Happy Reunification Day!

30/04/202530/04/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Events april 30, City of Dreams and Pride, day of liberation of the south, hanoi, reunification day, us war in vietnam, victory day, vietnam, vietnam war

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the end of the US war and the reunification of Vietnam. It's been my privilege and honor to be a resident of Vietnam for 20 of those 50 years. This national holiday is also known as "Victory Day" and "Day of the Liberation of the South." The most common reference … Continue reading Happy Reunification Day!

The Land of a Thousand Handshakes

11/04/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary AI images, AI text, chuck searcy, david sedaris, hanoi, project renew, us war in vietnam, UXO, vietnam, vietnam war

Yes, this image was AI-generated. 😀 I created this story about my friend Chuck Searcy but did not write it. I asked my digital friend ChatGPT to "write a short story about Chuck Searcy using the style of David Sedaris." I then copied and pasted it into Grammarly's free AI detector. The result? 12% of … Continue reading The Land of a Thousand Handshakes

Vietnam, You Shine Ever So Bright

24/03/202524/03/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Announcement ai, vietnam, vietnam you shine ever so bright

This image is AI-generated. With wisdom and youth hand in hand, building tomorrow, a prosperous land. I created this song about Vietnam using AI-generated text and music based on my input. Let me know what you think either here or on my YouTube account. Here are some of the comments the song has received so … Continue reading Vietnam, You Shine Ever So Bright

Capstone Rising!

19/03/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary ai, capstone education, capstone rising, capstone vietnam, chatGPT, vietnam

This AI-generated image was created for the song. This is a song I created about Capstone Education, of which I'm managing director and co-founder, using AI-generated text and music based on my input. Follow this link or click on the image to listen. The lyrics are below. Turn it up, be inspired, and enjoy! Peace, … Continue reading Capstone Rising!

‘Sweeping’ university reforms planned as Vietnam plays ‘catch up’

17/03/202504/10/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary demographic dividend, economic hubs, high-income country, higher education reform, national development, STEM, times higher education, vietnam

This article by Helen Packer in which I was quoted appeared in Times Higher Education (London) on 15 March 2025. (Note: THE doesn't have a paywall, but you must create an account to get three free articles a month.) New education plan aims to create four city hubs and expand enrolment as youth population swells … Continue reading ‘Sweeping’ university reforms planned as Vietnam plays ‘catch up’

What Does Vietnam’s Future Look Like?

14/03/202518/03/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary economic growth and development, environment and climate change, future, politics and international relations, pollution, society and culture, technology and innovation, vietnam

This is an AI-generated image of Vietnam's future. It looks more like the present sans the cars and other vehicles. Below is a recent "conversation" with ChatGPT about Vietnam's future. It touches on all the key points. I asked it to say more about environmental pollution. Peace, MAA ChatGPT said: Vietnam’s future looks promising, but … Continue reading What Does Vietnam’s Future Look Like?

War…huh…yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing

20/01/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary children, e-commerce, east germany, edwin starr, german democratic republic, lazada, peace, toys, vietnam, war

Here are some of "toys" I've seen advertised on Facebook by Lazada, a Singapore-based e-commerce company and one of the largest e-commerce operators in Southeast Asia, according to its Wikipedia entry. These ads reminded me of this classic 1970 song performed by Edwin Starr. Down by the Riverside, also known as "Ain't Gonna Study War … Continue reading War…huh…yeah What is it good for? Absolutely nothing

Reward Citizens Who Report Environmental Law Violations

12/01/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary environmental protection, financial incentives, pollution, vietnam

This is already happening for traffic violations: Under Decree 176/2024, Vietnamese citizens can now earn up to 5 million VND ($200) for reporting traffic violations, marking a significant step towards improved road safety. Whoever drafted this decree knows the Vietnamese mindset all too well. Most people will not "snitch" on their fellow citizens for free … Continue reading Reward Citizens Who Report Environmental Law Violations

Sorry, Vietnam is NOT Going to Be the “Next China”

10/01/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary china, economic growth, GDP, logistics, managerial expertise, manufacturing hub, supply chain, tariffs, vietnam

By Eric Olander, Editor-in-Chief of The China-Global South Project (Source: LinkedIn) December 17, 2024 There is a delusion circulating today in many parts of the U.S. policymaking community that Vietnam is going to emerge as the “next China.” Former United States National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien is the latest high-profile pundit to call for Vietnam … Continue reading Sorry, Vietnam is NOT Going to Be the “Next China”

Another Day on the Mean Streets of Hanoi

09/01/202508/01/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary driving, vietnam

As someone who has lived in Vietnam for nearly 20 years and driven a car most of that time, I can confidently say that Hanoi is hands down the worst place. The reasons are three-fold: 1) high population density; 2) the sheer number of vehicles on the road at most hours of the day; and … Continue reading Another Day on the Mean Streets of Hanoi

An International Educator in Vietnam

Information, Insights & (Frequently) Intrigue

vietnam