In a 12/09 post (State Int'l Education Consortia: Strength in Unity) I discussed the establishment of state higher education consortia as a means of branding a particular state and its higher education system, and recruiting more international students. One that I didn't mention is StudyMaine, which was created by the Maine International Trade Center (MITC) and went live on … Continue reading Vietnam: Attracting Foreign Students to Maine
Updates
Continuing Signs of Strength
From a recent Vietnomics update... Despite its challenges, Vietnam continues to impress analysts with its potential. Recent examples: A new McKinsey report (Growing up fast: Vietnam discovers the consumer society) highlights Vietnam’s growth, saying its middle class will reach 25 million households in 2013. McKinsey says Vietnam can grow because retail sales are among Asia’s lowest. … Continue reading Continuing Signs of Strength
“Universities weep over shortage of lecturers”
Fact: According to the Ministry of Education and Training, from 1987-2009, the number of students was thirteen times higher, while the number of lecturers only tripled. Fact: The current average ratio of students to lecturers is 28:1. At the Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Languages and Information Technology it is 47.3/1, at the … Continue reading “Universities weep over shortage of lecturers”
Offshore Development Centers “Off the Beaten Path”
As promised and following up on my recent Intel post, here are a few words about Enclave Offshore Development Centers, a small forward-looking U.S. IT company in Danang. For some background information about Enclave, check out this 2008 article entitled Da Nang's transformation into Vietnam's 'next place'." While Enclave obviously doesn't have the resources Intel … Continue reading Offshore Development Centers “Off the Beaten Path”
“U-I spends federal stimulus money on foreign student recruitment”
I recently came across this news item. The University of Iowa received $35 million in federal stimulus funding of which it used $200,000 to hire a recruiter and buy advertising. "The three countries that provide us with the largest number of international students are South Korea, China and India," according to UI President Sally Mason. UI's … Continue reading “U-I spends federal stimulus money on foreign student recruitment”
What A Difference a Month Can Make: Rogue Providers & the Power of the Press
Some of you may recall that I posted a list of unaccredited US-based/affiliated higher education providers in early July. The purpose of the list is simple: to educate "consumers" of US and other foreign higher education so that they can make an informed decision about the value of the education and training being offered. (I did … Continue reading What A Difference a Month Can Make: Rogue Providers & the Power of the Press
Terms People Use to Stumble Upon Your Blog…
When I look at my stats to see how many thousands of people are reading my blog day in and day out (ok, I'm exaggerating :-)), one of the items that appears is "Search Engine Terms," defined very straightforwardly by WordPress as "terms people used to find your blog." It gives me an impressionistic view … Continue reading Terms People Use to Stumble Upon Your Blog…
Beware of Accreditation Mills
Some unaccredited universities and colleges, including a few that enroll Vietnamese students, claim to be accredited. This is an attempt to persuade prospective students that they are legitimate, thereby increasing their enrollment and revenue. One example is Atlantic International University (AIU) in Hawaii, which states on its website that it is "accredited" by Accrediting Commission International (ACI). In … Continue reading Beware of Accreditation Mills
SEVIS By The Numbers: June 2010 Snapshot
This quarterly report (PDF) is a statistical breakdown of the system's performance and trends in foreign student representation in U.S. academic and exchange programs. As of 30 June 2010, SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) contained records for 1,084,122 active nonimmigrant students, exchange visitors, and their dependents. The total number of records for all … Continue reading SEVIS By The Numbers: June 2010 Snapshot
Empower Vietnamese Youth
Empower : to promote the self-actualization or influence of. This is a fitting slogan for VietAbroader (VA), a non-profit, student-run organization "dedicated to helping Vietnamese youth pursue higher education abroad and attracting talent (back) to Viet Nam." (Follow this link to learn about VA's values.) During my first trip to Vietnam in January 1996, a US diplomat … Continue reading Empower Vietnamese Youth
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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