Obtaining research visa
From: Martha Lincoln <martha.lincoln@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Date: Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 4:04 PM
Does anyone have suggestions about the best, most expedient, or most
straightforward ways to do anthropological field research in VN? I'm
trying to figure out what protocols are like for a possible summer
research trip. Web resources on this subject are not outstanding...
A previous recipient of a research fellowship has posted (anonymously)
that it may be best to secure a tourist visa in advance of travel, and
then secure a research visa after arriving. Is this
ethical/legal/feasible?
Thanks for sending thoughts, suggestions, and feedback based on recent
experience --
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From: rowens@uga.edu <rowens@uga.edu>
Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Date: Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 4:19 PM
Hi Martha,
Make contact with one or more research institutes in Hanoi or where ever you arr going, by sending a letter of introduction to them. You may try to send an email first asking for advice. at the UW there should be connections in Hanoi in the Abthro department. I made contact with a grad student going to UH and he told me to email his professor in Hanoi at the Institute of anthropology. I then sent a formal letter of intro from my department head. I drafted it of course, but it helped me get a research visa. My problem was that I did not spend enough time there. I got a travel visa and then later received the research visa. Either way, you can't collect any data w/o getting clearance. Plan on at least 2 more weeks once there to get permission. I hope this helps.
-Rich
-----------------------------
Richard Owens, doctoral student
Department of Anthropology
Baldwin Hall
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
rowens@uga.edu
When we are born, we find it there; all that we eat comes from it; what we excrete goes back to it; and when we die we return to it. It feeds us and it swallows us-Kanyamkago description of land as a magician.
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From: Martha Lincoln <martha.lincoln@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Date: Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 4:29 PM
Richard, warm thanks for your great and extremely fast help!
This sounds smart. I had planned on spending about a month in HCMC
this summer. How long were you in Hanoi, and how long do you think is
long enough for a short reconnaissance trip? (What is your research
on, if you don't mind me asking?)
Many thanks for your willingness to have your brain picked!
All the best,
Martha
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From: Shawn McHale <mchale@gwu.edu>
Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Date: Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 6:10 PM
Dear Martha,
Two thoughts.
I. If you are interested in doing research in the South, do not affiliate with a Northern institution. A northern institution is not going to be much help in the south, will not have the contacts and on the ground knowledge of a southern insititution. For Ho Chi Minh City, I'd make two suggestions:
A) Social Sciences Institute for the South -- but I am unsure about their status for receiving visitors after their building was severely damaged. . .
B) the place I am affiliated with at present -- Vietnam National University -- Social Sciences and Humanities. (I am affiliated with the Center for Vietnam and Southeast Asia at that university).
II. Do not get a tourist visa, in the hope of getting a research visa later, if your visit is one month only. It's too short a time.
Feel free to contact me off-list for questions.
Shawn
Shawn McHale
Associate Professor of History and International Affairs
George Washington University
Washington, DC 20052 USA
(on leave, 2007-08, at Vietnam National University --
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
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From: Daniel C. Tsang <dtsang@uci.edu>
Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Date: Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 6:21 PM
Shawn is right. One month is too short a time to get much done research-wise. I suggest affiliating with a local institute then request a research visa with multiple entries.
dan
[Quoted text hidden]--
Daniel C. Tsang
Social Science Data Librarian
Bibliographer for Asian American Studies, Economics,
Political Science, and Film & Media Studies (acting)
468 Langson Library
University of California, Irvine
PO Box 19557
Irvine CA 92623-9557
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1 949 824 4978 (Telephone)
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dtsang@uci.edu
Social Science Data Archives: http://data.lib.uci.edu
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From: Dinh Lu Giang <lugiangdinh@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Date: Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 6:36 PM
Dear list,
The Service Center for International Students at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities at Vietnam National Univerisity in Ho Chi Minh City has just been founded. The website is here http://vnservicecenter.com or http://scis.vns.edu.vn. The Center can help PhD student to obtain research visa in our university.
To Martha Lincoln: If you want a research visa with USSH, please send your visa request, a short description of your research and a CV to nguyenvan.hue@gmail.com (the Director of the Center) or to myself.
Best,
2008/2/25 Daniel C. Tsang <dtsang@uci.edu>:
[Quoted text hidden]
--
Dinh Lu Giang,
PhD student on Viet - Khmer bilingualism and bilingual education
Dept. of Vietnamese Studies,
University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University - HCMC - Vietnam
http://www.vns.edu.vn
-------------------
Founder of Evietnam Group
http://vietcourses.com
http://vietnameseonline.net
http://vietnamesetutors.com
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From: Rob Hurle <rob@coombs.anu.edu.au>
Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Date: Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 6:42 PM
Hi Shawn,
Thanks for your thoughts:
> Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:10:21 -0500
> From: Shawn McHale <mchale@gwu.edu>
> Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
> To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: [Vsg] Obtaining research visa
> ...
> Two thoughts.
>
> I. If you are interested in doing research in the South, do not affiliate with a Northern institution. A northern institution is not going to be much help in the south, will not have the contacts and on the ground knowledge of a southern insititution. For Ho Chi Minh City, I'd make two suggestions:
>
> A) Social Sciences Institute for the South -- but I am unsure about their status for receiving visitors after their building was severely damaged. . .
> ...
>
What if you want to do research in both north and south? I'm at present trying the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (ex-National Centre) in Hanoi, but I want to work both in Hanoi and in HCM City. (I only put my request in a day or so back, so no word yet).
I agree that one month for research would be hardly enough time to set
up contacts and work out where you want to go.
Cheers,
Rob Hurle
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From: Caroline <carolinegrillot@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Date: Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 5:59 AM
Hi everyone,
I have a simple question concerning this Vietnamese research visa:
What is the probability to obtain such a treasure when one's research topic happens to be of high sensitivity?
Does anyone have experience in doing fieldwork research without visa/permission (in the north)?
Thank you for your answer (on/off list),
Caroline Grillot
PhD candidate
MacQuarie University
(Sydney, Australia)
Le 25 févr. 08 à 07:04, Martha Lincoln a écrit :
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From: Nicolas Lainez <niklainez@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Date: Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 6:32 AM
Il faut vraiment qu'on se parle par chat. Tu ne dis pas que c'est hot, mais tu fias un truc passe-partout. Moi j'ai depose ma demande today ...
C'est quand notre rdvz?
Bises
Nick
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From: Martha Lincoln <martha.lincoln@gmail.com>
Reply-To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Date: Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 1:55 PM
Dear Prof. McHale,
Thanks so much for being in touch with your suggestions. I really appreciate your help and your willingness to be contacted!
This is very basic, but I wonder if I can clear up with you the procedure, which in my schematic diagram looks like this:
- send required documents to Vietnamese embassy to request research visa
- (at the same time) contact Vietnamese institution to secure research affiliation
- wait
- obtain visa
- travel to Vietnam (I'm planning a relatively short summer reconnaissance trip -- is 6 weeks more like it?)
- upon arrival, firm up affiliation via personal contacts and networking
Do I have it more or less right, or am I skipping some key stages? If I start work on this stuff now, late February, might a June or July trip be possible?
Warm thanks for your help in clarifying this slightly mysterious process. I appreciate it!
Best wishes,
Martha
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