There is a tendency in Vietnam, with the media as an on- and offline amplifier, to engage in self-flagellation about education and other societal issues rather than looking carefully at the broader context and the, sometimes, hopeful reality. This results in journalists and many Vietnamese playing the ‘blame game’. The obvious targets here are the … Continue reading Rhetorical Question: “Why don’t Viet Nam’s universities rank higher in Asia?”
Commentary
An Open Letter to the People of Viet Nam
The open letter below, an initiative of Veterans For Peace (VFP), is further proof that the US has yet to overcome its participation in the American War in Viet Nam ("Vietnam War") in the spirit of Vergangenheitsbewältigung, a German term that means the "struggle to overcome the [negatives of the] past". VFP is "an international … Continue reading An Open Letter to the People of Viet Nam
Of Intercultural Incompetence & Chutzpah
My wife and I recently had lunch at a restaurant in downtown Hanoi. It was after the 12 noon rush and there was only one other guest where we chose to eat, a middle-aged white expat man who was eating, drinking, and reading a book. So far, so good, right? After a couple of very … Continue reading Of Intercultural Incompetence & Chutzpah
Vietnamese Student (Mis)Perceptions of the USA
I recently talked with a Vietnamese student who had studied in the US and was back home. When I asked him about the experience of living there, one reply really stood out: people are free and equal. That answer jump-started my interior monologue, which quickly went into overdrive. The first reply was Which people, in … Continue reading Vietnamese Student (Mis)Perceptions of the USA
Vietnamese Students Contribute Over $1 Billion to the US Economy
In 2016/17, Vietnamese students enrolled in US colleges and universities contributed $818 million to the US economy, according to the Open Doors 2017 report. (Source: US Department of Commerce) Keep in mind that those data are from fall 2016 and are limited to higher education. Let's update and extrapolate using SEVIS data from December 2017. … Continue reading Vietnamese Students Contribute Over $1 Billion to the US Economy
If I Were US Ambassador to Vietnam…
Here is my latest piece for CounterPunch. Think of it as a Viet Nam-related sociopolitical fantasy. A guy can dream, can't he? MAA
“International Students Contribute to Our Economy & American Innovation”
This image, created by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, a "non-profit professional organization for professionals in all areas of international education including education abroad advising and administration," was recently posted on Facebook by a US higher education colleague. All compelling points with which I agree 100%. In fact, they could create another graphic that lists … Continue reading “International Students Contribute to Our Economy & American Innovation”
Fiscal Year 2016 Entry/Exit Overstay Report- Department of Homeland Security
A colleague recently sent me this report with the above title. (Thank you, K!) Yeah, I know; it's not most people's idea of a good time but it is interesting to wonks like me who follow these trends in the field (and industry) of international education. Information is power, right? OK, if not power, then … Continue reading Fiscal Year 2016 Entry/Exit Overstay Report- Department of Homeland Security
The Wave Continues to Build: Vietnamese Students in the USA
According to the latest Mapping SEVIS by the Numbers update from last month, there are currently 31,389 Vietnamese students in the US at all levels of the education system. (2.59% of all international students in the US are from Viet Nam.) Viet Nam remains in 5th place sandwiched between Saudi Arabia, which experienced the sharpest decline … Continue reading The Wave Continues to Build: Vietnamese Students in the USA
US Department of Education “Derecognition” of ACICS, & EducationUSA
As I've written before and as some of you may know, EducationUSA, a US Department of State network of over 400 international student advising centers in more than 170 countries,works with both regionally and nationally accredited US institutions of higher education. Among the latter are hundreds of institutions, mostly for-profit career schools, that are accredited … Continue reading US Department of Education “Derecognition” of ACICS, & EducationUSA
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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