Nguyen Tat Thanh University Has Four Academic Programs Awarded UPM Star Ratings

NTTU – On the morning of March 24, the University Performance Metrics (UPM) benchmarking and ranking system for universities in Vietnam and the region announced its star-rating results and presented certificates to four academic programs at Nguyen Tat Thanh University that met the UPM standards.

Representing the UPM Educational Quality Benchmarking System were Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Duc, former Vice President of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and Founding Chairman of UPM; and Dr. Stephen Holmes, an expert from 4Ps Partnership, Singapore, and a member of the UPM Advisory Board. Representing Nguyen Tat Thanh University were Ms. Nguyen Mai Lan, Chairwoman of the University Council; Dr. Tran Ai Cam, President of the University; together with members of the Board of Management, university leaders, and heads and deputy heads of faculties and administrative departments across the University.

In 2020, after a period of studying the standards of the UPM Educational Quality Benchmarking System, conducting benchmarking, and implementing self-improvement activities, Nguyen Tat Thanh University received a 4-star rating under the UPM system in August 2020. Building on this achievement, the University boldly implemented the UPM standards for its academic programs. As a result, all four participating academic programs successfully met the UPM standards, receiving 4-star and 3-star ratings as follows:

• Accounting – 4 stars
• Finance and Banking – 4 stars
• Information Technology – 4 Stars Plus
• Restaurant Management and Food Service – 3 stars

Nguyen Tat Thanh University is currently the first and only private university in Vietnam to have multiple academic programs awarded UPM star ratings under the application-oriented university framework.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Duc highly praised the efforts and development direction of Nguyen Tat Thanh University. According to the UPM evaluation, the University is actively “pursuing” a highly proactive strategy for quality governance and institutional branding. The University is committed to its educational philosophy of “learning through practice, practical training, and career readiness,” while fostering a dynamic spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation. In addition, several key indicators—including student satisfaction, graduate employment, and international publications—also showed very positive results.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Duc, Former Vice President of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and Founding Chairman of UPM

Receiving the recognition for the quality assessment of the four academic programs and the institution itself, Ms. Nguyen Mai Lan, Chairwoman of the University Council, expressed her sincere gratitude for the dedicated guidance and support provided by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Duc and the members of the UPM Educational Quality Benchmarking System. She also expressed her hope that, in the coming years, the University community would continue striving to improve quality with the goal of achieving a 5-star rating under the UPM Educational Quality Benchmarking System, while expanding UPM star-rating assessments to additional academic programs.

Ms. Nguyen Mai Lan – Chairwoman of the University Council, Nguyen Tat Thanh University

According to Dr. Tran Ai Cam, President of Nguyen Tat Thanh University, one of the reasons the University chose the UPM Star Rating Quality Benchmarking System was that its standards closely align with the University’s vision and mission, namely promoting innovation, the innovation ecosystem, information technology and digital resources, and digital transformation. This demonstrates the consistency of the University’s development orientation as well as its alignment with the development trends of higher education in particular and society in general. In its 2020–2025 development strategy, with a vision toward 2035, Nguyen Tat Thanh University has established its mission of providing human resources with entrepreneurial capability, innovative thinking, global integration, and strong competitiveness in both domestic and international labor markets.

Four academic programs at Nguyen Tat Thanh University meeting UPM standards

As part of the certificate presentation ceremony, Nguyen Tat Thanh University also organized the seminar “University Governance in the Context of Innovation and Autonomy under the UPM System,” chaired by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Duc. The purpose of the seminar was to identify the challenges facing Vietnam’s higher education system in general, and Nguyen Tat Thanh University in particular, in the context of innovation and institutional autonomy. The seminar also introduced the application of the UPM Star Rating Benchmarking System to quality governance and the development of an innovation-oriented university brand.

The Information Technology program awarded 4 Stars by UPM

The Accounting and Finance & Banking programs awarded 4 Stars by UPM

The Restaurant Management and Food Service program awarded 3 Stars by UPM

Nga Nguyen – Duy Anh