In March and April 2023, the USAID Partnership for Higher Education Reform project team organized a series of events to support the three partner universities in Vietnam (3Us) in pursuing steps necessary to achieve accreditation for their business degree programs. The US Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) is a globally recognized agency specialized in business program accreditation.
This year, the project has committed to providing technical assistance to support the 3Us as they prepare to engage in the accreditation of their own business-related programs. This targeted technical assistance supported a series of events by specialized experts, including a 3-day training on ACBSP standards and procedures. The overview was held in Hanoi for all three partner universities from 14 to 16 March 2023. Subsequently, each partner university hosted an intensive, multi-day onsite expert instruction on ACBSP procedures for faculty and staff. The purpose of this training was to provide a foundational understanding of the ACBSP standards. The 30 participants included university leaders, heads of academic departments, top administrators of quality assurance departments, internal assessment personnel, and faculty members from nine partner institutions. It is estimated that this series of in-person meetings and related remote consultations will reach over 100 faculty members and university officials as they work to prepare their business programs for ACBSP accreditation. Initial feedback from participant surveys has been very positive. The objective of this activity is to support universities as they seek to meet ACBSP standards, gain international recognition for their academic programs, and work continuously at transforming the quality of Vietnam’s higher education.