In the morning of 04/10/2021, at Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), the Opening Ceremony of the 237th Online/Remote Site Visit AUN-QA Programme Assessment has been taken place. VNU Vietnam Japan University has the first study programme being assessed this time, the Master’s programme in Environmental Engineering (MEE).
The opening ceremony was delivered online with the participation from AUN-QA (ASEAN University Networks Quality Assurance): Dr. Choltis Dhirathiti, ASEAN University Networks (AUN) Executive Director, Prof. Dr. Suzeini Binti Abd Halim, Chief Assessor, AUN-QA Representative, trom AUN-QA Assessors for Master’s programme in Environmental Engineering: Lead Assessor, Assoc. Prof.Dr. Evangeline P. Bautista (Ateneo De Manila University Mathematics, The Philippines), Assessor: Dr. Ir. Johanes Pramana Gentur Sutapa, M.Sc. (Universitas Gadjah Mada Forestry, Indonesia).
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Screenshot image of representatives during the Opening Ceremony.
Vietnam National University, Hanoi had the presense of Assoc.Prof.Dr. Phạm Bảo Sơn, Vice President and leaders VNU Institute of Education Quality Assurance and two universities having programmes during this online/remote site visit which are VNU University of Science and VNU Vietnam Japan University. The Rectorate Board of VNU Vietnam Japan University, Prof.Dr. Furuta Motoo, Rector and two vice rectors, Dr. Nguyen Hoang Oanh and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thi Thanh Tu also joined the ceremony.
Speaking at the event, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Bao Son, VNU Vice President warmly welcomed the Board Secretariat and Assessors of AUN to conduct the online/remote visit assessment for four training programmes at VNU. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, since 2020, AUN-QA have been performing online/remote site visits as part of the AUN-QA Programme Assessment, and, for this year also, especially when Hanoi has started its social distancing policy from July 2021.
The assessment includes two sessions, the interview session will start from 04/10/2021 and finish on 08/10/2021, while live streaming facility visit session is to be conducted by the end of October 2021 to comply with the social distancing policy as the Covid-19 transmission situation in Thanh Xuan district is still complicated.
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Assoc.Prof.Dr. Phạm Bảo Sơn, Vice President of VNU delivered the Opening Remark.
As the consequences of the pandemic, the teaching and learning activites during two years of 2020 and 2021 have had to switch continuously between online and on-site modes. Despite this, VNU has gained some big achievements including being featured in group 101-150 under-50-year-old universities by the QS Under 50 Rankings for the first time; and in group 801 – 1000 best universities globally for the third consecutive time by the QS World University Rankings 2021; and having three academic disciplines, namely Engineering and Technology, Computer Sciences, and Physical Sciences, placed in Group 400 – 600 globally; Computer Sciences, evaluated for the first time, was placed in Group 501 – 600 globally; Physical Sciences was included in Group 601 – 800 globally; Engineering and Technology featured in Group 401 – 500 globally according to Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2021.
The Master’s programme in Environmental Engineering of Vietnam Japan University is one of the first six master’s programmes of the university to open in 2016. According to the organization of VJU, the programme is under the management of Faculty of Advanced Technology and Engineering. The programme is research-oriented, and for its management and establishment, besides the director from VJU, it has one co-director from Ritsumeikan Univesity and one representative from the University of Tokyo coordinating. With the slogan “Meet social requirements toward sustainable environment”, the programme strives to diseminate its core values of High quality, Learning in practice, Internationality, and Social responsibility.
After 06 years of training and 04 batches of graduation, the programme has 33 students graduated with high graduation rate of 97.14%. In research activites, lecturers and students from the programme has published 34 articles in the ISI/Scopus list, receiving more than 10 awards honoring their research achievements. Until now, more than ¼ number of the graduated students (28.57%) has received scholarships for their PhD study in Japan and other countries, for the rest of the students, 100% of them has secured a job after one year of graduation.
In 2021, the Master’s programme in Environmental Engineering is continuously enhanced to have more achievements and success. The improvement plan to overcome the dificulties of the pandemic when implementing the programme such as switching to online mode for almost all activites in teaching and learning, extra-curricular, admission promotion; or receiving Japanese lecturers to VJU, internship in Japan, etc.. includes: i) admission promotion (ii) development of sustainable VN academic staffs, and (iii) strengthening MEE lab management and facilities. It is expected that after this AUN-QA assessment, the MEE programme will receive more acknowledgement for its quality and therefore, will strongly promote its core values in meeting the social needs toward the sustainable development.
In the morning of 04/10/2021, two assessors from AUN-QA, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Evangeline P. Bautista and Dr.Ir. Johanes Pramana Gentur Sutapa interviewed the managers from Faculty of Advanced Technology and Engineering and Master’s programme in Environmental Engineering, and the writing team of Self-Assessment Report (SAR-Team). In the afternoon of the same day, academic staff will join the interview. In the next days, the assessors will continue to meet and interview supporting staff, alumni, employers and students. It is planned that the assessors will meet all the managers and the SAR team for discussion of the results and findings before the closing session on 8/10/2021.
Photo of the interview room with managers from Faculty of Advanced Technology and Engineering and Master’s programme in Environmental Engineering and the writing team of SAR-Team
This is the first time one study programme of Vietnam Japan University is being assessed under AUN- QA criteria. In the strategic development plan of the university towards 2035, 100% of its educational programmes will be assessed based on international quality accreditation standards, the university’s field of Sustainablity Science will rank the first in the nation and have high ranking in Asia. The results of this AUN-QA assessment for MEE programme will play the significant role in the improvement and enhancement of the educational and research quality not only for the programme but the university also, ensuring the international integration needs.