VIETNAM: 237 institutions complete self-assessment

VIETNAM: 237 institutions complete self-assessment

05 December 2010 Issue: 150  According to the Ministry of Education and Training, 237 universities and junior colleges in Vietnam, including 100 universities, have completed self-assessment, reports VietNamNet Bridge. The ministry hopes that by 2015-20, 90% to 95% of schools will have completed the self-assessment process and will transfer to a new period of being assessed and accredited by outside organisations. The ministry's decision that universities and colleges must be assessed and accredited is part of a programme to build a 'quality culture' in higher education. Considering the high number of institutions that have finished the self-assessment process, there seems reason for optimism. However, some are worried about the quality of the self-assessment because it has been done rapidly. According to Professor Nguyen Mau Banh, a member of the council for quality assessment, it takes foreign universities at least 18 months to assess themselves and fix problems before they register to have their training service verified and accredited. It took universities in Vietnam only six months to do that. Full report on the VietNamNet site