Abstract

Early-career faculty development in Vietnamese higher education needs to move beyond short-term, fragmented, and predominantly knowledge-oriented training. In the context of faculty professionalization, digital transformation, and increasing accountability, early-career faculty should be regarded as active agents in their continuing professional development. Drawing on research on professional development, workplace learning, and the characteristics of early academic careers, this article examines the theoretical foundations for shifting from conventional faculty training to continuing professional development. On this basis, it proposes directions for renewing early-career faculty development in Vietnam by integrating professional development into work- related tasks, academic communities, mentoring, feedback, and supportive organizational environments.

Keywords: Continuous professional development, early-career faculty, faculty training, higher education, professional learning.