Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City receives QAA accreditation

Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH) in Vietnam has successfully completed its International Quality Review (IQR) and has been awarded global quality accreditation by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

IQR comprises a rigorous process which benchmarks global higher education institutions against international quality assurance standards set out in Part 1 of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).

The review visit was conducted on 24-26 March 2026 by a team of three independent reviewers (including a student reviewer) appointed by QAA. The team concluded that Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City meets the standards for International Quality Review and may therefore be granted QAA accreditation. 

The Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City was originally founded as Go Vap Vocational School by Don Bosco priests in 1956, and was officially recognized as a university in 2004. It has grown into one of the largest education and training institutions in Vietnam, with 38 undergraduate programmes serving more than 39,000 students, 16 master's programmes serving more than 600 students, and 11 doctoral programmes serving more than 200 students.

The IQR report identifies six areas of good practice, and makes seven recommendations for enhancement.

The report notes the following features of good practice:

• The institutionally integrated approach to outcomes-based programme design, stakeholder-informed curriculum development, systematic benchmarking, and formal academic governance processes, all within a single, coherent, and highly effective framework.
• The institutionally embedded student-centred learning framework that integrates outcomes-based education, student engagement mechanisms, stakeholder input, digital learning infrastructure, and academic support systems within a coherent, consistently applied approach.
• The highly effective, institutionally embedded academic workforce framework, which enables consistent management of staff competence and provides a strong foundation for maintaining academic standards.
• The extensive range of high-quality learning resources that support active learning strategies.
• The Key Performance Indicator Dashboard and its effective use as a dynamic decision support tool and data driven management instrument.
• The strategically integrated, institutionally embedded approach to cyclical external quality assurance that goes beyond baseline expectations, enabling the systematic translation of external review outcomes into measurable programme enhancements and institutional learning.

The report makes the following recommendations to Industrial University Ho Chi Minh City:

• Develop and implement a systematic approach to documenting stakeholder feedback and its impact on programme approval and reapproval decisions for postgraduate and doctoral programmes.

• Strengthen the approach to recording systematically evidence of teaching enhancement across the institution to effectively demonstrate how student feedback and other evaluation sources inform curriculum development and teaching practices. 

• Engage with the new Vietnamese National Qualifications Framework to develop a comprehensive policy on accreditation of prior learning.

• Enhance the systematic use and demonstration of feedback and performance data within the academic workforce framework by clearly showing how information from staff evaluations, student feedback, and professional development activities is used to foster continuous improvement and inform institutional decision-making.
• Strengthen support arrangements for students with learning disabilities.

• Strengthen English translation on the University website to support the institution’s strategic approach to internationalisation.

• More clearly articulate and formalise, within its institutional documentation, the distinction between ongoing monitoring and periodic review processes.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Phan Hong Hai, President of Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, said: 'IUH would like to express our sincere gratitude to our dedicated colleagues, the QAA review team, and especially the British Council, the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training, and the Vietnam Quality Assurance Agency for their invaluable support. Achieving this QAA international quality recognition is a significant milestone, perfectly marking our University's 70th Anniversary. The review process was truly a positive learning experience, providing constructive insights that will guide our continuous improvement and commitment to global standards as we celebrate seven decades of excellence.'

Sam Booth-Malone, QAA’s International Quality and Enhancement Manager, added: 'QAA is pleased to congratulate Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City on its successful completion of its International Quality Review. We have very much enjoyed working with our colleagues in Vietnam, and we look forward to collaborating with them in the future.'

By securing accreditation from QAA, institutions can clearly highlight their quality and standards internationally, and more easily start dialogues with institutions beyond their own regions. You can read Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City's full IQR report on our website, where you can also find out more about International Quality Accreditation and QAA International Membership. If you are interested in your institution seeking accreditation or international membership, and wish to discuss this further, please contact the QAA Global team at accreditation@qaa.ac.uk