Reposted from Marguerite Dennis's blog. The title may overstate the case somewhat but there are critical issues that must be addressed sooner rather than later. In addition to the ones mentioned below, i.e., access, funding, cost, and student loan debt, all of which are interrelated, there is also retention and delayed graduation. Of course, these are … Continue reading Is (US) Higher Education Broken?
Commentary
Dawn of a New Day? US State Department Reaches Out to Agents in Vietnam
For the times they are a-changin'! I (and quite a few others) recently received an email from the US Embassy-Hanoi that began thus: The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi presents its compliments to your company. On February 22, 2014, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh … Continue reading Dawn of a New Day? US State Department Reaches Out to Agents in Vietnam
US Burns Through All High-Skill Visas For 2015 In Less Than A Week
Give me your highly skilled, your well-educated, your ambitious, Your best and brightest yearning to climb the proverbial career ladder and in doing so meet the desperate needs of a de-skilling and graying society, The sons and daughters of the world's educated classes, immigrants and international students alike. Send these, the talented, the promising, the … Continue reading US Burns Through All High-Skill Visas For 2015 In Less Than A Week
U.S. Student Visa Update: Upward Trend Continues
According to the latest figures from the US Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs, a record 10,867 F-1 (student) visas were issued in Fiscal Year 2013, which ended on 30 September 2013. That represents a 5% increase over FY2012. As you see from the chart below, the take-off phase, which reflects the rapidly expanding … Continue reading U.S. Student Visa Update: Upward Trend Continues
Same Same But Different
Earlier this week, on a humid evening, the air heavy with memories and raw emotion at the Cinematheque in Hanoi, I met some of the 17 members of the Veterans for Peace Chapter 160 Spring 2014 Tour, who are here for a two-week visit, including Hanoi, Dong Ha/A Luoi, Khe Sanh, Danang, Hue, Hoi An … Continue reading Same Same But Different
2014 VSN International Conference “What Is A Good University?”
I was recently invited to speak at a conference in Hanoi organized by the Vietnam Scholar Network (VSN), the Vietnam Centre for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR) and the University of Education, and sponsored by the British Embassy Hanoi. The conference, which was kicked off with remarks from Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Duc, Vice President, … Continue reading 2014 VSN International Conference “What Is A Good University?”
Five-Minute Glass: What Our Government Sees When It Looks Out the Window
Below is an excerpt from a recent article written by Daniel H. Garrett, a former US Department of State foreign service officer and currently a senior associate at The Asia Institute. I am posting it because it offers an insider's view of the work of US consular officers, including student visas. In addition to … Continue reading Five-Minute Glass: What Our Government Sees When It Looks Out the Window
Jumping on the Vietnam War Commemoration Bandwagon: The Vain Search for Honor
Overcoming the Past? The good news is that while most of America continues to indulge in this national charade, and refuses to come to terms with its bloody past and prevent the "past" from becoming "prologue" again and again, the tiny S-shaped country upon which the U.S. military visited so much death and destruction has … Continue reading Jumping on the Vietnam War Commemoration Bandwagon: The Vain Search for Honor
Culture Shock: The Exploitation of J-1 Cultural Exchange Workers
“Employers, sponsors, and overseas recruiting agencies have hijacked the cultural exchange program, turning it into a low-wage guest worker program that benefits their bottom lines at the expense of these workers and the United States’ reputation. Each year that the State Department and Congress fail to reform this program is another year thousands of young … Continue reading Culture Shock: The Exploitation of J-1 Cultural Exchange Workers
Nonimmigrant B Visa Adjusted Refusal Rates: Vietnam’s Stock Is Rising
While B visas are not F1 (i.e., student) visas, a look at issuance statistics since 2006 reveals a positive trend for Vietnamese traveling to the U.S. on business or on holiday. (B-1 visas are for tourism, pleasure or visiting, while B-2 visas are a combination of both purposes.) In Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 20.3% of … Continue reading Nonimmigrant B Visa Adjusted Refusal Rates: Vietnam’s Stock Is Rising
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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