Creating Happiness Through Quality: How a University in Vietnam Can Reach International Standards

As human development and quality of life are increasingly emphasised in the major directions of the Party and the State, higher education is also facing an important question: how can universities not only train human resources, but also create an environment where learners can develop holistically, feel connected, and be ready for the future?

The seminar “Creating the Happy University in Vietnam: From Vision to Action”, co-organised by Dai Nam University and Soha.vn on 22 May, marked the beginning of a series of seminars, forums, and actions aimed at building happy schools, happy businesses, happy communities, and a happy nation.

At the event, Prof. Rick Bennett, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice President of British University Vietnam (BUV), shared his perspective on creating happiness in higher education through quality: from the learning experience, career readiness, and lecturer support, to the trust of parents and employers.

Below is the full speech delivered by Prof. Rick Bennett at the event:

“Distinguished guests, esteemed colleagues, students, ladies and gentlemen,

Based on the recent 14th National Party Congress, the integration of happiness, culture, and holistic development into the core national agenda marks a significant strategic shift for Vietnam.

Higher education institutions now play a critical role in this shift by moving beyond traditional human capital development to nurturing a workforce and citizenship that contribute to sustainable and happy lives.

Research suggests that if students are happy and engaged during their studies, they are more likely to have greater success and satisfaction in their future workplaces. Higher education can create this environment by fostering student engagement through academic, belonging, and behavioural factors.

However, merely having stakeholders say they’re “happy” is too vague to act on. We need criteria that translate happiness or satisfaction into measurable dimensions – especially in a Vietnamese university context where employability, reputation, and family expectations all matter significantly.

Let’s try and identify a few criteria.

First is the learning quality & academic outcomes. Stakeholders need to genuinely feel that students are gaining strong knowledge and solid skills. Students should understand their field of study and be able to apply what they learn in practice. Lecturers should see students achieving the intended learning outcomes of the programme. Parents want to see clear progress in their children’s academic development, while employers expect graduates to possess the right knowledge, skills, and professional attitude.

Next is employability and career readiness — one of the factors that receives the greatest attention in Vietnam today. Employers need to feel that graduates can meet the practical demands of the labour market. Students need to feel confident and prepared for their chosen career path. Parents also want their children to have good employment opportunities after graduation. These factors can be reflected through indicators such as employment rates, starting salaries, internship quality, and employer feedback.

In addition, teaching quality and support are also very important. This directly reflects students’ day-to-day experience in the university environment. Students need to feel that lecturers explain clearly, are dedicated, and are always willing to provide support. At the same time, lecturers also need to have sufficient resources to teach effectively. Indicators such as the level of student–faculty interaction, the availability of academic mentoring, and the degree of student engagement in class all play an important role.

A happy university also needs strong facilities, services, and a learning environment. Students need to be supported by libraries, laboratories, and modern technology systems. Administrative processes should operate efficiently and conveniently. Parents also need to feel reassured that the learning environment is safe, well-managed, and professional.

Finally, there is reputation, trust, and value for money that learners receive. This is particularly important in the Vietnamese context, where families invest heavily in education and place great expectations on it. Students want their degree to carry a strong reputation and wide recognition. Parents need to feel that their investment in education is worthwhile. Employers need to trust the quality of graduates from the university. These factors are often reflected through rankings, brand reputation, alumni success, and stakeholders’ willingness to recommend the university to others.

To stand the very best chance of achieving these criteria (and more) at BUV, we strongly believe that Quality is the key component to achieving “happy” stakeholders. So much so that we have created a Triple Quality Framework that underpins everything we do. 

Now BUV is an international university, and as such are guests in your country – something we never forget! And so, the first quality component we believe is to be accredited by the government of your country, MOET. That is the LOCAL part of our triple quality framework.

The second part of our framework is the NATIONAL accreditation – in our case, this is the UK. And we have QAA accreditation (the British Government’s recognised higher education accreditation agency), and furthermore, we also have MOET officially recognising QAA as a quality accreditation body.

And finally, we believe the third part of our quality framework should be an INTERNATIONAL recognition and commendation. BUV has this through its QS 5-star award for the entire university and its programmes, plus we are in the middle of a 5 to 8-year accreditation of our Business School with AACSB.

As we all know, we are always striving to improve and see our students (and staff) happy within our universities, and yearly formal surveying is an important part of taking “the temperature.”

Here are a few results from our 2025/26 Student Experience Survey at BUV, which sampled nearly 1000 students. As you can see, the “overall satisfaction” is 85.7%, which we are pleased with – but always more to do.

I do thank you for your patience and for allowing me to join your happy discussions today.”