Below are point-by-point responses to a 1 November 2016 article that appeared in Entity, a self-described Los Angeles, CA-based non-profit magazine "that allows people to speak their minds & have their hearts heard..." My counterpoints begin with MAA (my initials) and are in blue. "Brain drain" is a complex phenomenon not a black/white picture. … Continue reading Why Vietnamese Talent & Brains Are Choosing to Emigrate
brain drain
“Why do Vietnamese students refuse to return home after studying abroad?”
If only the world were that simple. Fortunately, in this case, it's not. Many remain overseas for various reasons, mostly related to career opportunities and earnings potential. Some fall in love and end up marrying a host country national while others choose to study in a field that is either at an early stage of … Continue reading “Why do Vietnamese students refuse to return home after studying abroad?”
“Vietnam’s Book People – A new exodus is taking place from Vietnam”
by Kris Hartley is a Visiting Lecturer in Economics at Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City, and a PhD Candidate at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. More than two decades after the emigration of Vietnam’s “boat people” reached its apex, a new exodus is underway. Increasing … Continue reading “Vietnam’s Book People – A new exodus is taking place from Vietnam”
Overseas students can choose to stay abroad: Fatherland Front chair
It's rare that I will repost an article but I have to make an exception in this case because of the exceptional nature of this statement made by Dr. Nguyen Thien Nhan, Chair of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and former Minister of Education and Training and Deputy Prime Minister. This VietNamNet article can be found … Continue reading Overseas students can choose to stay abroad: Fatherland Front chair
“Half of Chinese students at elite US colleges don’t want to return”
While this article is based on a survey of a small group of Chinese students at elite US higher education institutions, there are parallels with the situation of Vietnamese students at all types of US colleges and universities. Based on anecdotal evidence, the percentage of Vietnamese students who choose not to return home after completing … Continue reading “Half of Chinese students at elite US colleges don’t want to return”
US Burns Through All High-Skill Visas For 2015 In Less Than A Week
Give me your highly skilled, your well-educated, your ambitious, Your best and brightest yearning to climb the proverbial career ladder and in doing so meet the desperate needs of a de-skilling and graying society, The sons and daughters of the world's educated classes, immigrants and international students alike. Send these, the talented, the promising, the … Continue reading US Burns Through All High-Skill Visas For 2015 In Less Than A Week
Of Emigration, Brain Drain & Brain Gain: Some Reflections
Over the years, I’ve known and helped many young Vietnamese who have studied overseas. Some I knew in passing; others became friends. Quite a few made the decision to remain overseas either in the country in which they studied or a third country. By doing so, they slowly but surely began the transformation from Vietnamese … Continue reading Of Emigration, Brain Drain & Brain Gain: Some Reflections
“Diaspora talent is lured back, but fails to stay”
by Hiep Pham, 6 April 2013, Issue No: 266 Hai Tran never imagined, when he waved farewell to his parents at the boarding gate of Vietnam’s Noi Bai airport in 1998 to study information technology at a Russian university, that it was the start of a 15-year adventure in several foreign countries. The recipient … Continue reading “Diaspora talent is lured back, but fails to stay”
To Emigrate or Not to Emigrate, That is The Question (With Apologies to Mr. Shakespeare)
I recently received an email from a Vietnamese student (I’ll call her “Hoa”) who just earned her bachelor’s degree in the US. Hers is the story of many young Vietnamese who study overseas, which is why I want to share it with you. I’ve changed the names to protect the innocent. 🙂 Hoa writes: I … Continue reading To Emigrate or Not to Emigrate, That is The Question (With Apologies to Mr. Shakespeare)
An International Educator in Viet Nam 
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