Exploring the readiness for digital transformation in a higher education institution towards industrial revolution 4.0

Abstract

Digital transformation process in higher education institutions in the industry revolution 4.0 has raised important challenges for how a digital university (university 4.0) is effectively deployed. In Vietnam, the government and the ministry of education and training started a plan to transform leading universities into digital universities. The first question for this process is which key factors of the university are affected by the digital transformation. And what the readiness in human resources of the university for the digital transformation. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the characteristics of the digital university model to identify the criteria for assessing the availability of the digital transformation process. This study contributes to a better understanding of four basic facets of the digital university: Education Program, Learners, Training Services, and Governance. A survey-based quantitative study for the readiness of digital university was conducted among the students and the staff of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Vietnam. The results of this study allow us to introduce a readiness framework for digital transformation as a reference for the other higher education institutions. Also, we can partly confirm that the trend of digital transformation is indispensable for universities in Vietnam, contributing to the improvement of higher education quality and international integration in the context of industrial revolution 4.0.