In the context of globalization and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, higher education faces numerous challenges and demands for continuous improvement to meet the evolving needs of the labor market and societal changes. One effective solution to address these challenges is the establishment and maintenance of a robust Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) system, alongside the development of a culture of continuous quality enhancement within higher education institutions. This is an inevitable trend in many countries, including Vietnam, where the education system must continuously innovate to keep pace with international trends and enhance the quality of training. To advance this process, the USAID Partnership for Higher Education Reform project has organized a series of intensive technical support sessions on Academic Monitoring Systems, contributing to the improved efficiency of the Internal Quality Assurance system.

From September 5 to 13, 2024, Professor Victor Borden from Indiana University, an expert with the project, led nine technical support sessions on the Academic Monitoring System (AMS). These sessions were attended by 69 quality assurance officers, dean/deputy dean, and faculty members from universities including the University of Technology, the University of Science under Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM), five member universities under the University of Danang (the UD), as well as the University of Economics and the University of Technology under Vietnam National University-Hanoi (VNU-HN).

Building on the technical guidance from the July 2024 sessions on: (1) Developing program descriptions and assessment plans, (2) Enhancing the effectiveness of stakeholder feedback collection regarding academic programs, (3) Selecting and managing data for program evaluation indicators and (4) Processing and analyzing program evaluation data, the universities have begun making specific adjustments to some of their pilot programs. These adjustments pertain to program learning outcomes, program objectives, outcome matrices, assessment plans, key performance indicators (KPIs) for program effectiveness, and stakeholder feedback surveys aimed at improving program quality. Draft revisions from 10 universities were submitted to project experts for feedback.

During individual working sessions with each university, Professor Victor Borden provided detailed feedback on the revised documents and materials submitted by the universities, including: (a) Program descriptions and assessment plans; (b) Stakeholder feedback surveys; (c) KPI for program evaluation; and (d) Guidelines for assessing learning outcomes and Annual Academic Monitoring Reports (e) Rubrics for program evaluation. Specific feedback was offered on the documents submitted by the institutions as follows:

These supports are not merely theoretical but are tailored to the specific context of each university, offering suggestions for long-term development strategies. VNU-University of Economics and Business, for instance, received guidance in refining the Program description for the Accounting major, with adjustments recommended for measurable learning outcomes, defining specific objectives, and utilizing rubrics to assess program learning outcomes. The university stated that they are in the process of finalizing an evaluation system for all academic programs, and the support from the project is an important step in advancing this effort.

The culture of quality improvement is not only reflected in adherence to procedures and standards but also in the spirit of continuous learning, innovation, and a commitment to ongoing quality enhancement. The USAID Partnership for Higher Education Reform project is playing a key role in fostering this culture within higher education institutions in Vietnam. The quality assurance materials and processes that participating universities are developing will not only be implemented internally but can also be shared with other member universities, contributing to the standardization and improvement of higher education quality, and ultimately, the creation of a high-quality workforce for Vietnam.