Below is a response I received from Molly Stephenson, Counselor for Public Affairs, US Embassy, and Matthew Wall, Public Affairs Officer, US Consulate General, in response to an "open letter" I wrote last December to Vietnamese parents and students who may be concerned about the outcome of the US presidential election. Reprinted with permission. This … Continue reading US Mission Viet Nam Response to Open Letter to Vietnamese Parents & Students
Commentary
Latest Executive Order Undermines America’s Safety & Values (NAFSA)
To the students, scholars, doctors, refugees, family members and others who wonder if the United States has lost its commitment to its core values as a nation of freedom, opportunity and welcome, let me unequivocally state that American citizens will not tolerate policies such as these that undermine our values and endanger our safety. We … Continue reading Latest Executive Order Undermines America’s Safety & Values (NAFSA)
“The turn to nativism hinders international education”
What the United States desperately needs is more patriots and global citizens (the two are not mutually exclusive) and fewer nationalists. The golden question is how to transform the latter into the former. Can this be accomplished through education and training, or are there other factors at play that make this impossible? Here's my latest … Continue reading “The turn to nativism hinders international education”
Success Will Come and Go, But Integrity Is Forever
If I could teach only one value to live by, it would be this: Success will come and go, but integrity is forever. Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching. It takes having the courage to do the right thing, no matter what … Continue reading Success Will Come and Go, But Integrity Is Forever
ACICS Loss of Accreditation: What it Means for Schools & International Students
Here is the official announcement from the US Department of Homeland Security that the US Department of Education no longer recognizes the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) as an accrediting agency, a decision that affects more than 16,000 international students in the US attending nearly 130 Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP)-certified … Continue reading ACICS Loss of Accreditation: What it Means for Schools & International Students
The Tip of the Iceberg? “China’s New Oriental accused of US application fraud”
It is thanks to the crack reporting of Reuters that we have this high-profile story about New Oriental Vision Overseas (NOVO) Consulting, a China-based educational consulting company that has allegedly behaved badly. Otherwise, it would be business as usual. You can be sure that this is not an exception to the rule but rather a … Continue reading The Tip of the Iceberg? “China’s New Oriental accused of US application fraud”
An Open Letter to Vietnamese Parents & Students Interested in Study in the USA
This is an article I wrote for Vietnamese parents and students who are concerned about the possible impact of the US presidential election on international students, including those from Viet Nam. There are a lot of bases to cover, and I hope I covered most of them. My essay is a heartfelt way to reassure worried … Continue reading An Open Letter to Vietnamese Parents & Students Interested in Study in the USA
Viet Nam Ranks 6th Among Countries Sending Students to the US
According to the latest SEVIS by the Numbers quarterly update (PDF download), prepared by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), there are 1.23 million international students with F (academic) or M (vocational) status studying in the US. (Note: Unlike the IIE annual Open … Continue reading Viet Nam Ranks 6th Among Countries Sending Students to the US
Away from home: More Vietnamese leaving for richer countries
This is the mildly provocative title of a recent VNExpress International article about Vietnamese studying, working, and seeking permanent resident status overseas. While it may entice more netizens to read the article, the reality it attempts to describe is more multifaceted and complex than the black/white picture it paints. Yes, significant numbers of young Vietnamese … Continue reading Away from home: More Vietnamese leaving for richer countries
Why Vietnamese Talent & Brains Are Choosing to Emigrate
Below are point-by-point responses to a 1 November 2016 article that appeared in Entity, a self-described Los Angeles, CA-based non-profit magazine "that allows people to speak their minds & have their hearts heard..." My counterpoints begin with MAA (my initials) and are in blue. "Brain drain" is a complex phenomenon not a black/white picture. … Continue reading Why Vietnamese Talent & Brains Are Choosing to Emigrate
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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