GREAT PLACE TO WORK 2026: Treasuring employee voices to shape Van Lang University

Following two consecutive years of being recognized by HR Asia as one of the "Best Companies to Work for in Asia" (2025, 2026), Van Lang University (VLU) marks another milestone in fostering its organizational culture by earning the Great Place To Work 2026 certification for the first time. This achievement provides a comprehensive, authentic perspective on the university's work environment, validated by the lived experiences and voices of its staff and faculty. 

88% of Employees Recognize Van Lang as a Great Place to Work

Great Place To Work is a global authority that benchmarks workplace culture based on employees’ real workplace experiences. The survey evaluates daily sentiments across key pillars: credibility, respect, fairness, pride, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging. Using the Trust Index methodology, Great Place To Work assesses workplace satisfaction through direct, confidential employee feedback.

Throughout more than 30 years of development, the cornerstone of Van Lang University’s growth has been its dedicated community of educators - those who uphold academic standards, pursue excellence, and remain steadfast in the university’s pedagogical mission. By participating in the Great Place To Work assessment, the University aimed to gain an independent, objective view of its workplace culture, built entirely on the genuine feedback of faculty, researchers, administrative personnel, and support staff.

With a 98% participation rate among staff and faculty between July 23, 2026, and August 6, 2026, the survey yielded high-coverage insights into the experiences of those teaching, conducting research, operating, and supporting learners every day. Beyond earning prestigious certification, these insights help leadership identify organizational strengths, areas for attention, and strategic priorities for building an empowering work environment.

Van Lang’s permanent workforce is large, diverse, and dynamic, comprising scientists, lecturers, governance experts, operational personnel, technical and academic support teams, along with a wide network of visiting lecturers across diverse disciplines and countries.

A defining characteristic of Van Lang’s team is its multigenerational synergy. Senior members pass on institutional knowledge, maintain standards, and ensure organizational stability. The mid-career generation coordinates academic activities, management, and key developmental initiatives. Meanwhile, younger personnel actively drive digital transformation, embrace emerging technologies, and bring global mindsets into daily operations.

Van Lang fosters an inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives. Female leaders hold prominent positions across management tiers, actively shaping diversity and sustainable decision-making. In addition, comprehensive reward and recognition frameworks are implemented - ranging from academic honors and performance awards to physical and mental wellness initiatives. The University also maintains open channels of communication via internal surveys, routine town halls, and open consultations.

Listening and Investing in People as a Long-Term Strategic Pillar

Van Lang University implements a Dual Career Path framework offering two distinct tracks: Management and Specialist. While those with leadership aspirations progress along administrative routes, faculty, researchers, and technical specialists can advance as subject-matter experts. This structure ensures that specialized expertise and managerial roles are equally valued and rewarded.

Professional growth and capacity building remain key strategic investment areas. The university expands professional development opportunities via world-class global training platforms. Its Coursera digital skilling program has engaged 1,170 lecturers across more than 5,000 course completions. Concurrently, 1,858 faculty and staff members have participated in Microsoft training tracks, including Microsoft Innovative Educator, Microsoft Certified Educator, Power BI, and Excel Mastery. Employees are also provided access to training in AI, data analytics, and Microsoft Copilot to stay ahead of educational and technological shifts.

For the 2026–2027 academic year, Van Lang has been recognized for the second consecutive year as a Microsoft Elevate Showcase School, following its milestone as the first higher education institution in Vietnam to achieve Microsoft Showcase School status. To date, 900 faculty members have earned Microsoft Elevate Educator – Explorer status, and 286 have achieved Microsoft Elevate Educator – Expert credentials.

Alongside professional development, the university actively promotes physical and mental well-being through union sports festivals, team-building retreats, and cultural celebrations (Vietnamese Women’s Day, Teacher’s Day, International Women’s Day, and the Hung Kings Commemoration). These initiatives strengthen interdepartmental ties and provide healthy work-life balance.

Community engagement is equally embedded into the university's ethos. Faculty, staff, and students frequently join volunteer campaigns, public health programs, and social outreach initiatives, instilling a shared sense of social responsibility into institutional life.
 

“We Make VLU” — Co-Creating Van Lang 

The Great Place To Work certification serves as an opportunity for Van Lang to reflect on its cultural foundation, listen closely to employee needs, and establish strategic priorities for becoming an exceptional university and a happy workplace.

Purpose and pride - the two highest-rated metrics in the survey - will continue to be nurtured by aligning individual roles with the university's broader educational and civic mission. Over the long term, human resource development will remain closely tied to quality teaching, impactful research, succession planning, and agile adaptation to emerging educational trends.

Listening, responding, and improving is a continuous process that Van Lang sustains in cultivating its workplace culture. Dialogue channels have been expanded so that every employee, regardless of their role, has a dedicated platform to share ideas and receive leadership feedback. In the 2026–2027 academic year, the university plans to roll out an employee feedback and response channel, expand leadership-team dialogues, and develop comprehensive programs for team engagement, internal training, mentorship, leadership development, and recognition. 

In the 2026–2027 academic year, the university plans to launch a dedicated employee feedback mechanism, expand structured dialogues between leadership and teams, and roll out cross-functional mentoring, leadership training, and talent recognition initiatives.

Van Lang's core strength stems not only from knowledge and expertise, but also from its sense of community and culture of compassion: "Listen to improve – Belong to be proud – Grow together to build Van Lang." Every effort, innovative idea, and personal contribution directly shapes the university's workplace environment today. When these contributions are recognized, individual needs are heard, and growth opportunities are broadened, the pride and sense of belonging to Van Lang are deeply reinforced through the lived experience of each member.

News: Giang Nguyen