Following its success in securing the internationally-recognized QS 5-star quality rating in 2022, British University Vietnam (BUV) has achieved another internationally-recognized quality classification: attaining university-wide accreditation from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA).

BUV has set new records in Vietnam and the international education sector, including being the first and only university in Vietnam awarded QAA university-wide accreditation, being one of only 22 universities outside of the UK to achieve such accreditation, and being the first university in the ASEAN region to be granted such accreditation.

The heritage and quality of the UK’s education system is acknowledged throughout the world, being home to many high-quality and historically-recognized universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, and the University of London.

QAA regulates the performance of all universities in the UK as well as those delivering British higher degree programs elsewhere in the world. In short, it guards the heritage and maintains the high level of quality that makes the UK education system one of the very best. To earn recognition as being QAA quality assured, BUV completed the International Quality Review (IQR), a rigorous procedure that benchmarks global higher education institutions against the UK’s international quality assurance standards, achieving the highest level of performance in all ten categories.

This result is an extension of BUV’s existing position of holding QAA accreditation for its programs and training quality to now being fully accredited at a university-wide level. The latest QAA assessment for BUV recognizes its outstanding accomplishments in all academic aspects. QAA also offered a special commendation to BUV for operations in three specific areas of best practice, which include:(1) Significant employer engagement and connections with civic society being actively facilitated by all internal stakeholders, including students; (2) Opportunities and support for students in preparing for, identifying, and participating in work placements and internships, as formal components of programs and as extracurricular activities, greatly enhance job readiness and employability. (3) Certified and comprehensive personal development programs that enhance students’ broader knowledge and personal development help define graduate attributes.

“It is with great pleasure that we announce that British University Vietnam has successfully completed our International Quality Review,” said Mr. Chris Bland, QAA’s Head of Accreditation and Consultancy. “It is to their credit that they become the first university in Vietnam to achieve this recognition. I hope this is the beginning of a deep relationship with BUV and that we can work together on other activities.”

According to Professor Raymond Gordon, Vice-Chancellor and President of British University Vietnam, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations between Vietnam and the UK. Since its inception, BUV has contributed to the strength of the relationship between the two nations and will continue to do so. “BUV will continue to contribute resources to the Vietnamese Government’s education priorities,” he said. “Receiving the highest level of accreditation from both QS and QAA is a result of the University’s goal to invest in a world-class higher education learning environment in Vietnam.”

In the immediate future, BUV will focus on activities ranging from continuing to align its academic curriculum to the practical needs of Vietnam’s labor market; continuing to provide students with internship opportunities in a wide range of industries and positions; striving to maintain its 100 per cent record of students attaining employment or moving on to higher studies within three months of graduation; completing the third phase of its campus construction by 2028, with a planned total investment of more than $165 million; expanding its market reach and services throughout Vietnam; attracting international students and academics to Vietnam; facilitating high-quality research on Vietnam’s economic and social priorities; and increasing access to British degree programs through a Scholarship and Financial Aid Fund worth billions of VND.

BUV’s mission is to develop highly-employable graduates who are first and foremost good human beings with an ethic of kindness and caring. Graduates will also be cross-disciplinary in skills and language; innovative, imaginative, and respectfully confident; and committed to continuous learning and development. BUV expects all of its staff, students, and stakeholders to be courteous and care about the well-being of others, and to respect their environment and be socially and culturally inclusive.

In short, BUV is committed to bilateral relations between Vietnam and the UK and will continue to turn young Vietnamese students into talented and respectful adults that are confident and caring but most importantly prepared to lead the way and thrive in a challenging and exciting future in which the jobs and roles they play are yet to be invented.