Follow this link to read my latest article, which is about a phenomenon I've observed over the years, namely, how some young Vietnamese who study in the USA become what I refer to as honorary US nationalists. (If you're not sure what nationalism means, have a look at this 2016 essay. Hint: It's quite different … Continue reading The Metamorphosis of International Students Into Honorary US Nationalists: a View from Viet Nam
New Approaches to University Education in Asia
While I will reserve judgement, the theme of this Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV) conference sounds like yet another example of US Americans telling others, in the case, Asian universities, how it should really be done a la Daddy knows best. Why not just New Approaches to University Education? Or, as one colleague put it, "It's … Continue reading New Approaches to University Education in Asia
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day from Viet Nam!
Beyond Viet Nam: A Time to Break Silence, a speech Dr. King gave at the Riverside Church in New York City on 4 April 1967, a year to the day before he was assassinated is always worth a read and a listen on this or any other day: text and audio. His friendship with Thích Nhất … Continue reading Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day from Viet Nam!
“Now What?” TedX Hanoi May Provide a Few Answers
Here's some information about the latest TedX Hanoi event on 19 January 2019 that will attempt to provide some answers to this very timely question. The signs of Vietnam’s amazing progress are all around us. Increased growth from Vietnamese companies, and increased investment from international firms, lead to better jobs and rising incomes. With a … Continue reading “Now What?” TedX Hanoi May Provide a Few Answers
EducationUSA Closed for Business
From the website of US Mission-Viet Nam: Lapse in U.S. Government Appropriations The Federal Government of the United States of America is currently in a Lapse of Appropriations period. Scheduled passport and visas services, and emergency services for U.S. citizens, will continue at the U.S. Embassy Hanoi and our Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City … Continue reading EducationUSA Closed for Business
Cheating in the Education Industry: Let Me Count the Ways!
Here's another one to add to my long and ever-growing list. It's a variation on the theme of the classic dog and pony show that so many education fairs are these days. As a fair organizer, do you want to guarantee a certain number of students at your events? Don't go the route of ethical … Continue reading Cheating in the Education Industry: Let Me Count the Ways!
Top US 10 States & Leading Host Institutions by Location
689,063 international students in the US in 2017/18, or 63% of the total, studied in 10 states, according to Open Doors 2018 data. You can see a list of 50 states and some US territories by following this link, or click on each state below to see its fact sheet (PDF download). Each fact sheet … Continue reading Top US 10 States & Leading Host Institutions by Location
Fulbright University Vietnam & Moral Leadership?
Given events of the past few years, these are two phrases that mix like oil and water. Think textbook cognitive dissonance. Or a feeble attempt at rehabilitation in the eyes of the public, an audacious means of gaining the moral high ground from the morass of historical tone deafness and gross insensitivity. My first reaction … Continue reading Fulbright University Vietnam & Moral Leadership?
About Viet Nam’s “gifting culture”
Giving gifts to people in authority has become normal, but we have to be aware it institutionalizes an 'underworld.' Also known as an "envelope culture" (văn hóa phong bì) because envelopes are used for more than sending letters, so passé in the digital age, and giving "lucky money" (lì xì) at Lunar New Year. A … Continue reading About Viet Nam’s “gifting culture”
English Proficiency in Viet Nam: Giving Credit Where Credit’s Due
An article entitled What is the real English profiency level of Vietnamese? (yes, the word "proficiency" was misspelled) recently graced the Internet in Viet Nam with this description: While an education organization has ranked Vietnam in the seventh position among 21 Asian countries in proficiency of English, some experts call the result ‘flashy’, saying it does not … Continue reading English Proficiency in Viet Nam: Giving Credit Where Credit’s Due
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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