The University of Dubrovnik hosted a four-day technical training on microcredential development in Dubrovnik from 3 to 6 March as part of MICRO4ASIA project. The workshop brought together academic and technical staff from partner universities in Vietnam and Laos to strengthen their technical and pedagogical capacities for developing and delivering micro-credential courses in online and hybrid formats.

One of the key objectives of the MICRO4ASIA project is the development of a Common Recognition Mechanism (CRM) for micro-credentials that can support transparency, trust, and cross-institutional recognition across higher education systems. As a first step, the project conducted a comparative benchmarking analysis of micro-credentials and similar short learning formats across Asian partner countries and beyond.

The results provide valuable insights into how micro-credentials are currently designed, documented, and recognised, and they form the analytical basis for the future development of the CRM.

Micro-credentials are rapidly gaining attention around the world as flexible, targeted certifications attesting to specific skills and learning outcomes. Yet without effective recognition mechanisms, their full potential is limited across institutions, sectors, and borders. In this article we explain what a Common Recognition Mechanism is, why it is useful for EU institutions, schools, businesses and the labour market, what the current landscape looks like in Europe, and why a CRM could be transformative for countries like Vietnam, Laos and the wider Southeast Asian region.

Micro-credentials are gaining attention as a flexible learning option that complements traditional higher education. This article explains what micro-credential courses are, how they differ from standard university courses and study programmes, who they are designed for, and why they are increasingly important for learners, institutions, and the labour market at national and international levels.

Partners from 6 countries – Vietnam, Laos, Italy, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Croatia – met between 24 and 28 November at the University of Dubrovnik to strengthen cooperation on the development, quality assurance, and recognition of micro-credentials in Vietnam and Laos, as a part of a Erasmus+ project MICRO4ASIA. The gathering combined a capacity-building workshop with the project’s First Annual Consortium Meeting.

From 15 to 18 September 2025, the MICRO4ASIA consortium gathered in Brno, Czech Republic, for an international workshop hosted by Masaryk University. The event focused on the development and recognition of micro-credentials across partner countries in Southeast Asia and Europe.

The MICRO4ASIA project was officially launched with a successful two-day kick-off meeting held on March 13-14, 2025, at Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. The meeting marked the beginning of a collaborative effort among 10 partner institutions to modernize and enhance quality and international cooperation in higher education in Vietnam and Laos.