Fourth Vietnamese higher education institution achieves ABET accreditation through the support of ASU-implemented public-private partnerships.
The ABET evaluation team and International University’s Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering program teams during on-site ABET Evaluation
As the latest higher education institution in Vietnam to achieve ABET program accreditation, BUILD-IT partner International University - Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City (IU) has joined an elite group of institutions with quality academic programs recognized throughout the world. On August 29th, two programs at IU, Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, announced their achievements of ABET accreditation. Only three other institutions in Vietnam currently have ABET accredited academic programs: Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Cao Thang Technical College, and Duy Tan University, for a total of 8 ABET accredited programs now available to students in Vietnam. Three of the four institutions achieved this milestone through the progressive support of ASU implemented public-private partnerships and support of USAID.
The first ASU led Alliance, HEEAP (Higher Engineering Education Alliance Project), initially sponsored by Intel and USAID, focused on improvement in Higher Education pedagogy and curriculum reform. The companion project, VULII (Vocational University Leadership and Innovation Institute) provided the strategic planning and change implementation training at all levels of the institution including ministry officials, university rectors and administration, and program faculty leaders. And finally, the BUILD-IT Alliance (Building University Learning and Development through Innovation and Technology) incorporated an emphasis on industry based-curriculum and applied project-based learning necessary for critical workforce development, while also preparing leadership for success as autonomous universities. This progressive approach has built a strong foundation for university and program level accreditation - now strongly on the rise in Vietnam.
ABET is an American nonprofit organization that accredits college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology worldwide. ABET accreditation provides evidence that a collegiate program has met standards essential to produce graduates ready to enter critical STEM fields. Accreditation validates that education programs are implementing robust assessment and evaluation systems which spur continuous program improvement and trust among educational stakeholders.
IU conducted their official ABET evaluation during a site visit in December 2018. During the visit, ABET’s evaluators examined the quality assurance mechanisms for IU’s Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering programs. The evaluators assessed nine areas of program quality; student experience; educational objectives; student outcomes; continuous improvement mechanisms; curriculum; faculty; facilities; institutional support; and applicable program criteria.
ABET evaluator exploring International University laboratory
Since 2016, IU has collaborated with the BUILD-IT Alliance to standardize IU's internal quality assurance mechanism, reinforce continuous improvement processes, expand industry advisory boards, and strengthen outcomes-based teaching, learning, and assessment to meet ABET’s stringent program quality standards.
Dr. Scott Danielson, Arizona State University Associate Professor and BUILD-IT Lead for Quality and Accreditation Activities, shared that,
“Their careful preparations and positive interactions with the evaluation team helped IU attain a successful evaluation and resulting recognition. BUILD-IT recognizes that favorable accreditation results reflect the hard work of all of those who worked on continuous improvement processes, prepared their self-study report and participated in the evaluation visit. I applaud the commitment of faculty and staff who support the programs, the university leaders, the students, and the impressive graduates of each program.”
International University student practicing in the Biomedical Engineering laboratory
Following the announcement, Dr. Tran Tien Khoa, Rector of International University, shared that,
"As a result, graduates from IU's ABET-accredited programs now have advantages – both locally and internationally – for enhanced employment opportunities and continued higher education after completing our ABET accredited programs.”
Proud of the shared accomplishment, Dr. Kathy Wigal, BUILD-IT Alliance Director shared that, “Accomplishing ABET accreditation means reaching the gold standard of international accreditation in STEM and demonstrates the dedication and efforts of IU’s leaders, faculty members and staff towards meeting global standards through educational innovation and continuous improvement.”
Why ABET is important
The ABET evaluation provides assurance that a college or university program meets the essential quality standards to produce graduates ready to enter their professions in STEM fields. Achieving ABET is a key to open door of opportunities not only for students and graduates, but also for faculty, institutions and industries.
For students, the benefits lie in having a well-rounded education, enhancing employment opportunities, and continuing higher education after acquiring college or bachelor degrees. By participating in programs recognized by ABET, students develop academic and technical skills, and are furnished with experiences that nurture aptitude in the 21st century skills—critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork. Through these ABET-accredited programs students participate in experiential learning through applied, project-based curriculum, and opportunities for site visits, field trips, and competitions designed to encourage students to practice their skills and solve real-world problems. Graduates from an ABET-accredited program have a solid educational foundation and are capable of leading the way in innovation, emerging technologies, and in anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public. Furthermore, since ABET accreditation is recognized worldwide through international agreements as evidence that a collegiate program has met standards essential to produce graduates ready to enter the critical fields of STEM education, graduates will see expanded job opportunities open up to them, not only locally but globally.
For prospective employers, ABET accreditation assures, through assessment and continuous improvement processes, that graduates have received a quality education and are capable of performing a broad range of professional responsibilities. This results in greater opportunity for businesses to recruit work-ready graduates with employable skills, and shorter, more cost effectiveness training once hired. In countries such as the United States, ABET accreditation is essential for a successful program.
For faculty and leadership of universities, the process of preparing for ABET evaluation provides a great journey of learning, innovating, experimenting, and adopting up-to-date teaching practices. Under insightful university leadership, with industry input and feedback for training programs on their learning outcomes and training facilities, faculty learn about new technology and stay current with industry requirements for the future STEM workforce.
Learn more how USAID BUILD-IT Alliance transforms higher education in Vietnam via:
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