Vietnam Happier Than The U.S.? Morning Ramblings

02/07/2013 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary emerging economies, happiness, vietnam, vietnam development, vietnam studies

Here’s a recent exchange on a Vietnam-related listserv of which I’m a member: Act I: US-Based Vietnam Scholar (DF) Perhaps you have seen the feature in Time this week on happiness, which notes that in the (2012) World Happiness Report (PDF), published by the Earth Institute of Columbia University, the US ranks 23rd out of 50 countries, … Continue reading Vietnam Happier Than The U.S.? Morning Ramblings

Visit With University of Houston Students

28/06/201329/06/2013 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Events study abroad, university of houston, US students, Vietnamese-American students

I recently had the opportunity to meet with a group of University of Houston (UH) undergraduates who were in Vietnam on a two-week study tour. My task was to speak to them about the work of my company, Capstone Vietnam, and what it's like running a small business in Vietnam. I mentioned some of the challenges facing all employers in … Continue reading Visit With University of Houston Students

Vietnam and the 2013 Intel Science & Engineering Fair

25/06/2013 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Conferences emerging economies, high school students, science and technology, vietnam development

I recently had the opportunity to work with a group of academically talented 10th graders from Chu Van An High School, one of five magnet schools in Hanoi, who were preparing for participation in the 2013 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) from 12-17 May in Phoenix, AZ. Vietnam sent five teams to the fair, including four … Continue reading Vietnam and the 2013 Intel Science & Engineering Fair

Guest Post: MOOCs for Vietnam?

20/06/2013 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary distance education, MOOCs, online learning, vietnam development, vietnam studies

I first familiarized myself with MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) in 2009 as an undergraduate student. Since then, I’ve been a fan of sites like Coursera, iTunes U and edX, where I can hang around doing additional reading, submitting essays and listening to lectures by top professors from Harvard, Yale and MIT. Something I haven’t … Continue reading Guest Post: MOOCs for Vietnam?

Yes, No, Maybe? NACAC Straddles the Proverbial Fence

17/06/201308/07/2013 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary AIRC, education agents, international student recruitment, NACAC

A special commission studying the use of commission-based recruitment of international students has urged the National Association for College Admission Counseling to lift a ban on the practice, while at the same time discouraging it. (Shift on Agents, Inside Higher Ed, 13.6.13) Jekyll & Hyde Approach to Policy Statements How much time and money were invested in … Continue reading Yes, No, Maybe? NACAC Straddles the Proverbial Fence

Corruption Sans Borders: U.S. Visas for Sale in Ho Chi Minh City

06/06/201302/08/2018 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary corruption, student visas, Vietnamese students, visa policy

Say it ain't so, Mike! Michael Sestak, the former NIV (Non-Immigrant Visa) chief in the US Consulate General in HCMC, got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. To paraphrase a verse from the The Good Book: greed and arrogance goeth before a fall. Apparently, his generous foreign service officer salary and the various goodies that … Continue reading Corruption Sans Borders: U.S. Visas for Sale in Ho Chi Minh City

The College of St. Scholastica Comes to Vietnam

05/05/201306/06/2013 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Events academic globalization, academic partnerships, college of st. scholastica, high school students, international student recruitment, scholarships, US-Vietnam educational exchange, vietnam development, Vietnamese students

Omnes semitae eius pacificae, which means All Her Paths Are Peace. (From the CSS College Crest) It’s unusual for a US institution of higher education to send a delegation consisting of its president, a dean and a director of international education to Vietnam. For an entire week. But that’s exactly what The College of St. Scholastica (CSS) … Continue reading The College of St. Scholastica Comes to Vietnam

“Washington Eyes Raising State Tuition of Foreigners”

26/04/201326/04/2013 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary high school students, international student recruitment, Vietnamese students, washington state

This headline in a recent New York Times article caught my attention. Washington state ranks 11th in international enrollment, according the 2012 Open Doors report, with 20,198 foreign students, an increase of 13.4% over the previous year. Vietnam ranks 3rd with 8.2% of total enrollment at WA colleges and universities. (In case you're counting, that's over … Continue reading “Washington Eyes Raising State Tuition of Foreigners”

The Rushford Report on the “Consul General’s Candidacy as the Next Ambassador to Vietnam”

19/04/201319/04/2013 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary US-Vietnam relations, vietnam studies

This blog post from Diplopundit and the 15 April 2013 article on which it's based, entitled "How (Not) to Become a U.S. Ambassador" by Greg Rushford of The Rushford Report fame, definitely fall into the category of Intrigue.

Slow Down To Catch Up

14/04/2013 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary education reform, emerging economies, private higher education, vietnamese higher education

Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) recently announced plans to reduce enrollment at 23 universities and colleges. According to Bui Van Ga, a vice minister, the intent of the policy is to "focus on quality instead of quantity.” Enrollment quotas will be reduced between 10% and 100% at the 23 institutions “because of failures to … Continue reading Slow Down To Catch Up

An International Educator in Vietnam

Information, Insights & (Frequently) Intrigue

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