On February 4, 2026, Assoc.Prof.Dr. Pham Bao Son, Vice President of Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), held a meeting and working session with a delegation from the ASEAN University Network (AUN), led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanapan Laiprakobsup, Executive Director of AUN.
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This visit marked Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanapan Laiprakobsup’s first visit to Vietnam National University, Hanoi since his appointment as Executive Director of AUN at the 40th AUN Board of Trustees Meeting in July 2025. Through the visit, AUN sought to strengthen connections with one of the network’s core members, while introducing the leadership team of the AUN Secretariat and sharing AUN’s strategic directions and key priorities for the coming period.
At the meeting, AUN representatives presented a number of strategic cooperation initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality and sustainability of higher education in Southeast Asia. Notably, AUN is developing an Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) toolkit based on practical experiences from Viet Nam, with the goal of supporting higher education institutions in building effective quality governance systems that are capable of continuous improvement and long-term adaptability. In parallel, the AUN-QX Programme continues to be implemented using an outcome-based education approach, emphasizing comprehensive assessment of learner competencies and providing a foundation for the mutual recognition of credits and qualifications within the ASEAN region.
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanapan Laiprakobsup, in the context of accelerating digital transformation, AUN has identified digital transformation and technology governance as strategic pillars, including the development of frameworks for information technology governance and artificial intelligence governance in higher education. In addition, the English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) initiative is being given particular attention through cooperation with Macquarie University (Australia), aimed at strengthening faculty capacity for delivering discipline-specific instruction in English across the network. AUN also continues to implement quality assessment activities at the institutional level, thereby contributing to enhanced university governance capacity and comprehensive quality assurance.
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VNU Vice President Pham Bao Son reaffirmed that VNU has always regarded AUN as a key strategic partner and takes pride in being one of the network’s active members, making significant contributions to its development for more than 25 years. In the field of quality assurance, VNU is currently among the regional pioneers, with over 30 academic programmes accredited under AUN-QA standards. In 2026 alone, VNU plans to continue implementing quality assessments for an additional 10 programmes according to a defined roadmap.
Regarding the internationalization of education, VNU is implementing a large-scale project to expand English-taught programmes, with the goal that approximately 60% of STEM programmes will be delivered in English. This initiative aligns closely with AUN’s EMI agenda as well as global trends in higher education development. In terms of student exchange and academic engagement, VNU expressed strong interest in AUN initiatives, including the AUN Summer Camp, and is willing to explore the possibility of hosting such activities in the future to enhance student mobility and exchange within the ASEAN region and with partners such as Japan.
Both sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation in developing and refining new quality standards, particularly those related to artificial intelligence and digital technologies in higher education. On this occasion, AUN leadership cordially invited VNU to participate in upcoming key events of the network, including the IRO Conference at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore in April and the AUN Executive Committee Meeting in Singapore in July 2026.
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