Academic staff quality and the role of quality assurance mechanisms: the Vietnamese case

Abstract

Quality assurance in higher education has been introduced in Vietnam to improve the quality of the entire sector. Academics are considered key players in the reform plan of the Vietnamese government. This paper discusses the development of the Vietnamese quality assurance approach in higher education reform and how it could be further developed to improve higher education based on an analysis of current practices related to academic staff development. Data collected from documentation and in-depth interviews with thirty-six participants from three universities have been analysed for patterns and themes. The results indicate that assuring the academic staff quality in Vietnam is an urgent need. The role of the quality assurance approach, however, seems to be limited in this aspect. Therefore, it is suggested that the Vietnam quality assurance policies be re-visited to ensure that minimum standards are maintained and to promote institutional commitment to improve the quality of higher education.