Why Vietnam Should Not Go Nuclear

13/09/2022 maavn Articles, Commentary nuclear weapons, vietnam, vietnam foreign policy

I decided to post this article here because I could only access it via TOR. Given that the Vietnamese government is not considering acquiring nuclear weapons, I'm not sure what the author's point. The fact that "some scholars have suggested that Vietnam pursue nuclear weapons in order to balance against China" is neither here nor … Continue reading Why Vietnam Should Not Go Nuclear

You can’t eat money: the cost of unlimited growth

09/09/202209/09/2022 maavn Articles, Commentary canada, circular economy, depletion economy, overfishing, pollution, sand-mining, vietnam, water

A woman stands at her collapsed house damaged by landslide along the Mekong river in Can Tho, Vietnam, December 17, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Kham My latest essay for VNExpress International. The Vietnamese version will be up soon. Here are the first two paragraphs. In a 1972 book chapter entitled "Conversations with North American Indians," Alanis … Continue reading You can’t eat money: the cost of unlimited growth

US Visa Trends in Vietnam

16/08/2022 maavn Commentary, Updates f-1, student visa, study in the USA, vietnam

Here's an overview of F-1 visa issuances in Vietnam for the past 24 years in graph and numerical format. The gradual and then rapid growth in the number of student visas issued to young Vietnamese is a partial reflection of the expansion of Vietnam's economy and family ability to pay. In the early days, many … Continue reading US Visa Trends in Vietnam

Business as Usual at Fulbright University Vietnam

04/08/202207/08/2022 maavn Commentary bob kerrey, fulbright university vietnam, FUV, history, USA, vietnam, war criminal

Do As We Say, Not As We Do I was checking my LinkedIn feed and noticed a Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV) post about its new partnership with Columbia University. The phrase that jumped off the screen was Understand the Past, which I happen to take seriously. Thinking about the ill-fated appointment of self-confessed war criminal … Continue reading Business as Usual at Fulbright University Vietnam

American University of Science Sets Up Shop in Vietnam

01/08/2022 maavn Commentary american university of science, rogue provider, unaccredited universities, vietnam

Gotta love the homepage video of an older white guy with a long flowing beard and three studs in his left ear dressed in a lab coat and goggles in one scene, young female assistant and all, and solo in a gray jacket in another. I guess he's supposed to represent a stereotypical intellectual and … Continue reading American University of Science Sets Up Shop in Vietnam

Public Urination: A National Embarrassment & a Misdemeanor

22/07/2022 maavn Commentary public urination, tourism, vietnam, vietnam's image

You're on candid camera! Photo taken in Hanoi by MAA When ya gotta go, ya gotta go, right? This is a common sight in Viet Nam's cities. It's a perennial issue that's frequently covered by the nation's media, usually accompanied by healthy doses of teeth-gnashing and breast-beating. What will the tourists think? What about Vietnam's … Continue reading Public Urination: A National Embarrassment & a Misdemeanor

Fact-Checking a Recent PIE News Article About Viet Nam

11/07/202218/07/2022 maavn Articles, Commentary education agents, gen z, overseas study statistics, study in australia, study in the UK, study in the USA, vietnam

Face-to-face key to recruiting Vietnam Gen Z This 8 July 2022 article by Helen Packer, which is essentially an advertorial for INTO, includes some facts and figures that are inaccurate. While I agree with the thesis, i.e., the importance of face-to-face recruiting, I feel compelled to offer these corrections in point/counterpoint fashion. Point #1: Approximately … Continue reading Fact-Checking a Recent PIE News Article About Viet Nam

“The Lines” in Hưng Yên Province

01/07/2022 maavn Commentary hanoi, hung yen province, overdevelopment, urban planning, vietnam

Artist's Rendering of The Lines Mr. Thompson: (He's back!) Goddammit Carl, would you stop fighting this? People buy homes, let the government pay for the parks, thats why we have taxes. The Oaks at Mesa Vista is a money train. You want to be on it? (From You, Me, and Dupree) Under construction (Photo by … Continue reading “The Lines” in Hưng Yên Province

American Management University Begins Establish Regional Office in Vietnam

27/06/2022 maavn Articles, Commentary american management university, rogue providers, unaccredited universities, vietnam

AMU's "main campus" courtesy of its website I recently read an article with the above title published in Vietnam Times, a website administered by VUFO (The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations), a Vietnamese NGO. As I suspected, AMU is an unaccredited US university based in California. In fact, as is often the case, its "campus" … Continue reading American Management University Begins Establish Regional Office in Vietnam

The Normalization of Environmental Pollution

03/06/2022 maavn Commentary china, ecocide, environmental degradation, environmental protection, pollution, vietnam

Credit: MAA On a recent trip to Móng Cái in northern Viet Nam on the Chinese border, I had the chance to spend some time at a nearby beach. Above and below are photos of some of the items that were either left there by tourists or that washed up, e.g., country of origin, China, … Continue reading The Normalization of Environmental Pollution

An International Educator in Viet Nam

Information, Insights & (Frequently) Intrigue

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