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The hydrogeomorphology of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) has been significantly altered by natural and anthropogenic drivers. In this study, the spatiotemporal changes of the flow regime were examined by analysing the long-term daily, monthly, annual and extreme discharges and water levels from 1980 to 2018, supported by further investigation of the long-term annual sediment load (from the 1960s to 2015), river bathymetric data (in 1998, 2014 and 2017) and daily salinity concentration (from the 1990s to 2015) using various statistical methods and a coupled numerical model. Then, the effects of riverbed incision on the hydrology were investigated. The results show that the dry season discharge (i.e., in March–June) of the Tien River increased by up to 23% from the predam period (1980–1992) to the postdam period (1993–2018) but that the dry season water level at My Thuan decreased by up to −46%. The annual mean and monthly water levels in June at Tan Chau and in January and June–October at My Thuan in the Tien River decreased statistically, even though the respective discharges increased significantly. These decreased water levels instead of the increased discharges were attributed to the accelerated riverbed incision upstream from My Thuan, which increased by more than three times, from a mean rate of −0.16 m/year (−16.7 Mm³/year) in 1998–2014 to −0.5 m/year (−52.5 Mm³/year) in 2014–2017. This accelerated riverbed incision was likely caused by the reduction in the sediment load of the VMD (from 166.7 Mt/year in the predam period to 57.6 Mt/year in the postdam period) and increase in sand mining (from 3.9 Mm3 in 2012 to 13.43 Mm3 in 2018). Collectively, the decreased dry season water level in the Tien River is likely one of the main causes of the enhanced salinity intrusion.

The goal of the study is to analyze social networking related factors influencing consumers’ trust and intent to purchase online via social networks in the Vietnamese market. The model of social commerce adoption of Hajli (2015) is used as the primary research framework to analyze the factors affecting Vietnamese consumers’ trust when purchasing goods through Social Networks [1]. Research results through a Google Form online questionnaire survey with a sample size of 1037 consumers, identified four elements of social networks affecting consumers’ trust including forums and groups, ratings and reviews, reference groups and information security. In addition, this study also proved that perceived usefulness had both a direct and indirect impact on consumers’ online purchasing intention through trust.

Study region The Mekong basin, where climate change and anthropogenic interventions (e.g., dams, sand mining, and sluice gates) have intensified in the recent decades affecting the pristine flow regime and salinity intrusion. Study focus This paper aims at quantifying the flow regime alterations in the entire Mekong from 1980 to 2015 and linking with the controlling drivers of alterations. In this regard, various indicators, analytical methods, and a semi two-dimensional hydrodynamic and advection-dispersion model were used. New hydrological insights for the region The flow regime alterations in the high-dam development period (2009–2015) are more pronounced than in the low-dam development period (1993–2008), compared to the no-dam development period (1980–1992), based on most of the indicators analyzed. In the high-dam development period all existing dams with large reservoir capacity seemed to have cumulatively reduced the flood pulses and frequency and increased the low-flow discharge along the entire Mekong through reservoir operations, exceeding climate change effect. In the recent years the water levels in the low-flow season in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) have decreased, possibly because of increased riverbed incision caused by reduced sediment supply and increased sand mining. The reduced water levels together with the increased number of the sluice gates constructed seemed to have increased salinity intrusion in the VMD which may be partly reduced by early emergency water release from upstream dams.

Face, understood as public image, exerts critical influence on interpersonal communication. Incorporating insight from cultural neuroscience, a number of potential mismatches with regard to facework are revealed when methodologies originated from the West are applied in a different context. This paper examines culturally appropriate face strategies in cooperative learning among Vietnamese learners. Our results show that discussion outcomes increase when self-face and other-face are confirmed and group-face is mildly confronted in form of intergroup competition. The paper indicates that educational methods underpinned by fundamental psychological assumptions based on Western values should be adjusted to be culturally appropriate for contexts in which it is applied.

Under pressure of the continuing need to modernize, Vietnam is rapidly reforming its education system. Cooperative Learning (CL) with a Western-based model is being enthusiastically applied. This paper suggests that an authentic form of CL has long existed in the foundations of Vietnamese education. The reasons why Western-based CL is encouraged can be attributed to false universalism (the belief that a practice that originated from elsewhere can be “cloned” with similar results) and neo-colonialism (the perpetuation of a colonial mindset under the pressure of financial loans). While an adjusted form of CL has been suggested by previous studies to make CL culturally appropriate, this paper argues that a true hybrid form of CL which takes into account the authentic CL will have more potential to make this method not only culturally but institutionally appropriate. The paper indicates a strong need to identify and incorporate indigenous practice in the process of educational reform.

Many recent intercultural studies have shown that people cooperate with each other differently across cultures. We argue that cooperative learning (CL), an educational method originating in the USA and with fundamental psychological assumptions based on Western values, should be adjusted to be culturally appropriate for any non‐Western cultures in which it is applied. In the light of this assertion, this paper reports a series of experiments conducted in Vietnamese upper‐secondary schools. One group was provided with a series of lessons designed according to mainstream CL practice. Another group was provided with similar lessons but these were modified so as to be more culturally appropriate in terms of leadership, reward allocation and group composition. Findings show that (1) the role and the type of leadership, although not a key element of mainstream CL theories and practice, proved to be influential; (2) groupings based upon existing friendships, rather than upon cognitive ability, appeared to be important. A key finding was that the group receiving a culturally modified programme appeared to work harder during, and gain more satisfaction from, collaborative learning activities.