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This paper focuses on English teachers in Asia in the context of globalization, the global spread of English and the emergence of English as an "Asian language." It highlights the dilemmas facing these teachers in meeting the growing social demands of English proficiency in a technology-influenced, managerial and neoliberal education environment with limited expertise, skills and policy support. We locate the paper in language policy and planning (LPP) within which the concept of micro-level agency provides a critical lens. We draw on insights from several Asian countries including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan and Vietnam. We argue that while English teachers are found to exercise their agency to meet changing demands of English proficiency, this agency can be seen as the result of what we call "policy dumping" at the macro-level--i.e. education policymakers not paying due attention to the requirements of policy implementation but dumping down policies to educational institutions and English teachers for their implementation. We conclude the paper by suggesting implications for English language policies in Asian countries that respond to globalization and the dominant discourses of English in a globalized world.

Due to global attention on student employability, employers are expected to be involved in institutional governance in higher education and quality assurance (QA). Due to the difficulties in recruiting motivated employers to participate in external QA governance and process, this has become a challenging issue in many Asian nations. The paper aims to explore employer legitimacy in Asian national higher education regulations and EQA system according to a four-dimensional diagram of institutional governance model. There are two major findings. First, Asian governments developed QA policies with a focus on employer engagement but the emerging practice is still ineffective. Second, approaches of employer engagement in QA governance vary context to context, such as HK and Malaysia in the excellence mode; Taiwan, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand belong to advanced type; and China, Thailand, and Vietnam fall in the intermediate category.

Purpose: It is still unclear how Asian universities incorporate the theory or practice of sustainable development (SD) in their research and education programmes. To address this gap, the purpose of this paper is to report on a study that has examined how universities in Asian countries handle and address matters related to SD. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a bibliometric analysis and an online survey-method. The online survey data were analysed through descriptive analysis and one-sample student's "t"-test. Findings: The study indicates that there is considerable variation among the Asian countries regarding sustainability practices in higher education institutions (HEIs). The HEIs in far eastern countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand are perceived to demonstrate more sustainability practices. Research limitations/implications: Even though a substantial number of participants participated in the survey, it did not cover all Asian countries. The online survey was carried out over a limited period of time, and not all HEIs in the field may have received information about the study. Practical implications: Asia is the largest continent facing a number of sustainability challenges. In this context, the contribution of HEIs is very important. The findings of the current study may serve as a baseline for Asian HEIs to take more initiatives towards SD goals, as HEIs are responsible for the education and training of hundreds of thousands of students who will be occupying key positions in industry, government or education in the coming years. Originality/value: The study contributes to the existing literature in two distinct ways. First, it was possible to develop a comprehensive instrument to measure sustainability practices in HEIs. Second, this study has filled the gap of the scarcity of studies regarding sustainability practices in HEIs in Asia.

Purpose: The purpose of authentic assessment can enrich students with a set of skills that can have a significant impact on their employability. The key aim of these actions is to equip students with the practical skills to be work ready. The focus here is to demonstrate effects on student satisfaction and observations from teaching staff accrued over several semesters in an educational institution after introducing authentic assessments. Design/methodology/approach: This paper used a set of scaffolded authentic assessments for students in logistics and supply chain management (LSCM). A combination of literature and expert input was used to design and implement the authentic assessment. A multi-phase systematic approach using cyclical model steps articulated the course learning outcomes (CLOs). Findings: Reinforced evidence that authentic assessments create options for divergent learners and provide opportunities for applying practical and higher-order cognitive skills in tertiary education system of an emerging economy. With the focus on student ability in doing things, students with diversified backgrounds and abilities in Asia can be encouraged to take an active role in their own learning. The formats of the newly redesigned assessments allow multidimensional cognitive capabilities such as art development (posters and video tasks) and reflective exercises. Importantly, formative types of authentic assessments help to decrease the level of anxiety by emphasising the aspect of doing and lead to better student satisfaction with the courses. All of these effects are shown to be repeatable in an Asian economy. Practical implications: Authentic assessments prepare students for the new world of work through a more focused scaffolding of their learning. Originality/value: Stimulation of deeper learning in tertiary education students is relevant for a top performing Asian economy.

This paper explores the role of local knowledges and wisdoms in educational research and theorizing, drawing examples from Oceania and Asia. It draws on Chen's idea of "internationalist localism" as a lens to explore relationships between local wisdom and traditional cultures in Oceania and Asia, and Western theories of education. Examples are drawn from the island nations of Oceania (including Papua New Guinea), Asia (including Indonesia, Vietnam, and Bangladesh) as well as Australia (including Indigenous Australian settings). In each of these examples, researchers grounded their studies in local wisdoms and traditions, albeit embedding them in broader global contexts, thus achieving, at least to some extent, the internationalist localism advocated by Chen.

Like all organisations, good governance is a fundamental requirement for the responsible and accountable management of universities in general and open universities in particular. This is to ensure that these (open) universities remain relevant to their mission of facilitating unfettered access to higher education for citizens and at the same time continue being reliable contributors to personal and institutional developments, the vital ingredients to maintaining sustained national development. While several studies have, in the past, been conducted on governance of universities, almost all of them have centred around conventional, face-to-face institutions. Not much published literature is in evidence on the governance of Open Universities. This paper, drawing from a study on the governance of a few open universities in Asia, tries to discuss the nature of their challenges, and the lessons that can be drawn from their practices and experience. The study focused on aspects relating to institutional autonomies such as curriculum, budgeting and financial management, admission standards, conferment of qualifications, academic staff appointments, development and promotions and research policies. Our findings indicate that, similar to conventional systems, the state plays a crucial role in many aspects of governance both in publicly funded and privately supported institutions. Recent attempts at governance transformation towards greater institutional autonomies is beginning to show limited changes in some but not all jurisdictions studied.

The current virtual and physical mobility of humans, ideas, knowledge and epistemologies has major implications for education, especially in settings where English is seen as the default medium of instruction. While diversity is inherent in mobility, English-only pedagogy is a denial of the richness and potential of diverse resources learners bring with them through their mobility. This paper reports a philosophical stance and pedagogical practices employed by a lecturer in English language education at an Australian university. It argues that students' full linguistic resources and epistemologies, known as "sàng khôn", contribute to their agency and can be used as tools to theorise new knowledge in the context of their mobility education.

Faced with increasing pressure to generate more of their own budgets, universities in low and middle income countries are increasingly banding together as country and regional-level networks to bid on and subsequently implement externally funded development projects (a pattern already seen in high income countries). While working as a network may offer a competitive advantage in bidding on international contracts, it also introduces a new set of dynamics in cross border collaboration among higher education institutions. This paper examines the dynamics of university networks, drawing on the experience of one regional and four country-level networks in South East Asia which were created to promote better national preparation and response to pandemic threats. Findings suggest that, in many universities, university efforts to work through networks is a source of considerable controversy as it pushes institutions and individuals into new roles and often conflicts with existing institution-level incentive systems.

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the holistic picture of sustainability curricula in Asian higher education. Design/methodology/approach: Content analysis was conducted based on Asian management education for sustainability in higher education. Online courses arrangement, teaching methods, instructors' educational background and cross-referencing data between triple bottom line and sustainability courses have been investigated. Findings: The paper provides empirical insights about the current state of sustainability education in Asia. The results show that there is an opportunity for interdisciplinary integration, as there are imbalanced sustainability courses offered by business, science and engineering schools. It also suggests that Asian universities should add an international connection and active promotion of sustainability education on their Web sites. Research limitations/implications: Findings are based on web-based sustainability-related courses. Future research could apply method of case study to do a deeper study. Practical implications: The paper provides an overview of Asian management education for sustainability and curricula analysis through our research, and that this will further assist in the development of interdisciplinary integration in Asian management education for sustainability. Originality/value: This paper is the first attempt to gain better understanding of sustainability-related courses offered in leading business/management colleges in Asia.

In a context of rapid economic growth, skills development systems have become increasingly important to countries in Southeast Asia in response to skills gaps generated by changing labour-market conditions. Countries in the region have no alternative but to invest in the development and maintenance of these systems. This paper asserts that in doing so they should recognise the importance of adopting a definition of skills that encompasses cognitive and soft skills as well as technical skills, they should regard as being essential to the development of effective labour market information systems, and they should adopt and institutional frameworks that are adequate to the task of managing complex and effective national skills development systems.

This article synthesises findings from two systematic reviews that examined evidence of the link between large-scale assessments (LSAs) and education policy in economically developing countries and in countries of the Asia-Pacific. Analyses summarise evidence of assessment characteristics and policy goals of LSAs that influence education policy, when LSAs are used in the policy-making cycle and types of education policies impacted, and factors that influence the use of LSAs in policy-making. Results show national assessments conducted at both primary and secondary school levels to have an impact on education policy. LSAs are used more often for monitoring education quality and equity purposes followed by accountability purposes. International assessments are more often used to leverage policy priorities than other assessment types. LSAs feature mainly at the monitoring and evaluation stage of the policy cycle. The education policies impacted by LSAs relate considerably more to curricular reforms and performance standards as well as assessment bodies and activities and far less to resource allocation and teaching and learning policies. Finally, whereas the quality of assessment programmes facilitate impact, financial constraints and uncertainty as well as weak assessment bodies hinder the impact of LSAs on education policy.

The exchange rate is a crucial macro indicator for any open economy, whereby any change in the rate would influence, to a certain extent, various socioeconomic facets. One of the significant impacts is revealed in the pass-through of exchange rate variations to price inflation, also known as the exchange rate pass-through (ERPT). This paper explores the effect of ERPT on domestic inflation in Vietnam by comparing with other Asian economies. Specifically, pass-through mechanisms are examined for every single price as well as a distribution chain from import price index (IMP), producer price index (PPI) to consumer price index (CPI). The empirical results show that exchange rate shocks positively influence the price changes in Vietnam as well as in other Asian countries. According to Cholesky decomposition, the exchange rate plays a limited role in regulating CPI movements. Besides, world commodity prices are found to have a significant impact on domestic inflation across the sample-countries. Our findings reveal profound implications for monetary policy management and price stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the food regime approach was originally built on the influential world‐system analytical framework, it is worth highlighting human geographers' efforts to transcend world‐system theory (and the food regime approach) to emphasise how different types of political‐economic processes operate relationally and differentially across regions in the capitalist world. Meanwhile, other geographical perspectives and approaches, such as "critical GIS," have contributed to the re‐imagination of regions relationally at a range of geographical scales, operating as distinct pathways for commodities over time. Accordingly, drawing on the more‐than‐qualitative relational approach supported by critical GIS and the regional and political geography literature, this paper applies centrality analysis – a quantitative social network analysis – and time‐series analysis to explore and visualise the transformation of the trade networks of high‐value crops in Asia. The paper argues that applying a more‐than‐qualitative relational approach to food regime scholarship can advance our understanding of the emerging regional dynamics in the global food system. Particularly, the findings of this paper show that the rise of China in the global food system has been accompanied by the emergence of Thailand and Vietnam as central actors. Such a multipolar food regime is applicable to address a regional food system, as its regional centrality is defined by clusters of states with more diffuse centrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to conduct a scoping review to collect current literature on the knowledge, awareness, and perception (KAP) of sexually transmitted infections/diseases (STIs/STDs) among women in Asia. Methodology: The PRISMA-Scoping methodology was used in this study to extract papers from four databases published between 2018 and 2022. Sixty-eight articles were included after screening and elimination. Results: The studies on KAP of STIs/STDs among women were largely undertaken in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam) and South Asia (India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh). Regardless of the specific cohort of women studied, research indicates consistently low levels of knowledge and awareness across Asia. This trend seems to be more prevalent among female commercial sex workers, women with lower educational levels, and those in poorer socioeconomic positions. In South Asia, cultural, sociological, economic, and gender inequalities, particularly male domination, all have a significant impact on KAP levels. Conclusion: As education is a major factor that influences health behaviour, this review underscores the need to allocate more resources to educational initiatives, particularly targeting vulnerable groups such as sex workers, transgender women, pregnant women, and rural housewives. This strategic focus may contribute significantly to preventing STIs/STDs, particularly in less developed regions/countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to provide firm-level evidence on the relationship between the presence of financial services multinationals and indigenous counterparts' performance, using a comprehensive sample of firms in the emerging financial industry in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses the generalized method of moments with instrumental variables (IV/GMM) to deal with potential endogeneity problem. Of this technique, a pragmatic approach to constructing instruments is adopted, capitalizing on the geographical and industry segmentation of the local market. The empirical analyses also address statistical issues of the overall model significance, heteroskedasticity and multicollinearity. Findings: The regression results reveal that foreign entrants have a positive and statistically significant association with indigenous firms' labor productivity and the average wage, with a more pronounced impact on the latter. The increased entry of financial multinationals appears to be uncorrelated with indigenous firms' profitability. The extended estimations also suggest that investor origin matters in determining spillover magnitude. The average estimate of Asian affiliates in the examined relationship is approximately half that of European affiliates, whereas foreign entrants originating from America show an insignificant role. Originality/value: This study sheds light on the broader impacts of foreign financial affiliates by simultaneously exploring their impacts on three key dimensions of indigenous firm performance, namely, labor productivity, average wage and profitability. This paper also enriches the existing literature by disentangling the effects of foreign entrants from different regions of origin, which was largely neglected in the context of financial services multinationals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review both international and domestic (i.e. Vietnamese language) journal articles and graduate theses and dissertations on educational leadership in Vietnam. The review addresses two specific goals: first, to describe and critically assess the nature of the formal knowledge base on principal leadership in Vietnam, second, to synthesize findings from the existing literature on principal leadership in Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employed a method for conducting systematic reviews of research. The authors conducted a detailed, exhaustive search for international and “local” papers from Vietnam, yielding 120 research sources. Information from these papers was extracted and evaluated prior to analysis. Data analysis included both quantitative description of the “review database” as well as critical synthesis of substantive findings. Findings – The review supports and extends an earlier review which found that the practice of educational leadership in Vietnam remains largely “invisible” to the international community of scholars. The review also yielded a highly critical assessment of research perspectives and methods used in the “local” Vietnamese studies which comprised the bulk of the authors’ database. Synthesis of substantive findings highlighted the manner by which organizational, political, and socio-cultural forces in the Vietnamese context shapes the practice of school leadership. Research limitations/implications – First, qualitative studies are recommended that seek to describe, in-depth, the enactment of leadership in the Vietnamese context. Second, broad-scale surveys of characteristics, attitudes, and beliefs of school leaders across Vietnam are warranted. Third, the authors encourage graduate students and scholars studying school leadership in Vietnam to undertake a new generation of theory-informed studies that connect with the global literature. Practical implications – Due to the relatively weak nature of the existing knowledge base, the authors were unable to identify specific implications for leadership practice. However, practical implications are identified for developing the research capacity needed to improve research quality in Vietnam’s universities. Originality/value – This review is the first systematic review of educational leadership and management conducted of the Vietnamese literature. Moreover, the authors suggest that the review is original in its comprehensive coverage of both the local and international literature on educational leadership in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we provide the first household‐level empirical multievent study of temporary internal migration as a consequence of tropical storms. In order to do, so we combine three waves of the Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey with geo‐referenced tropical cyclone data from the Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship. Based on the resulting panel dataset, we study temporary emigration patterns evolving in the aftermath of occurring storms in the sample communes. We find robust empirical evidence in favor of a significant push effect on temporary migration. Occurring storms increase the likelihood that a household sends members to other regions in Vietnam. Storms also tend to increase the number of absent household members and absence time. Moreover, we show that occurring storms increase both seasonal and long‐term absences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changing population age structure has a significant influence on the economy, society, and numerous other aspects of a country. This paper has innovatively applied the method of compositional data forecasting for the prediction of population age changes of the young (aged 0–14), the middle-aged (aged 15–64), and the elderly (aged older than 65) in China, India, and Vietnam by 2030 based on data from 1960 to 2016. To select the best-suited forecasting model, an array of data transformation approaches and forecasting models have been extensively employed, and a large number of comparisons have been made between the aforementioned methods. The best-suited model for each country is identified considering the root mean squared error and mean absolute percent error values from the compositional data. As noted in this study, first and foremost, it is predicted that by the year 2030, China will witness the disappearance of population dividend and get mired in an aging problem far more severe than that of India or Vietnam. Second, Vietnam’s trend of change in population age structure resembles that of China, but the country will sustain its good health as a whole. Finally, the working population of India demonstrates a strong rising trend, indicating that the age structure of the Indian population still remains relatively “young”. Meanwhile, the continuous rise in the proportion of elderly population and the gradual leveling off growth of the young population have nevertheless become serious problems in the world. The present paper attempts to offer crucial insights into the Asian population size, labor market and urbanization, and, moreover, provides suggestions for a sustainable global demographic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to map the "migration pathways" (King and Skeldon, 2010) followed by interviews with a group of Vietnamese international labour migrants.Design/methodology/approach Through 50 in-depth interviews, the authors identify the reasons that explain the pathways observed.Findings The authors found that more than half of the interviewees did what King and Skeldon describe as a U-turn, whereby the migrants go abroad for work directly from their home town and return to settle there. The remainder did a J-turn, meaning the migrants returned and settled elsewhere. The majority of those doing a J-turn moved to another town/city within the province of their home town. Few return migrants settled outside their home province. The main explanations for the U-turn choice include existing investment in immobile assets in their home town, strong family ties, parental care obligations, lack of skill acquisition from international labour migration, age and for married migrants having children. Poor conditions in their home town, the absence of local job opportunities and better schooling for children were important considerations that made the J-turn more desirable. Having family ties in a new location, and affording the investment needed to settle in a new town, were important explanations to make the J-turn possible.Originality/value This paper highlights the need for economic development in rural Vietnam, including the creation of decentralised and sustainable livelihoods, so that return migrants have opportunities to reintegrate within their home communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The services sector and multinational corporations have played an increasingly essential role in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in labour markets. This paper examines whether the entry of foreign firms into the services sector can affect the gender workforce composition of their domestic counterparts, and to what extent. The empirical analyses utilise a large panel dataset of firms in the labour-abundant economy of Vietnam. The data show a higher proportion of women employed in foreign firms than local ones across two-digit industries and regions. The estimations indicate that foreign entry induces domestic firms to hire women more intensively. Large, state-owned and less capital-intensive firms tend to employ men at a higher rate. Further analyses reveal divergent effects of foreign affiliates. While increased foreign entry strongly stimulates the hiring of women among local firms in male-intensive industries, it exerts an insignificant impact on gender workforce composition in the female-intensive group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents the experience of developing and teaching a course on mental health for undergraduate social worker students during a semester in Vietnam. Social work is a profession at the early stages of development in Vietnam, requiring much curriculum development. There are over 40 universities with undergraduate social work education programs, but few of the faculty have had training or experience in practicing social work. The paper will summarize the main reasons for developing such a course given the current state of mental health need and services in a changing culture, as well as the current state of professional social work education and the newly established profession of social work. The author describes the contexts underlying the course—the status of social work and social work education in Vietnam, the context of mental health and mental illness in Vietnam, and curriculum adaptation to the cultural context. From this experience, the lessons learned about the role of cross-cultural critical thinking, cultural knowledge, and other strategies will be discussed about teaching a subject like mental health internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Taenia solium, a pork-borne parasitic zoonosis, is the cause of taeniasis and cysticercosis in humans. In Vietnam, poor sanitation, the practice of outdoor defecation and consumption of raw/undercooked pork have been associated with infection/exposure to T. solium in both humans and pigs. The broad-scale geographic distribution of the prevalence of T. solium varies throughout the country with infection restricted to isolated foci in the north and a more sporadic geographic distribution in the Central Highlands and the south. While cross-sectional studies have allowed the broad-scale geographic distribution of T. solium to be described, details of the geographic distribution of T. solium at finer spatial scales have not been described in detail. This study provides a descriptive spatial analysis of T. solium exposure in humans and pigs and T. solium taeniasis in humans within individual households in village communities of Dak Lak in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Methodology/Principal findings: We used Ripley’s K-function to describe spatial dependence in T. solium exposure positive and negative human and pig households and T. solium taeniasis exposure positive and negative households in villages within the districts of Buon Don, Krong Nang and M’Drak of Dak Lak province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The prevalence of exposure to T. solium in pigs in Dak Lak province was 9 (95% CI 5 to 17) cases per 1000 pigs at risk. The prevalence of exposure to the parasite in humans was somewhat higher at 5 (95% CI 3 to 8) cases per 100 individuals at risk. Spatial aggregations of T. solium exposure-positive pig and human households occurred in some, but not all of the villages in the three study districts. Human exposure-positive households were found to be aggregated within a distance of 200 to 300 m in villages in Krong Nang district compared with distances of up to 1200 m in villages in M’Drak district. Although this study demonstrated the aggregation of households in which either T. solium exposure- or taeniasis-positive individuals were present, we were unable to identify an association between the two due to the very low number of T. solium taeniasis-positive households. Conclusions: Spatial aggregations of T. solium exposure-positive pig and human households occurred in some, but not all of the villages in the three study districts. We were unable to definitively identify reasons for these findings but speculate that they were due to a combination of demographic, anthropological and micro-environmental factors. To more definitively identify characteristics that increase cysticercosis risk we propose that cross-sectional studies similar in design to that described in this paper should be applied in other provinces of Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research capacity is scarce in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings. Social determinants of health research (SDH) is an area in which research capacity is lacking, particularly in Asian countries. SDH research can support health decision-makers, inform policy and thereby improve the overall health and wellbeing of the population. In order to continue building this capacity, we need to know to what extent training exists and how challenges could be addressed from the perspective of students and staff. This paper aims to describe the challenges involved in training scholars to undertake research on the SDH in four Asian countries - China, India, Oman and Vietnam.Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with research scholars, research supervisors and principal investigators (n = 13) at ARCADE partner institutions, which included eight universities and research institutes. In addition, structured questionnaires (n = 70) were used to collect quantitative data relating to the courses available, teaching and supervisory capacity, and related issues for students being trained in research on SDH. Simple descriptive statistics were calculated from the quantitative data and thematic analysis applied to the qualitative data.Results: We identified a general lack of training courses focusing on SDH. Added to this, PhD students studying related areas reported inadequate supervision, with limited time allocated to meetings and poor interpersonal communication. Supervisors cited interpersonal communication problems and student lack of skills to perform high quality research as challenges to research training. Further challenges reported included a lack of research funding to include SDH-related topics. Finally, it was suggested that there was a need for institutions to define clear and appropriate standards regarding admission and supervision of students to higher education programs awarding doctoral degrees.Conclusions: There are gaps in training for research on the SDH at the surveyed universities and research institutes, which are likely to also be present in other Asian countries and their higher education institutions. Some of the barriers to high quality research and research training can be addressed by improved training for supervisors, clearly defined standards of supervision, finances for student stipends, and increased use of information and communication technology to increase access to teaching materials. Increased opportunities for online learning could be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, Vietnam has embarked on several ambitious projects, including restoration of coastal mangroves and the expansion of national forest cover through large-scale tree planting efforts. Much of the work is being carried out by individual households, who now likely control a majority of planted productive forest land. Yet despite the strong role for smallholders, questions have been raised about the social benefits of their participation, and insufficient attention has been paid to whether these programs are truly aimed at restoration or more narrowly at plantation development only. This paper assesses several of Vietnam's recent tree-planting projects against the Society for Ecological Restoration's standards, particularly around social benefits, and concludes that Vietnam is failing on most measures, ranging from stakeholder engagement to natural capital benefits. Overall, smallholders mostly view the tree planting projects in terms of financial benefits from short rotation cycles for pulp and woodchip mills, which offer low value, few social benefits, and little ecological restoration potential. The paper argues that Vietnam would benefit from more engaged restoration activities that pay attention to social benefits for smallholders, ensuring more long-term sustainability for both people and forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The millipede family Polydesmidae Leach, 1816 is reviewed in the scope of the Vietnamese fauna. The distribution of the species, Polydesmus vietnamicus Nguyen, 2009 is extended northward to Ha Giang Province. A new cavernicolous polydesmid, Pacidesmus tuachua sp. nov., is described from two caves in northwestern Vietnam, representing the first record of the genus from Vietnam. Extensive illustrations and DNA barcodes are provided for both species, a revised key is presented to all 12 species of Pacidesmus Golovatch, 1991, as well as a key to all eight genera of Asian Polydesmidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper examines the long-run relation between economic growth and current account equilibrium in Vietnam, using a multicountry balance-of-payments-constrained growth model. We find that for the whole sample (1985–2010) Vietnam grew less than the rate predicted by the model. We also find that the balance-of-payments-constrained growth rate shifted after the 1997 Asian crisis. Since the relative price effect is neutral, the volume effects dominate in setting the balance-of-payments constraint. On the one hand, owing to the high income elasticities of exports, growth in advanced countries has a strong multiplier effect on the Vietnamese economy. On the other hand, this effect is hindered by a strong “appetite” for imports coming from Asia. Finally, we assess the impact of the current crisis on Vietnam’s growth for the period 2011 to 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The middle class of Vietnam is growing and so is their consumption, especially in urban areas. This is due to the effects of rapid economic growth, industrialization and increasing wealth in combination with a young, growing population. This paper aims to understand current consumption patterns and consumption categories that can provide a start for sustainable lifestyles among the Vietnamese middle class. Data was collected in the capital Hanoi, in the north of Vietnam. The current level of awareness, knowledge and attitude was explored on five specific consumption topics: energy, transport, water, waste, and food. A combination of quantitative and qualitative data was collected: 5 focus groups, 5 in-depth interviews and a survey among 158 Vietnamese urban middle class consumers. The results are discussed according to the MOA model that explains behaviour as a function of three components: Motivation, Opportunity and Ability. The research concludes that awareness and knowledge of the urban middle class in Vietnam on sustainable consumption is generally low. However, the motivation to live healthy lifestyles and protect the planet for their future generations is rather high. In order to support more sustainable lifestyles, the awareness of environmental issues needs to be increased; knowledge needs to be made available and accessible (ability); and role models need to set an example for the urban middle class of Vietnam. Furthermore, health in combination with food is the most important reason for people to pursue a sustainable lifestyle (motivation) and the need to change was expressed. However, a general distrust towards business and governmental actors was also found. Therefore, opportunities for bottom-up initiatives for sustainable food consumption must be explored in the future. This could support in engaging the middle class of Vietnam in sustainable lifestyles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late socialist countries are transforming faster than ever. Across China, Laos and Vietnam, where market economies coexist with socialist political rhetoric and the Communist party state's rule, sweeping processes of change open up new vistas of imaginaries of the future alongside uncertainty and anxiety. These countries are three of very few living examples that combine capitalist economics with party state politics. Consequently, societal transformations in these contexts are subject to pressures and agendas not found elsewhere, and yet they are no less subject to global forces than elsewhere. As all three countries maintain substantial rural populations, and because those rural areas are themselves places of change, how rural people across these changing contexts undertake future making is a timely and significant question. The contributions in the issue address this question by engaging with lived experiences and government agendas across Laos, China and Vietnam, showing a politics of development in which desire and hope are entangled with the contradictions and struggles of late socialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The economy of Vietnam, a highly populated tropical country with a per capita gross domestic product of $ 8 000, is growing rapidly, but there are few recent studies of general scope about its scientific productivity and how it compares with other tropical countries. Objective: To identify trends in Vietnamese science and compare them with trends in other tropical countries. Methods: We extracted data about scientific papers, in all disciplines that had Vietnam as country in the Science Citation Index Expanded for the period 1991 to 2018, focusing on type of publication, language, subject, authorship, collaboration, and citations. Results: Vietnam publishes more document types than other tropical countries, and those in this particular database are mostly in English, albeit most Vietnamese science is published in Vietnamese and not covered by the index. The primary categories were multidisciplinary materials science, mathematics, and applied mathematics. Most collaboration was done with the USA, Japan, South Korea, and France. A large number of articles were published by the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, and the most frequent foreign collaboration was with the University of Oxford. Conclusion: the tropical countries of Latin America, Africa, and Asia studied in our project have some similarities but also crucial differences. Science is developing rapidly in Vietnam and the production of articles in Vietnamese, which represent the vast majority of research in the country but is not included in this database, should also be studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late 1990s, Vietnamese women's participation in international marriage migration has garnered academic and media attention. In contrast, internal marriage migration, a key driver of overall internal migration flows, has received scant consideration. In this paper, we examine marriage and migration dynamics in four rural communes that have "lost" significant numbers of their single women to international marriage and gained brides through internal migration. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2012 and 2013 in four villages and analysis of local marriage registration data and census data, this article examines internal and international marriage migration. We probed marriage migration vis-a-vis marriage markets, internal labor migration and gendered mobility patterns. The increased diversification of marriage with respect to spousal places of origin indicates a reconfiguration of marital norms and practices and changing social constructions of a desirable wife and daughter-in-law. Results underscore the role of labor migration and interprovincial networks in expanding mate-seeking circles among rural youth and in altering marital norms. Female international marriage migration is one piece of a larger puzzle whereby various forms of mobility are intertwined with changes in the realms of gender, family and marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current measures for monitoring progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) do not adequately account for populations that do not have the same level of access to quality care services and/or financial protection to cover health expenses for when care is accessed. This gap in accounting for unmet health care needs may contribute to underutilization of needed services or widening inequalities. Asking people whether or not their needs for health care have been met, as part of a household survey, is a pragmatic way of capturing this information. This analysis examined responses to self-reported questions about unmet need asked as part of 17 health, social and economic surveys conducted between 2001 and 2019, representing 83 low-, middle- and high-income countries. Noting the large variation in questions and response categories, the results point to low levels (less than 2%) of unmet need reported in adults aged 60+ years in countries like Andorra, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Thailand and Viet Nam to rates of over 50% in Georgia, Haiti, Morocco, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. While unique, these estimates are likely underestimates, and do not begin to address issues of poor quality of care as a barrier or contributing to unmet need in those who were able to access care. Monitoring progress towards UHC will need to incorporate estimates of unmet need if we are to reach universality and reduce health inequalities in older populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the development, sensory status, and brain structure of children with congenital Zika virus (ZIKV) infection (CZI) at two years and preschool age. CZI was defined as either ZIKV RNA detection or positive ZIKV IgM and neutralization test in the cord or neonatal blood. Twelve children with CZI born in 2017–2018 in Vietnam, including one with Down syndrome, were assessed at 23–25.5 months of age, using Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3), ASQ:Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE-2), Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, automated auditory brainstem response (AABR), and Spot Vision Screener (SVS). They underwent brain CT and MRI. They had detailed ophthalmological examinations, ASQ-3, and ASQ:SE-2 at 51–62 months of age. None had birthweight or head circumference z-score < −3 except for the one with Down syndrome. All tests passed AABR (n = 10). No ophthalmological problems were detected by SVS (n = 10) and detailed examinations (n = 6), except for a girl's astigmatism. Communication and problem-solving domains in a boy at 24 months, gross-motor area in a boy, and gross-motor and fine-motor areas in another boy at 59–61 months were in the referral zone. Brain CT (n = 8) and MRI (n = 6) revealed no abnormalities in the cerebrum, cerebellum, or brainstem other than cerebellar hypoplasia with Down syndrome. The CZI children were almost age-appropriately developed with no brain or eye abnormalities. Careful and longer follow-up is necessary for children with CZI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Striatochelys baba gen. et sp. nov. is a new pan-trionychid from the middle–upper Eocene (late Bartonian–Priabonian, 39–35 Ma) of the Na Duong Basin in northern Vietnam. It represents one of the best documented and most completely known Palaeogene pan-trionychid species from Asia. Striatochelys baba can be diagnosed by: (1) its relatively small size; (2) the absence of a preneural; (3) the presence of well-developed straight ridges on the costals and neurals in adults; (4) ridges more strongly developed posteriorly than anteriorly; and (5) entoplastron callosity in the shape of a bulge. A phylogenetic analysis recovers S. baba within Pan-Trionychinae in an unresolved polytomy with species of the genus Nilssonia. In addition, comparisons of the new taxon with plastomenids, pan-trionychids from the Palaeogene and extant trionychids from Asia demonstrate a particularly close resemblance to Nilssonia spp. Based on the close resemblance between S. baba and 'Trionyx' impressus (a pan-trionychid from the Maoming Basin of southern China), we here assign the latter species to the new genus Striatochelys. The close relationship between S. baba gen. et sp. nov. from the Na Duong Basin and S. impressa comb. nov. from the Maoming Basin further supports the hypothesis that a close connection between both localities existed, as already exemplified by other faunal elements such as pan-geoemydids and crocodylians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty and disability are interrelated, but data that can disentangle to what extent one causes the other and vice versa is not available. However, data from Vietnam allows us to examine this interrelationship in a way not done previously. Using small area estimation techniques, we uncover three findings not yet found in the literature. First, disability prevalence rates vary significantly within a country even at the district level. Second, the poverty gap between people with and without disabilities also varies at the district level. And most importantly, the size of that gap lessens based on district characteristics that can be affected by policy. Districts with better health care and infrastructure, such as road and health services, show less of a link between disability and poverty, supporting the hypothesis that improvements in infrastructure and rehabilitation service can lessen the impact of disability on families with disabled members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baiyuerius gen. nov., a new genus of the subfamily Coelotinae F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1893 is described, including five new species: B. daxi sp. nov. (1), B. pindong sp. nov. (1), B. tamdao sp. nov. (1), B. zhuping sp. nov. (1) and B. zuojiang sp. nov. (2), from southern China and northern Vietnam. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses support Baiyuerius gen. nov. as monophyletic and as a sister group of the newly established genus Yunguirius Li, Zhao & Li, 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xenophthalmus pinnotheroides is a tiny subtidal marine crab from the West Pacific and Northern Indian Oceans. Its native range is poorly documented, with few records from the wild. Although it is not exploited by humans, degradation of suitable habitats by anthropogenic activities can significantly threaten this species. Here we bring the first record of the species in Vietnamese waters and prediction of its native range based on climate matching analysis. The areas of its potential occurrence are highlighted and future confirmation through field survey is recommended. The present findings indicate the range extension of X. pinnotheroides in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article applies a qualitative approach to the legal segmentation analysis developed by Dingeldey et al. (2021), considering exclusion from, and hierarchies of, worker protection. Examining the cases of China, India, Malaysia and Viet Nam, the author finds that several factors distinguish these countries from those in the global North and produce distinct labour market outcomes, namely: in terms of the relative size of the workforce operating outside the effective coverage of employment regulation; legal terminology that is not readily translated into Western languages; and legal history, especially as regards the mismatch between statutory frameworks and the labour market resulting from colonialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wrongful convictions have severe consequences and effects on the values, dignity, and self-esteem of the innocent and their beloved ones. While Vietnam is implementing the rule of law to ensure the protection of citizens' fundamental rights, recent and serious wrongful conviction cases suggest a need to enhance the effectiveness and credibility of criminal justice reform. Using several cases for examples from Vietnam, this study examines two levels of factors that contribute to wrongful convictions: (i) the acknowledged causes (the top of the iceberg) and (ii) the hidden roots (beneath the surface). In addition, we compare the case of Vietnam to the findings from other Asian nations, notably those of East Asia. We conclude that the causes for wrongful convictions are embedded in the criminal justice process and culture, and eradication of wrongful convictions requires careful planning and innovative reforms that address the root causes of the problems. Relevant policy and practical recommendations are offered to deal with the factors leading to wrongful convictions in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumen: Siguiendo el marco de Dingeldey et al. (2021), pero con un enfoque cualitativo, se analiza la segmentación legal del trabajo en China, la India, Malasia y Viet Nam, prestando atención a los niveles de exclusión y a las jerarquías de protección otorgada. El autor observa varios factores que diferencian a estos países de los del Norte y que determinan sus mercados de trabajo: el tamaño relativo de la población activa que opera fuera de la cobertura efectiva de la reglamentación laboral; la terminología jurídica, de difícil traducción a los idiomas occidentales; y la historia jurídica, especialmente en lo que respecta al desajuste entre los marcos jurídicos y el mercado laboral resultante del colonialismo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vietnam and the United States are two countries with diplomatic relations many years ago. During the cold war, the Vietnam War (1961 - 1975) caused the relationship between Vietnam and the US to crack and the US had to withdraw from Vietnam in 1975. Since 1995, the two countries have resumed foreign relations and the United States has become an important country with Vietnam in economic development and has friendly diplomatic relations in all fields. The covid 19 pandemic has caused many health and life losses around the world, and vaccines are seen as the key to solving the difficulties caused by the covid 19 pandemic. Vietnam has to go through a lot of difficulties in dealing with the pandemic because of the scarcity of covid 19 vaccine resources. In that context, the help of a covid 19 vaccine from the United States is very important and necessary. As of March 2022, the United States is the largest vaccine donor to Vietnam. This affirms that the diplomatic relations between the two countries are in the best period, especially during the period when President Joe Biden focused on Southeast Asia, including Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Animal welfare is a global issue that is important to civilians in many countries. Despite this, large gaps exist between practices as recommended by a scientific understanding of farm animal welfare; the expectations and understanding of society at large; and the realities within livestock industries across the world. The reasons for this are as numerous as they are challenging to overcome, however, understanding what might motivate key stakeholders to make improvements could form a base from which to begin. The livestock industry are arguably the most important stakeholders with the capacity to make meaningful choices that impact the welfare of animals, yet seldom are they consulted as to why they might make choices that either improve or threaten the welfare of the animals. This study aimed to collect information about the motivations and barriers to improve animal welfare from leaders in the livestock industry. A complex relationship of motivators is uncovered, and the importance of factors such as financial benefit and food safety is discussed. Figures are presented to begin illustrating the relationship between motivators. The findings of this study serve to better understand the motivations of livestock stakeholders in these key Asian nations, and the barriers that may prevent them from making choices that improve the welfare of the animals. Understanding what might motivate livestock stakeholders to improve animal welfare is useful information when developing initiatives that benefit from stakeholder engagement. This study was designed to assess the strength of motivating drivers in the development of attitudes to animal welfare, and the factors that impacted their ability to improve animal welfare. During a series of qualitative focus group sessions with livestock leaders across the same countries (Malaysia, China, Vietnam and Thailand), the current study presented livestock leaders (n = 139) with the most significant results in their country, and collected data pertaining to the meaning and applicability of these results. This data was then subject to thematic analysis to identify salient and repeated motivating factors and meanings. This process revealed a complex picture of relationships between motivators and the contexts that drive them. Figures are presented to begin illustrating these relationships. Some strong motivators were uncovered that were previously rated low in the survey (i.e., financial benefit) or not included at all (e.g., food safety). This paper also presents the opportunity to better understand the strength and relationship of extrinsic and intrinsic motivational forces behind animal welfare improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]