Economics and business faculty development in a transition economy: the case of Vietnam

The economic and social transformation of Vietnam over the past two decades has impacted dramatically on the country's educational requirements and systems. This has fostered both a need for skilled faculty and a call for changes in teaching methodology. The purpose of this paper is to report on the state of faculty development in a number of economics and business programs in Vietnam based on the experiences of non-Vietnamese and Vietnamese faculty members who have taught in Vietnam over the past decade and a half. The information is drawn both first-hand, based on the author's participation in a number of projects, and well as from in-depth discussions with faculty, administrators and students. The results suggest that a) institutions should consider implementing work integrated learning that combines classroom teaching with internships, study abroad and co-operative education; and b) faculty development should not only emphasize transferring knowledge, but there is a need to implement a sea change in traditional teaching and learning methodologies (Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 9(1), 15-23).