ACCEES and Vietnamese Universities Develop a Digital Competency Framework for Lecturers

From December 10 to 12, 2025, at The University of Danang – University of Science and Technology, the ACCEES project organized a drafting workshop on the “Implementation Plan for Developing Digital Competencies for Lecturers and Support Staff at Vietnamese Higher Education Institutions.” The activity was attended by representatives from member universities, together with experts from the University of Mons (Belgium) and the University of Patras (Greece).

The experts, including Prof. Gaëtan Temperman and Dr. Karim Boumazguida (University of Mons, Belgium) and Prof. Vassilis Komis (University of Patras, Greece), together with representatives from member universities, spent three days discussing digital competency frameworks currently used in higher education and their potential application in Vietnam.

Prof. Gaëtan Temperman at the working session

DigComp as a Reference Point, Not a Ready-Made Template

One of the frameworks analyzed was DigComp – the European Union’s Digital Competence Framework. Delegates also drew on experiences from the University of Mons, the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), and the TPACK model, focusing on the competencies needed for lecturers to use technology in teaching and research.

DigComp was considered a good foundation to start from, but its application to lecturers and support staff in Vietnam needs to be reconsidered across different competency areas and the levels of proficiency required for each skill group. For example, some competencies related to programming may be placed at an intermediate level in an international reference framework, while the same level may still represent a relatively new concept for many Vietnamese lecturers. Meanwhile, for those using digital tools for research, data analysis, or modern research methodologies, these skills are becoming increasingly necessary.

Based on discussions around such practical needs, the workshop specifically identified what lecturers and support staff in Vietnam need to know, at what level, and for what purposes, rather than simply applying an existing set of criteria from DigComp as a whole.

Co-Developing Competency Content

The subsequent working sessions focused on identifying competency areas, levels of proficiency, and specific content for each group. Representatives from the universities shared the current situation at their respective institutions, the competencies already in place, and the areas where further development was needed.

Ms. Ho Ngoc Huyen Truc, Head of the Human Resources Department at NTTU, participated in the discussions and brought practical perspectives from the university’s staff management and development activities. Contributions from the member universities, including NTTU, helped further clarify the needs and conditions for developing digital competencies among different groups of lecturers and support staff. Through the discussions, delegates agreed that a common digital competency framework is necessary, but that its content and competency levels should be adjusted to better suit the context and practical needs of Vietnam.

Sau ba ngày làm việc, các đại biểu tiếp tục rà soát và hợp nhất nội dung của Kế hoạch thực thi phát triển năng lực số dành cho giảng viên và cán bộ hỗ trợ. Đây sẽ là cơ sở để soạn thảo chương trình tập huấn phát triển năng lực số cho đội ngũ giảng viên và cán bộ hỗ trợ của các trường thành viên  trong những giai đoạn tiếp theo của dự án ACCEES.