Quality assurance is the focus of the annual Steering Committee Meeting of the ASEAN University Network (AUN) that opened on March 30 in Hanoi.

Attendants of the two-day event, hosted by Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU - Hanoi), include representatives from nearly 40 universities within the network, Japan, China and the Republic of Korea.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, VNU - Hanoi Director Phung Xuan Nha highlighted the achievements of the network since 1998 in developing the criteria for quality assessment.

The AUN Quality Assurance criteria have contributed to raising the reputation of university education in Southeast Asian nations, facilitating its integration with the advanced education systems in the world, Nha said.

As a member of the network and its steering committee, VNU-Hanoi has strived to make an active and effective contribution to network activities, he said, highlighting its quality assurance strategy for 2013-2020.

In 2015, the University will provide accreditation services for the University of Natural Science. Four more programmes are to be accredited this year, bringing the total number to 15.

Since its establishment in 1995, the AUN has held an important role in fostering cooperation among Southeast Asian nations in education and research.

Its practical and effective activities have made significant contributions to developing a high-quality education system in the region.

A conference on Credit Transfer Systems among ASEAN universities will also be hosted by the university from April 1-2 in Hanoi.-VNA