This is the third in a trilogy of posts on Vietnam’s ranking in different categories, including adjusted refusal rates for B (tourist/business) visas, Vietnam-US immigration trends and patterns and, last but not least, overseas remittances. Why overseas remittances? Because they relate (directly) to emigration and (indirectly) to education. An Overview According to an April 2012 World … Continue reading Third Time’s The Charm
US-Vietnam relations
Counterpoint: A US American’s Critique of a Harvard Position Paper (and More)
Countries as Role Models: A Double-Edged Sword (aka Yes, No, It Depends) In my conversations with young people and colleagues here about overseas study, I frequently emphasize the positive/negative role model dimensions of cross-cultural exchange in general and as they relate to comparative education in particular. Learn from another country's strengths and weaknesses. Adapt and localize … Continue reading Counterpoint: A US American’s Critique of a Harvard Position Paper (and More)
“U.S. Ambassador announces $1 million in scholarship for students in Vietnam”
Breaking news! That's what I thought when I saw the EdUSAtips Tweet flash across my screen. Before you get too excited, however, the $1 million is not new funding; it is the current budget for the Fulbright student scholarship program in Vietnam. While the title may be a bit misleading, the video is a fitting kick-off to International Education Week. (Pomp and … Continue reading “U.S. Ambassador announces $1 million in scholarship for students in Vietnam”
Vietnamese US Higher Education Alumni
Just over two years ago, I helped to organized the 1st annual US alumni conference in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in my previous incarnation as country director of IIE-Vietnam. That it was called the "1st" reflects the fact that I am an optimist by nature. It's been the only alumni conference to date for US-educated … Continue reading Vietnamese US Higher Education Alumni
Subject: Still Lucid at 97: General Vo Nguyen Giap Talks Education
This is the title of a fascinating diplomatic cable from the US Embassy-Hanoi, about Ambassador Michael Michalak's 25 April 2008 meeting with the legendary General Vo Nguyen Giap at the latter's home in Hanoi. This unclassified document appears on the Wikileaks Cable Viewer website. It's one of several devoted to education in Vietnam and US-Vietnam educational exchange. … Continue reading Subject: Still Lucid at 97: General Vo Nguyen Giap Talks Education
A (Video) Message from the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, David Shear
Since excitement about the imminent arrival of Ambassador David Shear is reaching fever pitch, if recent traffic to this blog is any indication (i.e., search engine terms from the past day include david shear, david b. shear, david bruce shear, david shear vietnam, david shear wife), I thought I would share with you a YouTube video produced … Continue reading A (Video) Message from the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, David Shear
Good Question, Vietnam!
I'm resurrecting a unique people-to-people diplomacy project that I've had on the back burner for a few years. It gives Vietnamese, mostly but not exclusively young people, the opportunity to ask questions about any aspect of U.S. society and culture that interests them. I then identify U.S. colleagues and others (e.g., Vietnamese who have studied in the US for at … Continue reading Good Question, Vietnam!
Former Ambassador Michael Michalak’s Farewell Message
One of the "most active" posts in the past week has been this one: Obama Nominates David Shear to Become the Next US Ambassador to Vietnam. As Ambassador Shear prepares to take up his post, I thought it would be fitting to share with you the farewell message that his predecessor, Ambassador Michael Michalak, sent to his contact list … Continue reading Former Ambassador Michael Michalak’s Farewell Message
The Fourth Education Conference
I recently joined several hundred other attendees at the 4th Education Conference on 9 April in Hanoi, organized by the US Embassy, the Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF), the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) and National Economics University (NEU). Sponsors included the Henry Luce Foundation, the Vietnam Center at Texas Tech University, Johnson & … Continue reading The Fourth Education Conference
David Shear’s US Senate Confirmation Hearing
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing “to examine the nominations of David Bruce Shear, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (my italics), and Kurt Walter Tong, of Maryland, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as United States Senior Official for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) … Continue reading David Shear’s US Senate Confirmation Hearing
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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