The US Student Visa: It’s Not Rocket Science!

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary , ,

This is a slightly expanded version of a short article I wrote for Capstone Vietnam's StudyUSA Higher Education and Community College Fair Guides and for publication on a news website. For those of you whose dream it is to study in the USA but who worry about the visa process, worry no more!  The truth is that US consular … Continue reading The US Student Visa: It’s Not Rocket Science!

Calling a Spade a Spade: Stanley Karnow, Stanley McChrystal & Vietnam

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary , , ,

Below is a recent exchange on the Vietnam Studies Group (VSG) listserv.  Members include Vietnam scholars and practitioners, current and former diplomats and spooks ("agents or people involved in espionage"), journalists, non-governmental (NGO) organization staff, etc.  Quite a few are overseas Vietnamese (Việt kiều).  Read from the bottom up.  Bernard Kalb, the journalist and former US State Department spokesman during … Continue reading Calling a Spade a Spade: Stanley Karnow, Stanley McChrystal & Vietnam

SEVIS by the Numbers

Mark A. Ashwill Reports, Updates , , ,

SEVIS by the Numbers is a statistical breakdown of the (SEVIS) system's performance and trends in foreign student representation in US academic and exchange programs.  Below is the "latest" SEVIS by the Numbers update.  (Note:  The PPT file has since been removed from the SEVIS website.)  What used to be quarterly updates appear to have changed to biannual … Continue reading SEVIS by the Numbers

Study Abroad Consultant Regulations Tightened

Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Updates , , ,

The winds of change are blowing in the regulation and oversight of education agents in Vietnam  This is the  result of recent scandals and demands from the public for closer scrutiny of education agents.  It seems that the Wild West environment in which many of these businesses have operated is going the way of the dinosaur, … Continue reading Study Abroad Consultant Regulations Tightened

Winning the Hearts & Minds of Young Vietnamese

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates , , , ,

Note:  If you’re an employee of the US State Department, do not pass go, do not collect $200, close this tab immediately.  This post contains a “sensitive” Wikileaks cable that originated in the US Embassy-Hanoi and commentary on the same.  If you read it, you are breaking the law, not to mention disobeying  Madam Secretary.  Please pardon … Continue reading Winning the Hearts & Minds of Young Vietnamese

Over 100,000 Vietnamese Studied Overseas in 2012

Mark A. Ashwill Articles , , , ,

Last year around this time, I wrote a post about about the 100,000+ Vietnamese students who studied in 49 countries and territories in 2011, according to the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET).  90% of them were self-financing.    I conservatively estimated the investment in overseas study to be in the $1+ billion range.  This year's report, released early … Continue reading Over 100,000 Vietnamese Studied Overseas in 2012

Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam

Mark A. Ashwill Books, Commentary , , , ,

This post is quite obviously NOT about education or US-Vietnam educational exchange.  It's about history, its impact on the present, and the United States' (in)ability to overcome its past.  The German word that describes this process, Vergangenheitsbewältigung, implies dealing with, learning from, but also overcoming the past.  It's about a horrible truth that Nick Turse tells his fellow citizens and the world about … Continue reading Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam

My Top 15 Personal Favorites

Mark A. Ashwill Updates , , , , , , , , , ,

Last year, I wrote a total of 84 posts, an average of 7 per month.  Below are some of my favorite posts starting with one from February and ending with one from last month.  Collectively, they cover a lot of ground - from updates and personal stories to commentaries and analyses.     If You’ve Got It, Flaunt … Continue reading My Top 15 Personal Favorites