Criteria for Accreditation in Vietnam’s Higher Education: Focus on Input or Outcome?

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyse the development of accreditation standards and processes in Vietnam and to offer recommendations for the further progress of Vietnam’s accreditation model. The authors first provide contextual details of the higher education system and then present the conceptual framework of quality assurance in relation to input, process and outcome. Third, the development process of quality assurance and accreditation in Vietnam’s higher education system is described and analysed, including cross‐national influences from the US accreditation model. In the final section, a synthesis of the entire Vietnam accreditation process and its implications is followed by recommendations that can be used to inform future policies and procedures.

Keywords:

• accreditation standards
• quality assurance
• accreditation processes
• Vietnam accreditation