On the afternoon of November 28, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) inaugurated the 2025 examination for higher education and pedagogical college accreditors. Nearly 260 candidates nationwide participated in the examination.
Standardizing, enhancing quality, and professionalizing the accreditor workforce
Affirming that this is an event of significant importance for the fundamental and comprehensive reform of education and training currently being implemented by the Party, National Assembly, and Government, Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Chuong - Director General of the Quality Management Authority (MOET) and Chairman of the Accreditor Examination Council, stated:
In recent times, educational quality accreditation in Vietnam has developed strongly. As of October 31, 2025, 204 higher education institutions nationwide have achieved quality accreditation, including 129 institutions achieving second-cycle accreditation; 2,844 training programs have achieved accreditation, including 2,141 programs accredited under domestic standards and 703 programs accredited under foreign standards. Many Vietnamese universities have appeared in prestigious rankings such as QS and THE.
These results are significantly attributed to the workforce of accreditors—those directly involved in external evaluation, consulting on quality improvement, and contributing to building a quality culture within training institutions.
However, Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Chuong also noted that the current development context poses new challenges. Accordingly, the requirement for deep international integration demands that assessment and accreditation approach regional and international standards. Digital transformation in education has led to new training models and management methods, requiring expanded competencies for accreditors. The university autonomy mechanism requires the accreditation system to be truly independent, objective, and transparent. The innovation of training programs, learning outcomes, and program-based accreditation is increasingly expanding and specialized.
In this context, the 2025 accreditor examination is not only an annual activity but also a strategic step toward standardizing and improving the quality and professionalism of the higher education accreditor workforce.
According to Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Chuong, this year's examination is organized with three major objectives. First, to evaluate professional competence, expertise, and professional ethics. An accreditor needs not only knowledge of laws, assessment standards, and external evaluation methods but also: the ability to analyze, synthesize, and critique; the ability to communicate and work with educational institutions; impartiality, objectivity, and integrity; and a sense of responsibility and professional ethics.
Second, to aim toward accreditor standards following international practices. Many countries in the region and the world, such as Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Thailand, have strict examination systems. Vietnam's goal is to gradually achieve compatibility, leading toward mutual recognition in accreditation.
Third, to build a sufficiently strong workforce of accreditors to meet the requirements of the new phase. This ensures that every external evaluation is conducted by a professional team with a solid knowledge foundation, high ethics, and responsibility.
Education quality cannot be higher than the quality of the accreditor workforce
In his opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Chuong also informed that MOET is implementing several important strategic tasks:
Task 1: Completing the legal framework and evaluation standards. This involves reviewing and amending sets of accreditation standards for both institutions and training programs; updating requirements regarding digital transformation, quality assurance, and new program accreditation; and finalizing guidelines for international accreditation and mutual recognition.
Task 2: Enhancing the capacity of the accreditor workforce. This includes strengthening advanced training and specialized fostering; implementing training programs following international standards; and encouraging accreditors to participate in international courses, forums, and conferences.
Task 3: Developing a system of independent and transparent accreditation centers. This involves increasing supervision of the operations of accreditation centers; implementing the public disclosure of accreditation results; and encouraging healthy competition to improve the quality of accreditation services.
Task 4: Promoting digital transformation in quality accreditation. This includes deploying a national database system on accreditation; applying technology in external evaluation work; and building software systems to support the evaluation process, monitoring, and transparency of accreditation results.
Entering the examination, Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Chuong requested the Examination Council and supporting units to organize the exam according to regulations, objectively, seriously, and transparently; to perform proctoring and grading strictly and accurately without errors; and to ensure the legitimate rights of the candidates.
To the candidates, Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Chuong noted that the teachers present today are those who have undergone training, fostering, and have experience in the field of quality accreditation. He expected candidates to participate with a spirit of confidence, seriousness, and honesty; to fully demonstrate their competence, understanding, and professional mettle; and to always remember that an accreditor is not an "inspector-punisher" but a quality creator who promotes improvement and sustainable development within educational institutions.
“I want to emphasize an important message to the future workforce of accreditors: ‘Education quality cannot be higher than the quality of the accreditor workforce.’ Therefore, each accreditor needs to continuously engage in self-study and self-improvement; maintain impartiality, objectivity, and professional ethics; contribute to building social trust in quality accreditation; and accompany universities on their development journey. Accreditation is not just a technical activity; it is also about trust, prestige, and social responsibility,” Prof. Dr. Huynh Van Chuong shared.