20 universities achieved the education quality standard in the first stage of education quality testing, said Dr. Nguyen An Ninh, Director of Department of Testing and Accreditation March 4.

The results were announced in an annual conference, ‘Asia-Pacific Quality Network 2009,’ in Hanoi.

The conference discussed the balance between national needs and international aspirations in assuring higher education quality.

The event attracted 300 delegates, including 50 international guests from 30 countries and 150 chancellors and principles of colleges and universities in Vietnam.

The results were reviewed by the National Appraisal Council and agreed 20 universities achieved the standard though warned that some universities need to improve.

Among the 20 universities are two private universities: Hai Phong and Van Lang universities. Some of the top ten were Polytechnic (Ho Chi Minh City National University), Can Tho, Da Lat, Maritime, and Hanoi Economics, Da Nang Universities.

At the conference, delegates discussed several topics, such as establishing and strengthening systems of institutional quality assurance, networks of national and regional quality assurance, transnational quality assurance and a strategy for ensuring education quality in small countries.

Vietnam now has 110 universities and colleges with units specialized in quality assurance, led by the Hanoi National University, the Ho Chi Minh City National University, and Danang University.

The country plans to have 80 percent of its universities and colleges assessed by quality assurance agencies by 2010.

VietNamNet/SGGP