Twice a year, I have the opportunity, schedule permitting, to speak to a group of US students who are in Viet Nam for the semester under the auspices of the School for International Training's Vietnam - Culture, Social Change, and Development program. They come from a range of higher education institutions, mostly private liberal arts … Continue reading Recent Discussion with US Students – United by Viet Nam!
Commentary
Happy 8th Anniversary to An Int’l Educator in Viet Nam!
WordPress dutifully reminded me earlier this week that it was the 8th anniversary of my blog. Time waits for no one. The fall of 2009 was a season of many personal and professional changes and transitions. My very first blog post was a sign that I once again had relative freedom of speech and I … Continue reading Happy 8th Anniversary to An Int’l Educator in Viet Nam!
Uber Scam in Viet Nam?
Let me preface this by saying that I like Uber in Viet Nam. The service is cheaper and more convenient than taking a taxi. My only wish is that they would have some sort of indication that the driver is a smoker in which case I would cancel the order. Unlike many taxi drivers, who … Continue reading Uber Scam in Viet Nam?
Fulbright University Vietnam & Free Speech: “Do As We Say, Not As We Do”
hy·poc·ri·sy həˈpäkrəsē/ noun noun: hypocrisy; plural noun: hypocrisies the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform; pretense. This is a concept to which US Americans, including and perhaps especially those who represent the US government and affiliated institutions, pay lip service. Presumably, this also … Continue reading Fulbright University Vietnam & Free Speech: “Do As We Say, Not As We Do”
Of Dogs, Fleas, & the Occasionally Dirty Business of International Student Recruitment
A Deal with the Devil aka Partners in Unethical Behavior? Discussions about the use of commission-based recruitment and international student recruitment in general are often couched in black and white terms. The former refers to the unethical business practices of many education agents whose overriding goal is money, and lots of it as quickly as … Continue reading Of Dogs, Fleas, & the Occasionally Dirty Business of International Student Recruitment
“International recruitment offices in higher education are making big strides by partnering with agents”
Now here's something you don't see every day, an advertorial or infomercial, if you will, in The Chronicle of Higher Education (CHE), the weekly "bible" of US higher education. Here's the deal: IDP, in this case, pays a lot of money ($11k) to place an article about how great it is for colleges and universities … Continue reading “International recruitment offices in higher education are making big strides by partnering with agents”
Meet the new boss, similar to the old boss: new agent regulations unveiled in Vietnam
Vietnam is a country in flux and the international education sector is no exception. In fact, it is a case study of changes and reforms. Mark Ashwill, the MD of Capstone Vietnam, looks at the current regulatory system for education agencies and what consultants must do to succeed in this exciting market. This is the … Continue reading Meet the new boss, similar to the old boss: new agent regulations unveiled in Vietnam
HATCH! Fair the Fifth: Hanoi – Danang – HCMC
I had a great time at the the fifth HATCH! Fair in Hanoi. I was there for part of the pitching competition in which young entrepreneurs have three (3) minutes to pitch their businesses to a jury board. (Yes, it's exactly three minutes. They run a tight ship!) There are three (3) more minutes for … Continue reading HATCH! Fair the Fifth: Hanoi – Danang – HCMC
The Vietnam War – A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick
No Single Truth? This is the tag line of the latest documentary by Burns and Novick. There are many stories to be told, mostly from the US American perspective because it's usually "all about US," but there is one truth, I believe: the US should never have been in Viet Nam in the first place. … Continue reading The Vietnam War – A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick
The Great Truth Has Great Silence
Below are some thoughts about the US War in Viet Nam (the "Vietnam War") from Mike Hastie, a war veteran whom I had the privilege of meeting in Ha Noi. They were originally posted on the Vietnam Full Disclosure website in the context of the Burns/Novick PBS documentary, The Vietnam War. It is Mike's story … Continue reading The Great Truth Has Great Silence
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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