TEDxSaigon 2010 — 3D: Dream, Diversity and Development

Mark A. Ashwill Conferences, Events , ,

Dear Idea, My name is Saigon. I’ve grown up from war, and over the past decade, my economic growth has been quite compelling, compared with other cities in Vietnam, as well as neighboring countries - which is accompanied by increasing income inequalities, friction between consumption choices, difference in cultural identities, and loosened social ties. However, … Continue reading TEDxSaigon 2010 — 3D: Dream, Diversity and Development

Beware of Accreditation Mills

Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Updates ,

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

“More Vietnamese students to be gifted by 2020”

Mark A. Ashwill Articles ,

This is one of my favorite recent headlines in the English language media here.  Is it something in the water?  A more liberal definition of "gifted"?  At any rate, the plan is to build at least one high school for gifted students in each city/province with the goal of placing about 2% of high school students … Continue reading “More Vietnamese students to be gifted by 2020”

SEVIS By The Numbers: June 2010 Snapshot

Mark A. Ashwill Updates , ,

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

Vietnam Ranks Among Top 20 Countries on the Internet

Mark A. Ashwill Articles , ,

According to Pingdom, a Swedish company whose "focus lies on covering the uptime monitoring needs of 90% of the companies in the world," there are a total of 1.8 billion Internet users in the world (i.e., about 27% of the human race).    Vietnam ranks 20th just behind Canada.   24.3 million Vietnamese are connected to the Internet, which … Continue reading Vietnam Ranks Among Top 20 Countries on the Internet

Empower Vietnamese Youth

Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates , , , ,

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

“Vietnamese teens’ thirst for college outpaces country’s educational system”

Mark A. Ashwill Articles , ,

Stories like this one, poignant and inspirational, abound in Vietnam, especially during the annual rite of passage that is the university entrance examination.  As the article points out, the demand for postsecondary education far outstrips supply and graduation is much easier than admission.      To take the most important test of her life, Le Thi Hoai Thuong, 18, traveled 38 … Continue reading “Vietnamese teens’ thirst for college outpaces country’s educational system”

College of Charleston Establishes Center of Vietnamese Enterprise

Mark A. Ashwill Announcement

Earlier this year, the College of Charleston signed an agreement with Jack Tate, a South Carolina entrepreneur who founded Carolina Baby Superstores, through which Tate will donate up to $1 million to the College Foundation over the next two years, according to a College press release. The College will match Tate’s financial gift in-kind and … Continue reading College of Charleston Establishes Center of Vietnamese Enterprise

“Vietnam Stats Show Remarkable Progress”

Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Updates

Well, yes and no... Positives:  advances in health and education + cash income; increase in average living space from 9.2 m2 to 16.9 m2; literacy is now 94%, "almost universal among younger groups and there is little difference between urban and rural;" increase in life expectancy to 72.8 years ("largest gains among women," not surprisingly); 1.2% … Continue reading “Vietnam Stats Show Remarkable Progress”