Slow Down To Catch Up

14/04/2013 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary education reform, emerging economies, private higher education, vietnamese higher education

Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) recently announced plans to reduce enrollment at 23 universities and colleges. According to Bui Van Ga, a vice minister, the intent of the policy is to "focus on quality instead of quantity.” Enrollment quotas will be reduced between 10% and 100% at the 23 institutions “because of failures to … Continue reading Slow Down To Catch Up

The Double-Edged Sword That Is US Higher Education

27/03/201330/03/2013 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Events emerging economies, overseas study, US-Vietnam educational exchange, US-Vietnam relations, vietnam, vietnam development

I was recently invited by Madame Ton Nu Thi Ninh, President of the Tri Viet Institute for International Studies and Exchange within Ton Duc Thang University and Senior Advisor to the President of TDT University, to speak to interested students, faculty and staff about US higher education in comparative perspective with an implicit focus on Vietnam. As with people, every … Continue reading The Double-Edged Sword That Is US Higher Education

My Top 15 Personal Favorites

11/01/201311/01/2013 Mark A. Ashwill Updates academic globalization, brain circulation, civil society, education reform, emerging economies, Facebook, international academic mobility, international student recruitment, Internet penetration, US-Vietnam educational exchange, vietnam development

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

Internet Penetration, Social Media & Student Recruitment

20/12/201221/12/2012 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary, Updates emerging economies, international student recruitment, Internet access

40 years ago this week in the waning months of the American War, as it's known in Vietnam, US bombs were raining down on Hanoi in what came to be known as "The Christmas Bombings." This morning, sitting in my office in downtown Hanoi, I listened to children singing Christmas songs in a nearby kindergarten and thought about … Continue reading Internet Penetration, Social Media & Student Recruitment

MBA 2012: Its Image & Identity

10/12/201210/12/2012 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary academic globalization, credentialism, emerging economies, MBA

Below is a guest post by Loek Hopstaken (b. 1951), a business consultant, management trainer & MBA professor, working in both The Netherlands & Vietnam. His areas of expertise include leadership, communication and human resource management. The image of MBA: an all-round education in management that offers in-depth knowledge and the latest insights in a … Continue reading MBA 2012: Its Image & Identity

Vietnam Among Top Emerging Markets for International Student Recruitment

15/11/2012 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Reports, Research academic globalization, brain circulation, emerging economies, international student recruitment

This article, written by Rahul Choudaha, director of research and advisory services at World Education Services (WES) in New York, identified four emerging international student recruitment markets, including Vietnam. It's based on a WES research report (PDF), entitled Beyond More of the Same: The Top Four Emerging Markets for International Student Recruitment, that "aims to … Continue reading Vietnam Among Top Emerging Markets for International Student Recruitment

“Corruption in Education Creates Serious Consequences for the Poor”

22/10/2012 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Interview academic globalization, academic partnerships, accreditation, corruption, emerging economies, international academic mobility, overseas study, US-Vietnam educational exchange, vietnam development, Vietnamese students

This the title is a wide-ranging interview that I did last month with a reporter from Báo Giáo dục Việt Nam (Vietnam Education News). This education news website ranks 8,829 in the world, 51 in Vietnam and is linked in 2,093 websites (as of 20.10.12). As you can see from some original English language excerpts below, corruption … Continue reading “Corruption in Education Creates Serious Consequences for the Poor”

Determining Financial Need: Lessons from Vietnam (Part II)

16/10/2012 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates corruption, emerging economies, scholarships, Vietnamese students

Here's the follow-up post in which I describe how to screen those who actually deserve the merit- and need-based scholarships awarded by many US colleges and universities. By way of introduction, back in the mid-1990s, a book entitled Material World was published by Sierra Club Books in honor of the United Nations-sponsored International Year of the Family … Continue reading Determining Financial Need: Lessons from Vietnam (Part II)

Welcome to My Neighborhood (aka Letting in the Fresh Air and the Flies)

11/09/201220/09/2012 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Updates emerging economies, urbanization, vietnam development

In my bustling neighborhood in the Cau Giay District of Hanoi, I can see over a billion dollars of local investment and foreign direct investment (FDI) from my front door, so to speak, where new condos, office buildings, and hotels are sprouting up like mushrooms. A field that just a few years ago was a hot spot for … Continue reading Welcome to My Neighborhood (aka Letting in the Fresh Air and the Flies)

An International Educator in Vietnam

Information, Insights & (Frequently) Intrigue

emerging economies