Quality Assurance in Alignment with the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework

Overview & Synopsis

This chapter examines the alignment between national qualifications frameworks (NQF) and quality assurance (QA) systems, with a focus on the Vietnamese context. It begins by reviewing international best practices and guidelines for NQFs and their connection to QA systems. In Vietnam, the Vietnam Qualifications Framework (VQF) was promulgated in 2016, applying to qualifications in both Vocational Education Law and Higher Education Law. The VQF demonstrates the requirement of output-oriented higher education and vocational education qualifications standards and underscores the importance of stakeholders' engagement in its implementation. The quality assurance system of Vietnamese higher education is gradually being adjusted to meet the specific VQF requirements. This chapter outlines key components of VQF, focusing on the higher education level, and outlines the process of its integration into the country's education system. This chapter also describes the process of implementing VQF in higher education and analyzes the relationship between the internal and external quality assurance systems in alignment with VQF. It also clarifies the role of various stakeholders, including ministries, branches, and higher education institutions in the VQF implementation, especially the role of the Ministry of Education and Training in guiding, monitoring, and supervising higher education institutions to implement the VQF. Additionally, the chapter presents policies and best practices for the successful implementation of the VQF in Vietnamese higher education. The final section discusses the challenges faced in the implementation process and proposes appropriate solutions to effectively implement quality assurance activities to meet the VQF requirements. [For the complete volume, "20 Years of Quality Assurance in Vietnamese Higher Education: Retrospective Analysis and Trends for the Future. Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues, Concerns and Prospects. Volume 76," see ED676110.]