Innovating Program Design for Internationalization in Vietnamese Higher Education at CALOHEA National Meeting at University of Medicine and Pharmacy (UMP), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - The University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City (UMP) served as the vibrant host for the last stop for the first round of CALOHEA National Meeting held on 20 - 21 June 2023. This much-anticipated event brought together a total of 307 participants, including esteemed lecturers, university top management, governmental agencies, employers, and enthusiastic students, all with a shared vision of propelling internationalization efforts in Vietnamese Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

The CALOHEA National Meeting created a dynamic platform for exchanging knowledge, insights, and best practices in the implementation of CALOHEA Recognition Mechanisms (RMs). With a strong focus on enhancing learning outcomes and fostering a holistic approach to program and curriculum design, the meeting aimed to accelerate the internationalization journey of Vietnamese HEIs by showcasing the comparable learning outcomes/programs.

The event kicked off with an atmosphere of excitement and collaboration as Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ngô Quốc Đạt, Secretary of the Board of Trustees and Vice Rector of UMP, delivered his inspiring opening remarks. He highlighted the developmental focus of UMP, the importance of internationalization, and the role of CALOHEA in shaping the future of Vietnamese HEIs. He also emphasized the need for comprehensive approaches to learning outcomes, guided by CALOHEA RMs, to ensure graduates are well-prepared for the global stage.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Saiful Bahri Yusoff, Coordinator of Medicine Subject Area Group of CALOHEA, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ngô Quốc Đạt, Secretary of the Board of Trustees and Vice Rector of UMP

Throughout the meeting, participants engaged in lively discussions and interactive sessions, sharing their experiences, challenges, and success stories. The dialogue revolved around the practical implementation of CALOHEA RMs, with a particular focus on aligning program and curriculum design with international standards. One of the highlights of the CALOHEA National Meeting was the knowledge-sharing session led by the CALOHEA delegates from the project consortium in various subject areas. They showcased the impact and outcomes achieved through the usage of CALOHEA RMs, shedding light on the transformative power of these mechanisms in driving internationalization efforts. In light of the session, the speaker emphasizes the importance of clear program equivalences, recognizing student workload, transparency, trust, and implementing authentic assessment and a recognition system to enhance competency-based achievement in higher education.

In addition to the valuable insights from CALOHEA project members, esteemed guest speakers from industry partners and students contributed to the dialogue. Their presentations focused on the opportunities and challenges in internationalizing Vietnamese HEIs, offering valuable perspectives and sparking fruitful discussions among participants. The speakers emphasize the importance of collaboration and a common understanding in improving internationalization and recognition of higher education, discussing the focus on competency-based education, quality assurance, assessment, and student feedback in Vietnamese higher education, as well as the process of creating a consensus framework for teacher education and civil engineering.

Policy Dialogue Session

The second day of the meeting featured interactive workshops in three subject areas (Civil Engineering, Teacher Education, and Medicine), providing participants with practical tools and strategies for effective implementation of CALOHEA RMs. Through engaging activities and collaborative exercises, attendees gained a deeper understanding of how to align their programs and curricula with CALOHEA products, ensuring a holistic and comparable study programme intended to enrich educational experience for students.

Workshop at CALOHEA National Meeting at UMP (Medicine Subject Area Group)

Additionally, the workshop also focuses on identifying and examining the current state of Vietnamese higher education regarding the development and practice of all Recognition Mechanisms. Through the workshop, the project members are able to propose recommendation for future implementation of CALOHEA RMs, for example, distributing CALOHEA assessment framework through national network and engage with regulators, creating campaigns to raise the awareness of lecturers concerning workload measurement, and carefully designing assessment rubrics for Authentic Assessment by considering the overall results of students of various cohorts.

CALOHEA International Delegates and CALOHEA Members at UMP

As the CALOHEA National Meeting at UMP concluded, the event served as a testament to the commitment of Vietnamese HEIs in embracing internationalization and preparing students for success in an increasingly interconnected world through comparable degree programmes. With the implementation of CALOHEA RMs and the collective efforts of educators, administrators, and stakeholders, Vietnamese HEIs are poised to make significant strides in their internationalization journey.

CALOHEA National Meeting will continue until the end of 2023 under “CALOHEA Capacity Building Programme” across the 7 ASEAN countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, The Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

Stay tuned for more updates and success stories as we continue to shape the future of internationalization in Vietnamese Higher Education through CALOHEA and its impactful initiatives.

Video recording of the Meeting: https://youtu.be/BbaoWXOvJW4
Presentation shared at the Meeting: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Okn7kJBtxfdbE--AnSNmgHactoE576jT?usp=drive_link
For more information regarding CALOHEA, please visit calohea.org