Vietnam inspectors call for disqualification of 2,000 college, university degrees | Look At Vietnam

Vietnam inspectors call for disqualification of 2,000 college, university degrees 

June 24, 2012

People stand during a ceremony in Hanoi this March, waiting to receive their business administration master degrees from a training program which was later found to be conducted with illegal partnership with the US Griggs University.

The Vietnamese government should disqualify more than 2,000 graduate and postgraduate degrees awarded through illegal cooperation between Vietnamese institutes and foreign counterparts, state inspectors have suggested.
A Tuoi Tre newspaper report Monday cited members from the State Inspectorate as saying the degrees were granted by the Centre for Educational Technology and Career Development, and the School of Economics, at Vietnam National University-Hanoi, in partnership with foreign institutions.
The degrees were granted by programs offered by the Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, HCMC University of Technology Education, Hanoi Open University, Can Tho University in the Mekong Delta, and Vinh University in central Vietnam.
Nearly half of 419 programs offered in the 2006-2010 period were conducted without permission from the Ministry of Education and Training.
Most of the 94 foreign partners involved, like the US-based Griggs University and Delaware State University, are at lower levels than Vietnamese schools, such as local compared to national universities, the inspectors said.
Many programs did not hold entrance exams as required, while others offered easy eligibility. Applicants for master programs, for instance, did not need to graduate with the same majors in their undergraduate degrees or have a foreign language proficiency certificate, the inspectors found.

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They said eight masters programs of the Hanoi Economics School violated Vietnam’s education law in not requiring the students to defend a thesis for graduation.
The inspectors have suggested the programs are suspended and the director of the Vietnam National University-Hanoi be held responsible for allowing the violations.
The schools have been asked to return US$1,170,000 in tuition fees paid for the programs.
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Thanh Nien news

Scholarships for Vietnam VEF

VEF provides 55 scholarships for post-graduates in US

Posted: 14 Jun 2012 01:06 PM PDT

The Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF) has provided additional 55 scholarships for Vietnamese nationals to develop their careers at 34 leading US universities in the 2012-2013 academic year.   

VEF President Isaac F.Silvera said at a meeting with the press in Ho Chi Minh City on June 13 that VEF aims to promote bilateral relationship between the US and Vietnam through educational exchanges.
Of the recipients, 49 post-graduates will pursue doctorate and master’s degrees in biology, epidemiology, genetics, communication, computer, science, food science and technology, forestry, aero space technology, chemistry, construction, the environment, electrics, electronics and telecommunications.
The remaining six scholars will develop their skills through post-doctorate programmes in 12 months in the fields of science and technology.
VEF Managing Director Lynne A.McNamara highly valued the studying results of post-graduates and scholars selected for the scholarship programme. She revealed that VEF has sent 424 post graduates to study in the US since the scholarship programme was launched in 2003. In addition, it has also helped 38 scholars to conduct their research in the US since 2007.
VOV

Largest solar power station built in Vietnam | Look At Vietnam

Largest solar power station built in Vietnam

April 26, 2012

Intel Products Vietnam heralded a grand opening of the largest solar power station in Vietnam at the Saigon High-Tech Park on April 23.

After nearly five months of construction and a cost of approximately US$1.1 million, the new solar power station is expected to supply about 30 per cent of Intel’s total electricity consumption in a year for the next 20 consecutive years.
This new solar power station, comprising of 1,092 solar panels and 21 adapters, can directly provide the company with around 321,000KWh of electricity per year without using rechargeable batteries, equivalent to electricity consumed by 500 households in Vietnam.
This is the first and only solar power station built by Intel Corporation in Asia, many times bigger than the ones assembled by Intel in Israel and in Oregon, in the US.
Rich Howarth, General Manager of Intel Products Vietnam, said that the new solar power station would help reduce 221,300 kilos of CO2 emissions into the air every year, equivalent to emissions from 600 motorbikes.
According to Dr.Le Hoai Quoc, Management Head of Saigon High-Tech Park, this new solar power station can become an effective model for the national campaign ‘Better and Cleaner Environment’.
Shelly Esque, Vice President of Intel Corporation and Global Director of the company’s Corporate Affairs Group, stated that this is an initial step to the expansion of Intel’s investment in solar power worldwide.
In related news, on April 23, Nokia Corporation began construction of its mobile phone factory in the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in the northern province of Bac Ninh.
The 17-hectare factory is expected to become fully operational by the beginning of next year. To be built at a total investment of $302 million, it will produce around 180,000 mobile phones per year and provide jobs for more than 10,000 workers with an average income of $300 per person per month.
SGGP

The Wealthy VIP travelers of Vietnam

Vietnamese VIP travelers tend to choose outbound tours

July 1, 2011  about News, Travel

LookAtVietnam - VIP tourists are always ready to pay high to enjoy
high quality services. In recent years, they tend to choose outbound tours,
especially the ones to the Europe and the US.

 

When the name of Sofitel New York hotel appeared on newspaper because it
related to the scandal of the former leader of the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
director of a travel firm in HCM City said: “We many times booked hotel rooms
for Vietnamese VIP groups of travelers. The lowest hotel room rate here is 500
dollars per night”.

However, the director said that as for VIP travelers, high prices do not
matter, while the main thing VIP guests want is the high quality of services.
Meanwhile, while using expensive products and services, VIP can show their upper
class.

VIP travelers now prefer going abroad
Managing Director of a travel firm, which specializes in providing high
grade outbound tours, headquartered in district 1 in HCM City, said that the
travel firm once got the order to organize a tour to the US with the expenses of
10,000 dollars per traveler.

The travel firm then arranged a flight with helicopter which allowed
travelers to admire New York from the air for ten minutes. During the trip, the
travelers stayed in a six-star hotel in Washington near the White House.

 

Also according to the director, the travel firm recently organized a tour
for another group of VIP travelers to Japan and the US with the tour fee of
15,000 dollars per traveler. There were also special orders, including the one
on organizing tour for a VIP group of travelers to Ireland. The travelers flew
on an aircraft specifically booked for them.

According to Nhan Hanh Nhon, Director of OSC First Holidays, said VIP
travelers always attach special importance to high grade hotels (the hotels
should be 5-6 star ones) and resorts (where the room rate is about 1500 dollars
per night).

Regarding meals and drinks, VIP travelers usually choose expensive meals
at high grade restaurants which are worth 2000-3000 dollars per table. Besides,
VIP clients always set detailed requirements.

For example, when traveling to Thailand, they want to have meals on the
highest floor of the 88-storey building. If they go to Hong Kong, they would
require having meals on a yacht; and if they go to Egypt, they would require
traveling on a five star cruiser on Nile river.

“When they accept the high tour fees which are double or triple that of
normal tours, they always require high quality services. Besides, the shopping
destinations also should be special with the sale items priced at several
thousands of dollars,” Nhon said.

An executive of Fiditour said that the travel firm once organized a high
grade tour to Dubai in Egypt, with the tour fee of 4000 dollars per traveler. As
the tour fee is much higher than the normal tours to the same destinations, the
travel firms had to satisfy the strictest requirements in the service quality,
from traveling, accommodation, meals to the excursion points.

 

Do Duc Tinh, General Director of Vietnam House, said that Europe now
attracts Vietnamese VIP clients. Some VIP travelers required that after they
arrived in Vienna in Austria at 4 am, they wanted to go the theater to listen to
a classical music performance. As the VIP clients accepted to pay high, the
foreign partner of the Vietnamese travel firm still could arrange tickets for
the performance, even though the tickets for the concerts were sold one year in
advance.
Domestic tours: few tours, few products

According to big travel firms in HCM City, VIP clients can be divided into
two groups – the rich travelers who travel with their own money, and the
travelers, who are officers or executives feasted by businesses.
In general, the number of travelers of the former group is lower than the
latter group and they spend less money.
VIP travelers always demand special tours with special tourism products.
Therefore, a lot of specific products have been designed to serve the clients.

For example, travelers can go on L’Amant yacht on Saigon-Chau Doc route
with 4-star service. Every traveler has to pay 1100 dollars for the tour and has
to book in advance.
According to Pham Ha, Director of Luxury Travel Vietnam, the requirements
set by VIP clients are diversified. Some like traveling on kayak on Ha Long Bay,
others like trekking in Sa Pa, while many want to relax at expensive resorts
like Evason Hideaway Nha Trang or Evason Hideaway Con Dao (Con Dao Island).
Source: SGTT

Seminar discusses treatment of dioxin contamination in hot spots in Vietnam | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

December 17, 2010 about Uncategorized

LookAtVietnam -
A seminar to warm
up a project for cleaning up hotspots of dioxin contamination in Vietnam was
held in Hanoi on December 15.

The event was co-organised by the Ministry of
Natural Resources and Environment in collaboration with the Global Environment
Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The project, which will be implemented from 2010
to 2014, aims to overcome wartime dioxin aftermaths, reduce the devastation of
dioxin on the environment and health risks for people living and working in
three main hot spots including Da Nang and Phu Cat airports in central Vietnam
and Bien Hoa airport in the southern province of Dong Nai.

Delegates focused on discussions on devising
plans to treat dioxin contamination and the funding for the project.

Especially,
they debated issues related to concentration of dioxin at the three hotspots.

Richard J.Cooke, an international consultant for
the Office of The National Steering Committee on overcoming toxic
chemicals used by US during the war in Vietnam (Office 33) said the project
should pay attention to the basic requirements of technologies for treating
dioxin to meet both international and Vietnam’s technical and environmental
safety standards.

“Priorities should also be given to technologies
which are likely to be implemented in Vietnam immediately through commercial
provisions as well as the practical application of these technologies for dioxin
contamination in Vietnam”, he said.

Delegates said there should be strict
co-ordination between Office 33 and relevant ministries and agencies, especially
the Ministry of Defence. They stated the steering committee should also pay more
attention to necessary funding sources for the full remediation of all dioxin
hot spots.

According to Office 33, US troops sprayed about
80 million litres of herbicides in southern Vietnam during the wartime from 1961
to 1971.

VietNamNet/VOV

| Circle K joins Vietnam’s retail market - Circle K joins Vietnam’s retail market

photo:Chuck Kuhn
ED NOTE: What will follow? 7-11, Target? Visit Vietnam NOW
Circle K - an international chain of convenience stores in the US with more than 7,000 stores around the world put five stores into operation in district 1, HCM City on June 19.

In the second half of this year, Circle K will open another five locations in HCM City and enter the retail markets in Hanoi, Danang, Nha Trang and Can Tho with the aim of opening around 550 stores in 20 provinces and cities throughout the country.

Circle K stores are characterized by a small retail space stocked with convenient items customers buy daily and supplementary products.

Circle K has devised an ambitious plan to develop a chain of top stores in the Vietnamese market then expanding its retail network to other regions.

US will help fund Khmer Rouge trial, says Cambodian prime minister

Phnom Penh - A jubilant Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen told reporters Monday that he had received a firm undertaking from visiting US Deputy Secretary of State John Negraponte that the US had agreed to fund a trial of former Khmer Rouge leaders.
The announcement ended the first full day of high-level meetings between Negraponte and Cambodian government officials. Sponsored Links:A-Accident Attorneys Associates Of The Mitchell...
'This official visit has strengthened bilateral relations ... I have been informed by the US government that it has agreed to provide assistance to the trial of former Khmer Rouge leaders, but the amount it has pledged will be revealed tomorrow,' Hun Sen said.
'This agreement to fund is like the pregnancy of an elephant,' Hun Sen joked, referring to the two-year gestation period of the pachyderm. 'The elephant is pregnant so long, when it finally gives birth, you hope it will be a very good baby elephant.'
Ongoing corruption allegations surrounding the joint UN-Cambodian Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, currently holding five former leaders on human rights abuses and war crimes charges, had previously been cited as hurdles to funding by the US. Sponsored Links:Get dedicated server hosting
Negroponte did not speak after the meeting at the Foreign Ministry which also featured the signing over by the US of 24 million dollars in bilateral aid for economic projects in Cambodia, but he is scheduled to give a detailed press conference at the US embassy Tuesday before departing Cambodia.
The Khmer Rouge trial to bring former leaders of the 1975-79 regime to justice announced earlier this year that delays and complications had left it in serious need of funding if it was to complete hearings against an undetermined number of accused. Sponsored Links:The Currency We Trade In
Up to 2 million Cambodians died during the regime.

New report highlights ties between global warming and US security

A new National Intelligence Assessment says that food shortages and migration caused by a warming climate could threaten US national security by aggravating ethnic strife around the globe, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Washington Post writes that Thomas Fingar, chairman of the National Intelligence Council, delivered the report Wednesday to a joint meeting of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Select Committee on Energy Independence. He warned that global warming will reduce food supplies in Africa, which he predicted would in turn spark violence in the region.
"Without food aid, the region will likely face higher levels of instability, particularly violent ethnic clashes over land ownership," probably creating "extensive and novel operational requirements," for the fledgling U.S. Africa Command, according to a National Intelligence Assessment on the security implications of climate change by the National Intelligence Council. ...
Overall, the assessment found that while the United States "is better equipped than most nations to deal with climate change," the impact on other countries has the "potential to seriously affect U.S. national security interests." Humanitarian disasters, economic migration, food and water shortages - all caused by climate change - will pressure other countries to respond. Such demands "may significantly tax U.S. military transportation and support force structures, resulting in a strained readiness posture," the assessment found.

more info--->>>>New report highlights ties between global warming and US security

Vietnam hopes to boost mutually beneficial ties with the US

The Vietnamese government will do its utmost to boost relations with the US, especially economic, commercial and investment ties, for the benefits of both sides, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said. The PM made the statement while receiving Israel Hernandez, US Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Promotion and Director General of the US and Foreign Commercial Service, in Hanoi on June 17. PM Dung welcomed the US Assistant Secretary and the US business delegation to come to inquire into investment opportunities in Vietnam . He spoke of his pleasure at the fine development of Vietnam-US relations in all areas, saying that since the two countries signed the Bilateral Trade Agreement, two-way trade has annually increased by 30 percent on average. Trade value between the two countries last year reached more than 11 billion USD, ranking third among Vietnam ’s nearly 100 trade partners, and stood at 5.5 billion USD in the first five months of this year. The US currently ranks 9 th among foreign investors in Vietnam with a combined investment capital of 4 billion USD in Vietnam by 396 US businesses. The PM said the two countries still have great potential for development of trade and investment cooperation, and the two sides should accelerate cooperation for mutual benefits. The PM said that in this spirit, the country highly valued the visit by Assistant Secretary Israel Hernandez and the US business delegation, and affirmed that Vietnam will create all favourable conditions for US businesses to invest in the country. The government leader hoped that the US Department of Commerce would help promote trade between the two countries, especially the import of Vietnamese products to the US market. He suggested the two sides hold negotiations for signing a framework agreement on investment between the two countries as soon as possible in order to create more favourable conditions for US businesses to invest in Vietnam . The PM also spoke about Vietnam ’s socio-economic achievements and development orientations, highlighting measures to curb inflation and ensure macro-economic stability. Vietnam still ensures macro-economic stability and social security and maintains the sustainable development with an annual growth rate of 7-8 percent, the leader stressed. Assistant Secretary Israel Hernandez said the rapid growth of the two countries’ bilateral trade reflected US businesses’ high interest in the Vietnamese market, and that the visit also manifested their hope to promote trade and investment relations with Vietnam. At the meeting, representatives of the US businesses expressed their interest in doing business in Vietnam , and said they hoped that the Vietnamese government continued with measures to improve the business environment and encourage foreign investment, particularly in the areas of the US ’s strengths such as infrastructure construction, oil and gas, energy, high-tech, education and training, and communication.

(Source: VNA)