Universities in the Northern Mountainous Region are confident in renewing their curriculum to international standards

Participants experienced educational technologies at QUT (Australia)

Education & Times Newspaper – On June 8 in Quang Ninh province, the Aus4Skills Program held a Course Completion Workshop for an Australia Awards Short Course on “Undergraduate Curriculum Development and Renewal”.

“The course’s participants are 20 leaders, lecturers from Tay Bac University and two subsidiary units of Thai Nguyen University, namely: University of Economics and Business Administration and University of Agriculture and Forestry.

The course objectives were linked to the basic components and activities in curriculum development such as; factors affecting the success of curriculum development and renewal; principles and practical approaches in change leadership and management; new pedagogical methods and linkages supporting the curriculum implementation and critical factors; importance of evaluation and review; organizing creative activities for students and lecturers, etc.

Mr. Michael Sadlon – Aus4Skills Program Director spoke at the Course Completion Workshop

From November 2017, participants have undergone training in Vietnam and two-weeks training in Australia.

Apart from being inspired and having knowledge transferred by senior lecturers from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), which is responsible for building trainees’ capacity in curriculum development and renewal, the university leaders and lecturers from the 3 universities visited and held discussions with other Australian universities’ experts. Through exchanges of views on current issues and preoccupations in the universities, they received helpful mentoring and advice.

With flexible application of knowledge provided by Australian experts, participants have developed application projects in their university relating to regulation systems, programs, curriculum, evaluation and examination, teaching methodologies, etc. at different levels. In addition, they have organized training for colleagues to disseminate knowledge and skills relating to undergraduate curriculum development and renewal.

Dr. Shaun Nykvist in discussion with a participant

Dr. Shaun Nykvist who is Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education, School of Teacher Education and Leadership, Queensland University of Technology (QUT, Australia), and who visited each university to support and mentor participants on their difficulties and limitations, commented: “I felt there was a complete and positive change in the participants. The application projects of the 20 participants have their own value and target curriculum changes at different levels. I am very glad that the participants had a totally new perspective on teaching activities and how to work with students in the future.”

Mr. Do Anh Tai presented on a reform project at the University of Economics and Business Administration (Thai Nguyen University)

“After the course, I am more confident in renewing my university curricula and engaging my colleagues to achieve success. We received good support from Aus4Skills during and even after the course. Like other participants, I was inspired to implement my action plan. I believe that this is the start of a new chapter and I hope these programs will continue in the future.” said Mr. Do Anh Tai, Vice Rector of University of Economics and Business Administration (Thai Nguyen University).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy presented at a group work

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Vice Dean of Foreign Languages Faculty, Tay Bac University, proposed an application project on renovating the final examination and evaluation methods for accurate measurement of students’ quality. She is very excited and optimistic about the project which has been accepted and implemented by university leaders, colleagues, and students.

In the near future, Ms. Thuy plans to analyse student admission assessment methods at the Foreign Language Faculty. The proposed methods are expected to be updated with international standards and be suitable for students from mountainous regions.

Participants, QUT’s lecturers, and Aus4Skills staff at the Certificate Ceremony

Thai Nguyen University has recently signed a cooperation agreement with QUT for upgrading relationships with leadership experts and strengthening linkages between QUT and its subsidiary universities, such as the University of Economics and Business Administration and the University of Agriculture and Forestry.

Tay Bac University is going to sign a cooperation agreement with QUT for promoting reforms in the university’s activities with consultancy support from international education experts.

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Aus4Skills will continue to deliver tailored short-term training to support academic staff and lecturers from universities in the northern mountainous region and inspire course participants as champions in the educational reforms in Vietnam.

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Source: Translation of an article on Education and Times Newspaper