The Partnership for Higher Education Reform project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has supported Vietnam’s universities to improve the quality of their academic programs in line with international accreditation standards. Among the standards supported by the project is the ASIIN (Accreditation Agency for Degree Programs in Engineering, Informatics, Natural Sciences, and Mathematics), which was selected based on the needs of participating universities. ASIIN is a prestigious accreditation body within the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). The goal of ASIIN accreditation is to raise the quality of academic programs in Engineering, Technology, Natural Sciences, and Mathematics to international standards, focusing on equipping students with the skills and knowledge needed for the global labor market.
As part of this support, ASIIN experts from Germany have provided in-depth consultations with the University of Information Technology and the University of Science, both under the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNUHCM). Experts conducted detailed analyses of 12 academic programs and made recommendations to improve the quality of four self-assessment reports for programs preparing for ASIIN accreditation. The feedback process involved several rounds to ensure comprehensive preparation before the institutions submitted the self-assessment reports to the ASIIN Committee.
The University of Information Technology submitted its self-assessment report in September 2024 and is preparing for the external evaluation in December 2024. Meanwhile, the University of Science registered for ASIIN accreditation in August 2024, aiming for the external evaluation in March 2025.
The participation and support of ASIIN experts in this process have been crucial, helping universities ensure that their academic programs meet rigorous accreditation criteria. In addition, the intensive work with ASIIN experts has significantly improved the capacity of faculty and staff in ensuring the quality of academic programs to meet international accreditation standards.