The VNUHCM-University of Science had the honour of welcoming a team of international experts from the USAID PHER project on the 30th and 31st of July 2024. The visit aimed to provide direct consultancy sessions to assist the University in preparing for the accreditation process of its training programmes according to international ASIIN standards.

The team of experts from the USAID PHER project included:

– Dr. Iring Wasser – Executive Director of ASIIN e.V.;

– Dr. Phương Tố Tâm – Project Manager;

– Nguyễn Thu Vân – Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer;

– Nguyễn Hồng Hương – Project Officer;

– Other personnel.

Representatives from the University of Science who welcomed the delegation and participated in the consultancy sessions included:

– Assoc. Prof. Nguyễn Minh Triết – Vice President of the University;

– Dr. Trịnh Thanh Đèo – Head of the Educational Testing and Quality Assurance Office;

– The leadership faculty and members from the Faculty of Physics – Engineering Physics, the Faculty of Mathematics – Computer Science, and the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology.

The USAID PHER project, which focused on Modernising Higher Education in Viet Nam, was a five-year programme aimed at enhancing the quality of education at three leading universities in Viet Nam: Ha Noi National University, Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang University. The project’s objective was to support the universities in becoming more sustainable and autonomous, improving governance, enhancing academic quality, and advancing research and innovation capabilities. It fell under the University Education Development Support Framework of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which provided Viet Nam with non-refundable technical assistance, with Indiana University in the USA acting as the executing agency.

According to the planned timeline, eight training programmes from the University will undergo ASIIN accreditation in March 2025. These programmes are from the Faculty of Physics – Engineering Physics, the Faculty of Mathematics – Computer Science, and the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology.

The direct consultant was Dr. Iring Wasser, a prominent figure in the field of technical education accreditation, who has served as Executive Director of ASIIN e.V. for nearly 25 years. Dr. Wasser held various leadership positions within international quality assurance networks and made significant contributions to shaping standards and accreditation processes, ensuring high educational quality and professional standards for the accreditation of higher educational institutions and programmes in STEM fields.

After two days of intensive and productive work, Dr. Wasser provided positive feedback regarding the Faculties he had directly consulted. Based on his observations and recommendations, the Faculties indicated that they would continue to make adjustments in preparation for the accreditation scheduled for the following year.

Sincere thanks is extended to Dr. Iring Wasser and the delegation from the USAID PHER project for their support of VNUHCM-University of Science during the two-day working session.