HOA SEN UNIVERSITY’S MARKETING PROGRAM ACHIEVES AUN-QA ACCREDITATION

When Training Doesn’t Just Keep Pace with the Market — It Anticipates the Future

From AI and big data to the creative economy, the Marketing industry is changing faster than ever. In this landscape, what businesses need is no longer people who “know how to run ads,” but marketers with strategic thinking, adaptability, and the capacity to create value in an ever-shifting market. The Marketing program at Hoa Sen University earning AUN-QA accreditation in 2026 is not just a milestone in training quality — it reflects how a university program is proactively preparing students for the future of the marketing profession.

20 years ago, Marketing wasn’t “hot” like it is today

Today, Marketing is one of the most popular fields of study among high school graduates. From multinational corporations, tech companies, and banks to e-commerce platforms, startups, and non-profit organizations — every organization needs people with marketing thinking to build brands, connect with customers, and create value.

But twenty years ago, when Hoa Sen University’s Marketing program was founded, the landscape looked entirely different. Marketing back then was often understood simply as advertising or sales; concepts like branding, customer experience, integrated communications, or consumer data were still quite new to Vietnamese businesses. Investing in a dedicated, in-depth training program at that early stage reflected the University’s long-term vision toward economic integration and growth.

Twenty years later, Marketing has transformed in both scale and nature: AI now assists with content creation, algorithms determine how brands reach customers, and data has become the foundation for every business decision. Today’s marketers must simultaneously understand technology, creativity, strategy, and consumer behavior – and a training program that wants to keep pace with this shift cannot stand still.

AUN-QA: Not Just a Certification, But a Commitment to Quality

In 2026, Hoa Sen University’s Marketing program officially achieved AUN-QA (ASEAN University Network – Quality Assurance) accreditation – the region’s most respected higher education quality assurance system in Southeast Asia.

Contrary to the common assumption that accreditation only evaluates curriculum or faculty, AUN-QA comprehensively assesses the entire learner journey: from training objectives and expected learning outcomes to program structure, teaching methods, assessment systems, student support activities, and the satisfaction of employers and alumni.

In other words, the question AUN-QA asks isn’t just “What does the university teach?” –  but more importantly: “Are graduates equipped with the competencies to succeed in a professional environment?”

For Hoa Sen’s Marketing program, this accreditation result isn’t a finish line – it’s recognition of an ongoing process of continuous improvement, ensuring the program stays closely aligned with business needs and the evolution of the industry across the region.

Learning Marketing Not Just in the Classroom, But in the Professional Environment Itself

What sets Hoa Sen University’s Marketing students apart isn’t just the curriculum – it’s how the University structures learning: classroom knowledge is directly connected to real-world business experience.

In the Brand Management course, students visit and study at Ajinomoto Vietnam, learning firsthand how a brand with over 100 years of history is built and operated – from production processes and quality management to how the company builds consumer trust.

In another course, students tackle real communication challenges posed by actual businesses through TVCreate – an academic competition now in its 16th season. In 2026, competing teams built a complete Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) campaign for Panasonic Electric Works Vietnam, with a budget of 5 billion VND over six months – from market research and creative concept development to TVC production and defending their strategy before a panel of industry experts. This is no longer a “student assignment” – it’s a chance for learners to experience the real workflow of a professional agency while still on campus.

Alongside this, students also take part in workshops with businesses and international experts, notably the LinkedIn x HSU Exclusive Workshop: Future Skills, AI & Career Readiness – where they stay current on AI trends, build their personal brand, and prepare career-ready skills for the digital era.

Every experience is designed as an integral part of the curriculum – not simply a “company visit” – helping students connect academic knowledge with real professional contexts, while developing critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and the ability to work in real-world settings.

developing critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and the ability to work in real-world settings.

Marketing Today Is No Longer Just “Doing Advertising”

One of the biggest shifts in the industry is the move from a communications mindset to a value-creation mindset. Today’s marketers are involved in product development, consumer behavior research, brand management, customer experience, digital transformation, and data-driven decision-making.

At Hoa Sen University, Marketing students are equipped with a solid foundation in traditional marketing while also engaging with fields such as Digital Marketing, Brand Management, Consumer Behavior, Marketing Analytics, Integrated Marketing Communications, and AI in Marketing. Alongside professional knowledge, students develop competencies increasingly valued by employers: strategic thinking, creativity, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, project management, and adaptability – a foundation that helps students not only keep up with today’s market but also prepare for careers that don’t yet exist.

From the Classroom to the Boardroom, from Vietnam to the ASEAN Region

In recent years, the Faculty of Marketing – Communications has continuously expanded its network of partnerships with domestic and international businesses, as well as universities across the ASEAN region – opening up opportunities for student and faculty exchange, research collaboration, and internationally-oriented training programs.

In an industry where customers, brands, and markets are all increasingly global, the ability to work in a multicultural environment has become a key advantage for every future marketer – especially as the ASEAN Economic Community continues to grow.

20 Years – A Journey of Innovation

From laying the groundwork for a training program that was still quite new in Vietnam, to achieving AUN-QA accreditation today, this has been a journey defined by an unwavering commitment to a learner-centered training philosophy – one that bridges academia with practice, the classroom with the workplace, and knowledge with professional competence.

AUN-QA accreditation, therefore, is not a final destination – it’s a commitment: the program will continue to improve, continue to update in step with industry change, and continue to foster a learning environment where students develop holistically in knowledge, skills, and mindset.

What matters most isn’t teaching students today’s tools – it’s giving them the foundation to adapt to tomorrow’s technologies, the confidence to lead change, and the capability to create value for both businesses and communities.

That is the journey Hoa Sen University’s Marketing program has pursued for the past 20 years – not just training marketing professionals, but shaping marketers ready for the future.

Written by: MA. Trương Quang Vinh

Faculty of Marketing – Communication