Week 10 - Vy Nguyen

I believe nation branding requires good governance and good education. Vietnam is fairly new in the transnational education (TNE) space. It is still in the process of developing ways to deliver Western style education programs, while maintaining their own educational programs. However, as George Nguyen and Anna Shillabeer argues, the country is currently experiencing “a lack of governance in quality control for the penetration of western transnational education in this [Vietnam] country" (Nguyen & Shillabeer, 637). This is because the unclear government hierarchy and improper regulations have created holes in the TNE regulations that enabled foreign institutions, who are unqualified, to bypass requirements and provide bad quality services to Vietnamese students. When the authors mentioned that English is a desirable second language for many students in Vietnam, I completely agree with this. This is the exact reason why my parents put me in an international school, or as the authors would say, a foreign institution. But after 18 years living in Vietnam, I have noticed that there are two types of international schools; the type that offer good quality services and curriculum and have received many recognitions, and the type that call themselves ‘international schools' and are ran by foreign entrepreneurs. I find this extremely problematic because there should be a consistency for all international schools otherwise, not only does this affect the student at an individual level, but also affect the country at a national level. If every Vietnamese students at these schools are given the “globally relevant skills and attributes" (Nguyen & Shillabeer 644 they deserve, collectively, Vietnamese people are the ones who lose the most. Therefore, I believe for the longevity of Vietnam - its image, its people, its education, its economy - the government needs to develop significant regulations and governance models.

My question is: How can we, as a nation, advance and brand/rebrand ourselves if the government does not priority one of the most powerful weapon like education?

Works Cited:

• Nguyen, George. Anna Shillabeer. "Chapter 71 Issues in Transnational Higher Education Regulation in Vietnam.". N.p. n.d. 637-44. Print.

Photos cited:

• Unknown. UNDERSTANDING GOVERNMENT, HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS RELATIONSHIP VIDE THE LENS OF THE PRINCIPAL-AGENT THEORY. N.p., Aug 2016. Web.