Commentary

USA is Once Again the World’s Leading Host of Vietnamese Students; Ranks 6th Overall

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Reports , , , , , , , ,

Ranks 6th Among All Sending Countries As I predicted earlier this year, Vietnam has surpassed Japan in total enrollment in the US, most of it in higher education.  It recorded an astounding 18.9% increase from July 2015, the third highest after India (20.7%) and China (19.4%), according to the latest SEVIS by the Numbers quarterly … Continue reading USA is Once Again the World’s Leading Host of Vietnamese Students; Ranks 6th Overall

The End of An Era: Life Without the IIE Higher Education Fairs

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary , , , ,

There was a time when IIE higher education fairs were all the rage in Vietnam, when IIE and its EducationUSA advising centers were one of the few quality games in town.  You announced the fairs, did some light publicity and, Lord, did they ever come...  in droves.  There was such an unquenchable thirst for information … Continue reading The End of An Era: Life Without the IIE Higher Education Fairs

William Loveland College Offers $4.5K MBA Program

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary ,

I recently read about this program on the website of a Vietnamese educational consultant.  At $4,500 for the entire MBA degree program, which includes 45-semester credit hours of coursework, this online program must be the cheapest of its kind.  (Correct me if I'm wrong.) William Loveland College (WLC) is located in Loveland, CO, south of … Continue reading William Loveland College Offers $4.5K MBA Program

“Why do Vietnamese students refuse to return home after studying abroad?”

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary , , ,

If only the world were that simple.  Fortunately, in this case, it's not.  Many remain overseas for various reasons, mostly related to career opportunities and earnings potential.  Some fall in love and end up marrying a host country national while others choose to study in a field that is either at an early stage of … Continue reading “Why do Vietnamese students refuse to return home after studying abroad?”

“Advanced degrees not a guarantee of employment in Vietnam”

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary , , ,

Vietnam had 10.7 million trained workers (who have short-term training certificates, finish intermediate school, junior college and have bachelor’s and master’s degrees) which accounted for 20 percent of the labor force. Of these, 4.47 million have a higher education level. Like many other countries, including the US, Vietnam is afflicted with the disease of credentialism.  … Continue reading “Advanced degrees not a guarantee of employment in Vietnam”

Mapping SEVIS By the Numbers

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates ,

This interactive map would be a great resource if it were accurate.  According to the August 2015 SEVIS by the Numbers update, there were 24,288 Vietnamese students in the US at all levels, i.e., secondary and postsecondary, but mainly the latter.  I seriously doubt that the number plummeted to 11,378 active students in one month. … Continue reading Mapping SEVIS By the Numbers

Vietnam Ranks 29th in Annual EF English Proficiency Index & 5th in Asia

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Survey , , , , , , ,

Here's some more good news for Vietnam and colleagues from English-speaking countries who recruit here at the secondary and postsecondary levels.  According to the results of the EF (Education First) Proficiency Index, which profiles 70 countries, including 15 in Asia, Vietnam ranks 29th with "moderate proficiency" in English.  Last year, it ranked 33rd out of … Continue reading Vietnam Ranks 29th in Annual EF English Proficiency Index & 5th in Asia

“TPP: Americans and Vietnamese lose. Big corporations win.”

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Documents , , , ,

The title of this post and the bilingual document on which it's based, drafted by Chuck Searcy and Lady Borton, pretty much sums it up.  Chuck is a Vietnam veteran; Lady worked with all sides during the war. Both have worked in Vietnam since before normalization of US-Vietnam diplomatic relations 20 years ago.  Follow this … Continue reading “TPP: Americans and Vietnamese lose. Big corporations win.”

“Reconsider” – Of Startups, Making a Dent in the Universe & Living Happily Ever After

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Speech , ,

Below are some excerpts from a speech given at Web Summit 2015 in Dublin by David Heinemeier Hansson, spot-on advice for the dynamic and vibrant startup community in Vietnam.  Hansson describes himself on his personal website as "the creator of Ruby on Rails, founder & CTO at Basecamp (formerly 37signals), best-selling author, Le Mans class-winning … Continue reading “Reconsider” – Of Startups, Making a Dent in the Universe & Living Happily Ever After

Vietnam’s PISA Surprise

Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary, Survey , , , , ,

How has the country been able to overcome socioeconomic disadvantages to perform so well? Excellent analysis by M Niaz Asadullah and Liyanage Devangi Perera.  Asadullah is Professor of Development Economics and Deputy Director of the Centre for Development Studies (CPDS) at the University of Malaya, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA). … Continue reading Vietnam’s PISA Surprise