Opening Ceremony for Institutional Quality Accreditation According to QAA Standards (UK) at HUST

This morning (January 13), Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) commenced the external assessment of institutional quality according to the standards of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) of the United Kingdom.

The opening ceremony was attended by Prof. Huynh Van Chuong - Director of the Vietnam Education Quality Management Agency (MOET); Mr. James Shipton - Director of the British Council in Vietnam; from Hanoi University of Science and Technology, there was Assoc. Prof. Huynh Quyet Thang - President of HUST, along with the Board of Presidency. For this assessment, the QAA delegation includes 4 participating experts.

Aiming for International Quality Assurance Standards

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Huynh Quyet Thang - President of HUST - emphasized the University's goals in its strategy to enhance training quality and university governance according to international practices.

The HUST President expressed appreciation for the support from regulatory agencies and international partners, especially the Vietnam Education Quality Management Agency (MOET) and the British Council, affirming: "The assessment activity implemented within the framework of the project coordinated by the British Council and the Vietnam Education Quality Management Agency is a valuable initiative, creating an important foundation for higher education institutions to learn, self-assess, and foster quality assurance capacity."
  According to Assoc. Prof. Huynh Quyet Thang, quality assurance at HUST is a long-term, continuous, and strategic process. Participating in the external assessment according to QAA standards gives the University the opportunity to benchmark against global best practices and identify priority areas for improvement in the near future.

On behalf of the British Council in Vietnam, Mr. James Shipton congratulated Hanoi University of Science and Technology on becoming one of the first higher education institutions in Vietnam to participate in quality assessment according to QAA standards.

He stated that the Memorandum of Understanding between the British Council and the Vietnam Education Quality Management Agency identifies five main areas of cooperation, in which quality assurance and accreditation is a key category aimed at promoting the international integration of Vietnamese higher education.
  According to Mr. Shipton, to reach this official assessment stage, HUST has carried out many preparatory steps implemented since 2024. The British Council representative thanked the parties for their close coordination and expressed expectations for positive results from this assessment.

At the opening ceremony, Mr. Alan David Weale - Coordinator of QAA assessment and accreditation processes and a member of the Assessment Team - introduced an overview of the UK's quality assurance agency and the specifics of the assessment method. According to him, QAA's International Quality Review (IQR) process is designed to check the ability to meet the 10 standards of the criteria set and benchmark against the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) for quality assurance.

Mr. Alan David Weale shared that the focus of the assessment team's work is to review the internal mechanisms the University uses to monitor quality, collect feedback, ensure output standards, and compare with industry practices. Therefore, during the three working days, the delegation will conduct exchanges with leaders, staff, lecturers, students, and stakeholders to verify evidence and assess the reliability of information.
  "We expect the discussions to be academic, open, useful, and that the assessment results can support the university in strengthening its quality assurance system," the QAA assessment team representative expressed.

HUST's Solid Quality Management Foundation

Throughout its development, Hanoi University of Science and Technology has always considered quality assurance and improvement as a consistent strategy. The University has implemented the ISO quality management system since 2010 and applied the ISO 21001:2018 standard since 2019, building a quality assurance system based on a three-level model: University - School - Faculty, with goals and plans concretized for each academic year.

Currently, about 150 university-level quality management processes are being implemented synchronously across key areas such as: Admissions, training, scientific research, student affairs/learner support, etc.

HUST's training programs are all recognized for their long-standing academic reputation with an orientation towards meeting output standards. As of January 2026, the University has 52 training programs assessed by international education quality accreditation organizations such as AUN-QA, CTI, ASIIN, and AQAS.

In April 2024, Hanoi University of Science and Technology officially achieved the Cycle 2 institutional accreditation certification from HCÉRES (France). The certification from HCÉRES is recognition of full and strict compliance with international education quality standards, including: Strategic management and governance; Research, innovation, and science-to-life policies; and Education, learner, and environment policies.
  HUST's partnership with QAA in implementing institutional-level quality assessment continues to affirm the University's strong commitment to ensuring and continuously improving the quality of higher education according to international practices.

Through the assessment process according to QAA standards, Hanoi University of Science and Technology has the opportunity to comprehensively review its internal quality assurance system, thereby identifying strengths and areas needing further improvement, and building a quality enhancement plan for the next phase. Simultaneously, it strengthens cooperative relationships with UK partners, opening up opportunities for academic exchange, joint training, student transfer, and enhanced research cooperation in the future.

The institutional quality accreditation according to QAA (UK) standards at Hanoi University of Science and Technology is an activity within the framework of the project "Promoting quality assurance and accreditation of higher education in Vietnam towards international integration." The project is implemented through coordination between the British Council and the Vietnam Education Quality Management Agency, Ministry of Education and Training, within the framework of the Memorandum of Collaboration signed between the British Council and the Ministry of Education and Training in October 2021.