA: Below is an updated version of this useful education and training update from the US Commercial Service. My commentary is prefaced by "MAA," my initials, and is italicized. Shalom (שלום), MAA … Continue reading 2023/24 Vietnam – Country Commercial Guide

Guiding Students to the Highest Bidder

23/05/202323/05/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary commission-based recruitment, education agents, fatal flaw

Credit: Fatal Flaw Literary Magazine I recently had a video chat with a US secondary colleague who expressed frustration over how hard it is to work with education agents in Vietnam, many of whom seem mostly concerned with the amount of the commission they will receive for each student. Since this particular high school's commission … Continue reading Guiding Students to the Highest Bidder

This Land is Whose Land?

19/05/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary buffy sainte-marie, mali obomsawin, pete seeger, this land is your land, woody guthrie

This unattributed meme about sums it up. This famous song by Woody Guthrie recently popped into my head . It's a catchy tune that I liked it as a child before I learned that much of US history, which parallels that of my family history, including the good, the bad, and the ugly, has been … Continue reading This Land is Whose Land?

2022 SEVIS by the Numbers Report: Vietnam

17/05/202317/05/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates international students, sevis by the numbers, study in the USA, vietnam, Vietnamese students

While the periodic SEVIS updates, sometimes monthly, other times quarterly, contain real-time statistics, the annual reports present cumulative totals. According to the 2022 report (PDF download), the total number of SEVIS records for active F-1 and M-1 students was 1,362,157 in 2022, an increase of 10.1% from 2021 and the largest number since 2019. There … Continue reading 2022 SEVIS by the Numbers Report: Vietnam

An International Educator in Vietnam

Information, Insights & (Frequently) Intrigue

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