Being Here, Now.

When I began my study trip to Vietnam as a fellow of the United Board for Christian Higher Education for the cohort 2021 to 2022, I thought my goals were straightforward. I wanted to understand how Vietnam National University University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City, known as VNU HCM USSH, ensures academic quality, and I hoped to learn how Vietnamese universities approach internationalization. I expected to return home with frameworks and comparisons that would refine my work at Ateneo de Davao University.

But once I arrived in Vietnam, walking through national university campuses, riding through Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi on motorbikes, and visiting classrooms, cafes, and museums, I realized my learning would stretch far beyond what I had planned. I encountered the tensions between public and private universities, the striking salary disparities between professors, the impact of Vietnam’s decentralized national university system, and the everyday challenges Vietnamese institutions face. These discoveries, although unexpected, became some of the most meaningful parts of my study trip.

I had chosen VNU HCM USSH precisely because it was different from Ateneo de Davao University, a private Catholic Jesuit institution where I serve as an administrator. VNU HCM USSH, as a member of Vietnam National University, is part of a consolidated system created through deliberate government restructuring. This restructuring aimed to strengthen research, streamline higher education, and combine numerous specialized institutions into a few key universities. This is a landscape very different from the diverse and fragmented higher education system in the Philippines, and understanding that difference became the heart of my visit.

My second study site, FPT University, presented another perspective. As Vietnam’s first private corporate university, FPT exists at the crossroads of industry and education. It was formed under Vietnam’s largest information technology service provider, and its academic programs were designed to produce the human resources needed by the growing technology sector. Moving between VNU HCM USSH and FPT University gave me a more complete picture of Vietnam’s rapidly changing higher education environment.

Quality and Assurance

Throughout my meetings and conversations, I found myself returning to a fundamental question. What does quality in higher education really mean. It is a term used often and confidently, yet it carries many interpretations. The meaning of quality shifts depending on who defines it.

For governments, quality is measured by how well higher education supports national development goals by producing graduates who can contribute to economic and social progress. For industry, quality refers to the readiness of graduates to enter the workforce with strong and relevant skills. Students and faculty, on the other hand, see quality through the immediate realities of teaching, learning, research opportunities, and campus conditions. Administrators understand quality in terms of governance, coherence, institutional sustainability, and mission alignment.

Universities must navigate all of these expectations at once. Their mission and identity emerge from how they balance these pressures.

At VNU HCM USSH, the presence of state influence is very clear. As part of a national university system, the institution does not define quality only on its own terms. Its identity is connected to the expectations of the central government. Yet what struck me was how the university exercises academic freedom even within this structure. I saw how they differentiate between meeting government requirements and pursuing their own standards of excellence. Quality, for them, is not a fixed benchmark but an ongoing effort shaped by state goals, internal aspirations, and the nature of each discipline.

This tension is not unfamiliar to Ateneo de Davao University. Although we operate within a private and mission driven framework, we also balance the expectations of regulatory bodies, industries, parents, and the communities we serve in Mindanao. The Vietnamese context allowed me to see our own situation from a different angle.

My most significant insight regarding this topic was the understanding that quality assurance is essentially about assurance. Before a university can claim excellence, it must be certain that it delivers what it promises. At VNU HCM USSH, I witnessed the seriousness with which they conduct internal quality control. They rely on self assessments, surveys, and structured reviews of faculty performance, student preparedness, research output, and the overall condition of campus facilities. Many of the challenges they face, including uneven faculty performance, shifting labor markets, and aging infrastructure, are very similar to our experiences in the Philippines.

The second part of assurance is directed outward. Universities must demonstrate to regulatory agencies, partners, and the public that they meet accepted standards of academic quality. For VNU HCM USSH, this includes accreditation from both local and international bodies such as ABET and AUN QA. Their commitment to external assessment made me understand more deeply how essential global benchmarking has become.

Ateneo de Davao University has a strong history of local accreditation, yet my visit made it clear that we must also strengthen our international quality assurance practices. This is essential not only for partnerships and recognition but also for our responsibility to the communities we serve.

Internationalization for Local Impacts

Internationalization is often presented as a universal concept, but my study trip revealed how deeply dependent it is on local context. At VNU HCM USSH, international partnerships often arise naturally. As a national university with wide academic offerings, strong enrollment, and government support, VNU HCM USSH is an attractive partner for institutions around the world. This creates a pattern of internationalization that I describe as arriving as opportunities come.

This is not a passive approach. Rather, the university’s position within a national system provides structural advantages that private universities in the Philippines do not always have. Seeing this highlighted for me the need for Ateneo de Davao University to approach internationalization with intentionality and clear alignment with our mission.

Vietnam’s national government frames internationalization through the goals of human resource development, geopolitical strategy, economic strengthening, and nation building. Institutions are encouraged to pursue partnerships that support these goals. Many universities in Vietnam and in other countries structure their internationalization around global reputation, income generation, academic competition, and increased program quality.

However, I noticed that socio cultural considerations often receive less emphasis. The deeper purpose of internationalization, which is to build cultural understanding, nurture relationships, and strengthen communities, can easily be overshadowed by economic and reputational motivations.

This is where Ateneo de Davao University stands apart. We have long understood that Mindanao’s complex history of conflict has shaped perceptions of safety. Instead of allowing this to limit our aspirations, we grounded our internationalization strategy in our identity as a Mindanao based Jesuit university. Our approach emphasizes relationship building, cultural engagement, and service to our communities. It is an internationalization that enriches our local mission and strengthens our rootedness.

Learning from Vietnamese institutions confirmed for me that internationalization must be intentionally designed. It cannot simply follow global trends. It must reflect institutional identity, respond to local needs, and honor the sociocultural context in which the institution operates. If higher education is to remain a social project that contributes to economic, political, social, and cultural transformation, then internationalization must support this mission. It must be a guiding principle, not an isolated activity.

Innovations Needed, Opportunities Embraced

The challenges facing higher education today require innovation. My visits to VNU HCM USSH and FPT University prompted me to imagine new possibilities for Ateneo de Davao University. One idea is the creation of a dedicated center for international education that would manage mobility programs, visas, experiential learning initiatives, and transnational partnerships. Another idea is the establishment of a bureau under quality assurance focused specifically on global accreditation and ranking initiatives.

These ideas are emerging alongside concrete partnerships. Ateneo de Davao University is preparing a one month intensive English program for FPT University that combines language learning with cultural immersion in Mindanao. Our School of Arts and Sciences is also exploring joint learning and service learning programs with VNU HCM USSH. These collaborations reflect our vision of internationalization that strengthens local identity and impact.

Gratitude and Rediscovery

Beyond academic insights, my most lasting memories of Vietnam are personal. Professors welcomed me warmly and took time to share their cities with me, often by motorbike. I learned as much in museums, cafes, and side streets as I did in meetings and formal interviews.

Vietnam’s history, shaped by war, division, and resilience, influences its universities and its people. Understanding this context gave depth to my appreciation of the institutions I visited. It also reminded me of the resilience and strength found in Mindanao’s communities.

This rare opportunity from the United Board broadened my understanding of higher education and invited me to reflect on my role as a university administrator. It reminded me that our work is rooted in a mission drawn from the life of the Church, one that calls us to the joy of truth and the light we are asked to share.

For this rediscovery, and for the generosity of those who made it possible, I am profoundly grateful.