You can’t eat money: the cost of unlimited growth

09/09/202209/09/2022 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary canada, circular economy, depletion economy, overfishing, pollution, sand-mining, vietnam, water

A woman stands at her collapsed house damaged by landslide along the Mekong river in Can Tho, Vietnam, December 17, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Kham My latest essay for VNExpress International. The Vietnamese version will be up soon. Here are the first two paragraphs. In a 1972 book chapter entitled "Conversations with North American Indians," Alanis … Continue reading You can’t eat money: the cost of unlimited growth

Tourism in Vietnam: A Tale of Two Tastes?

07/09/202205/09/2022 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary environmental degradation, kitsch, overdevelopment, phu quoc, pollution, tourism

Recently, I've thought a lot about tourism in Vietnam for a couple of reasons. First, I'm concerned about the lack of regard for the environment on which we all depend for survival, which often takes a back seat to (over)development and revenue generation. Secondly, I'm well aware how important it is to Vietnam's economic well-being … Continue reading Tourism in Vietnam: A Tale of Two Tastes?

Overstay Rates for Nonimmigrant Students and Exchange Visitors (F, M, J Visas)

05/09/2022 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary F-1 visa, overstay rates, student visa, study in the USA

Here's a brief comparison of the overstay rate of Vietnamese students with those from Cambodia, China, and Thailand in FY 2020. Vietnam: 4.49% China: 0.66% Cambodia: 2.74% Thailand: 3.09% Overstay rates are statistics that consular sections look in the aggregate and by institution. As you can see below, the overall rate was 1.43%. Vietnam has … Continue reading Overstay Rates for Nonimmigrant Students and Exchange Visitors (F, M, J Visas)

About Injustice & Immorality

29/08/202206/02/2023 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary anger, immorality, injustice, thomas aquinas

This is a profoundly meaningful thought that is much easier said than done. The dark reality, in some societies more than others, is that most people are perfectly happy to live amid injustice without anger. They only care about themselves and don't want to "rock the boat." Some are not permitted to express themselves freely … Continue reading About Injustice & Immorality

They Hate US ‘Cause They Ain’t US!

26/08/202228/08/2022 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary american dream, debt, economic inequality, freedumb, functional illiteracy, incarceration rate, united states of america, us nationalism, USA

Here's my latest essay for CounterPunch. Here's the first paragraph to whet your appetite for more (or not). Note: 17 minute read. During a recent trip to Boston, I saw this delusional expression screaming at me in large red, white, and blue letters from the side of a passing cement truck. For the uninitiated, it’s … Continue reading They Hate US ‘Cause They Ain’t US!

If You See Something, Say Something

23/08/202223/08/2022 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary if you see something say something, life in the USA, quality of life in the USA

Here's my latest piece for CounterPunch. If you like the intro, read on. If not, that's OK, too. 😊 Photograph Source: istolethetv – CC BY 2.0 It is well-known that the US is a divided and conflict-ridden society that is fraying at the seams on so many levels. From the homeless in Denver, fellow human beings … Continue reading If You See Something, Say Something

Vietnamese Students Discover Norway

22/08/2022 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates overseas study, study in norway, Vietnamese students

Norsk natur (Credit: Study in Norway) Thanks to a colleague at the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, I learned more about how many Vietnamese students are pursuing higher education in Norway and in which fields. While the numbers are modest compared to the top 15 overseas destinations, you can see gradual increases from … Continue reading Vietnamese Students Discover Norway

US Immigrant Visas in Vietnam: 2012-2021

18/08/2022 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary emigration, immigrant visas, immigration, live in the usa

With a Vietnamese American population of over 2 million in the US, the "grass is greener" view is still powerful among many Vietnamese with relatives there. Here are the numbers from 2012 to 2021. 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 24,133 23,424 24,489 27,391 32,970 28,719 28,701 32,867 20,230 10,458 The … Continue reading US Immigrant Visas in Vietnam: 2012-2021

US Visa Trends in Vietnam

16/08/2022 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates f-1, student visa, study in the USA, vietnam

Here's an overview of F-1 visa issuances in Vietnam for the past 24 years in graph and numerical format. The gradual and then rapid growth in the number of student visas issued to young Vietnamese is a partial reflection of the expansion of Vietnam's economy and family ability to pay. In the early days, many … Continue reading US Visa Trends in Vietnam

Cheating Without Borders

15/08/202221/08/2022 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary business ethics, capstone educational consulting, cheating without borders, copycat companies, Myanmar, success without integrity is failure

As seen on Capstone Educational Consulting's Facebook page. The logo looks it was created by a free online logo generator. Love the color, too: shades of baby puke green. I recently came across Capstone Educational Consulting, a company in Myanmar with a familiar-sounding name. As their website points out, the company was founded "with the … Continue reading Cheating Without Borders

An International Educator in Vietnam

Information, Insights & (Frequently) Intrigue

Commentary