Factors Contribute to Developing Digital Competencies in Economics Education in Vietnamese Universities: Evidence from A Lecturer Survey

With the rise of the digital economy being a salient feature of Vietnam's higher education sector, the pressure is on universities to provide their students with the digital competencies needed to enable academic achievement and future professional success. This study examined the antecedents of digital competencies in economics education by identifying four important areas: curriculum, faculty development and expertise, technology, and institutional supports and policies. Data were collected from 200 faculty members from six of Vietnam's leading economics universities and analysed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The study found that while technological infrastructure is a necessary condition for digital competencies, it has a limited ability to explain when it is not localized within supportive frameworks of regulations and policies in their pedagogies. Moreover, we found a robust relationship between students' digital competencies and their ability to engage in academic life and apply economic concepts in real-world experiences. This suggests that digital competences are not only technical skills, but also fundamental enablers of valuable learning and being adaptable professionals. In conclusion, if universities are to provide economics education that contributes to the expectations stemming from a digital economy, it is essential to develop and sustain faculty development in curriculum redesign, establish supportive institutional policies, and use technology for design not coincidental purposes to reduce the likelihood of careless mistakes..