The British Council is honoured to introduce the Reference guide ‘Glossary of terms for Quality Assurance in Higher Education’. The Guide is published in collaboration with the Viet Nam Education Quality Management Agency (VQA), Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), with technical support from the UK’s Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and Vietnamese experts, as part of the workplan ‘Enhancing quality assurance and accreditation for higher education in Viet Nam for international integration.’
The Glossary of terms is developed in the context of today’s rapidly evolving and internationalised higher education landscape, which requires clear and consistent communication, and a shared understanding of key terms in quality assurance and accreditation used both nationally and internationally.
This standardised glossary of key terms is essential to:
- enhance clarity and understanding: precise definitions of key quality assurance (QA) terms reduce misinterpretations and foster effective communication among stakeholders.
- promote consistency: standardised terminology ensures coherence across policies, documents, and practices.
- support policy development and implementation: regulators and institutions can rely on clear definitions for developing and implementing quality-related policies.
- facilitate collaboration: a shared vocabulary strengthens partnerships between local and international institutions, supporting accreditation and global engagement.
The terms included in this glossary were carefully selected based on their frequency of use in QA best practice, relevance to key stakeholders, and potential for misunderstanding or variation across contexts. The glossary focuses on terms that are most critical for effective communication and decision-making within Vietnamese higher education as well as with international parters. This selective approach ensures that the glossary remains practical, accessible, and aligned with both local needs and international standards, avoiding redundancy and prioritising clarity.