
Vietnam
Vietnam Opens First Overseas Tourism Promotion Office in London
The unimaginatively named "The Visit Vietnam" office launched in London on February 18.
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![[Photos] Remarkable Color Photos Document Life in Japan Over 100 Years Ago](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/urbanisthanoi/article-images/2020/02/News/JP1l.jpg)
Asia
Even a century ago, Japan was a little weird.

Roundups
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from the capital, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.

Roundups
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.
![[Photos] A Colorful Kindergarten Among the Misty Hoa Binh Mountains](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/19/school/kinder_SGNR1l.jpg)
Architecture
This is way cooler than your kindergarten.
![[Photos] Views of 1954 Saigon-Cho Lon From a USS Rochester Sailor](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/2020/02/18/uss/saigon1954_SGNR1l.jpg)
Saigon
The USS Rochester CA-124 was a heavy cruiser that was first launched after World War II.

Development
The Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro Line is now 71% complete, its management board says.

Roundups
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.

Roundups
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from the capital, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.

Vietnam
In the 2011 medical thriller Contagion , directed by Steven Soderbergh, after an unknown disease strikes the US and then most of the planet, viewers witness a rapidly unraveling world where social decay and mistrust give rise to rampant looting, violence and conspiracy theories.

Podcast
Our latest episode is available now!

Tech
A decree recently approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will make several changes to transportation services including the addition of surveillance cameras to 170,000 transportation vehicles.

Education
For more than 1,000 years, boarding schools have been a popular education model for families in the United Kingdom, and this year the first premium international school in Saigon is bringing the option to Vietnam. With origins in monastery education, boarding schools provide primary- or secondary-school students with a place to live and eat at or near their school under the supervision of their educators. Many parents choose the model when they cannot provide daily transportation, often because they live too far from the school they think is the best fit for their children. Considering the importance that families in Vietnam place on their children’s education, it’s not surprising that people in rural areas or smaller cities send their children to Saigon to study at elite schools. Doing so usually involves students needing to rent a room without supervision or stay with family members. But now a better option has emerged: Australia International School (AIS) in District 2 is opening its premium boarding school for fall 2020 enrollment for students in years 7-13. The flexible boarding options mean students can enjoy all the benefits of international education while still remaining connected to their native culture and within convenient reach of their families. The Value of Boarding Schools The merits of boarding schools have been debated extensively in the west, with experts pointing to a variety of benefits. In addition to the obvious logistics of allowing students to attend class without long or impossible commutes, it fosters a variety of opportunities to grow personally and academically. Many students struggle to adapt to the freedoms and responsibilities they encounter when attending university. Living independently, managing one’s time and schedule, and handling such tasks as laundry and cooking can all be overwhelming for young adults who have lived at home their entire lives. A boarding school, however, prepares them by introducing them to a similar environment, but with more rules and oversight by school staff. Being at the AIS for longer hours also makes it easier for students to be involved in the school’s wide range of extracurricular organizations and activities. It also makes it more convenient to meet with teachers and study with one another. AIS' Boarding school lounges Being surrounded by peers in a safe and inviting environment not only improves social skills and fosters life-long friendships, but for non-native English speakers, it represents an ideal immersion for language acquisition. Like all of its classwork and extracurriculars, AIS’ dormitories and activities associated with the boarding school are all conducted in English and thus provide extra opportunities to hone their fluency. AIS students reflect a diverse mix of backgrounds and cultures, and living in this environment instead of simply studying in it enhances the development of a global mindset and soft skills. B arnaby Lenon, chairman of the UK's Independent Schools Council, explains that it allows students to "build skills and enthusiasm and help develop personality characteristics such as teamwork, resilience and concentration — all of which can be just as important to a young person’s life as Latin or physics.” Nearly all AIS graduates attend prestigious universities around the world, so it’s essential they are prepared to move away from home. As Forbes noted , “78% of boarding school grads felt well prepared for the non-academic aspects of college life, such as independence, social life, and time management, compared to 36% of private day and 23% of public school students.” Thus, in the same way that AIS’ rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum prepares pupils for university classrooms, boarding prepares them for the experience’s lifestyle. Finding Inspiration When designing their boarding school system, AIS sought the advice of experienced professionals in the Inspired network . The collection of 64 schools on five continents includes numerous boarding schools in the UK, Switzerland and Spain. AIS joined Inspired last year and immediately began collaborating on curriculum, learning methods and information exchange. The AIS team has also taken advantage of their knowledge when establishing its boarding program. Room designs. A special area on the upper floor of the school has been constructed to make room for two-person dorm rooms. The modern but comfortable space includes shared bathrooms, a cafeteria, laundry service, lounge and break-out areas, and a cinema. Students are separated according to gender and activities are closely monitored with, curfews and restrictions to ensure students behave as they would in their family homes. Flexible boarding schedules have recently gained popularity in the west and may prove appealing in Saigon. Partial boarding allows students to return home for weekends to spend time with their families. Students can also opt to stay in the dorms all week long during the fall and spring semester, which makes sense for students whose hometowns or families might be in other countries. As education opportunities improve across Vietnam, AIS continues to lead the way with its boarding school. The first of its kind in Saigon, it represents not only a solution for families that may not live in the city, but a unique opportunity for students to mature and prepare for a successful, independent life. We are pleased to announce that AIS will run Open Days on 7 March, every Wednesday morning and Friday afternoon in February and March 2020. Prospective families are invited to join us for these exciting events. Visitors to the Open Day will be able to join school tours and admissions consultation. Please sign up at www.aisvietnam/openday. For more information, please call 1900 6940 or email enrolments@aisvietnam.com . AIS's website AIS's Facebook Hotline: 19006940 AIS's Email Xi Campus | 190 Nguyen Van Huong Street, Thao Dien Ward, D.2, Ho Chi Minh City Thao Dien Campus | APSC Compound, 36 Thao Dien Road, D.2, Ho Chi Minh City Thu Thiem Campus | East-West Highway, An Phu Ward, D.2, Ho Chi Minh City

Roundups
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.

Roundups
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from the capital, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.

Health
Schools and university campuses were supposed to reopen on February 17 in several provinces.

Arts & Culture
I arrived shortly before sunset, draped in my best floor-length party vest, and free of expectations on the second and final Saturday of Vietnam’s largest, globally-acclaimed music and art festival, Epizode.

Environment
A regional workshop was recently held to discuss plastic pollution in the Mekong River.

Vietnam
During the four weeks leading up to Tet, the number of traffic accidents plummeted across Vietnam, a positive sign considering those also made up the country’s busiest period.

Roundups
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.

Vietnam
No more Netflix and chill for free.

Tech
The online map was developed by a group of five Vietnamese engineers from Kompa Group, a tech company based in Vietnam and Silicon Valley.

Roundups
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook . Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them into short, accessible links so you can easily keep up with current affairs.