Vietnam has set a goal of having at least five universities ranked among the world’s top 500 by 2030, as only one has achieved this status currently.
This objective is outlined in the Education Development Strategy to 2030, Vision to 2045, approved by the government last December.
By 2030, Vietnam aims to have five universities in the top 500 globally and the top 200 in Asia. The country also seeks to be among the top four Southeast Asian nations in education and in the top 10 in Asia.
At present, the two largest global university ranking systems are the QS World University Rankings compiled by Quacquarelli Symonds, a higher British education analytics, and The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by British magazine the THE.
This year, six Vietnamese universities were ranked by QS, but only Duy Tan University made it into the top 500, while the others were in the 711-1400 range. On THE’s rankings, nine Vietnamese institutions were listed, but they were ranked between 501 and 1501+.
In the Asian rankings, four Vietnamese universities made it to QS’s top 200, including Duy Tan University, Vietnam National University in Hanoi, Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City, and Ton Duc Thang University. In the THE’s rankings, only Ton Duc Thang University met this goal.
In addition to improving rankings, Vietnam aims to increase university enrollment to 260 students per 10,000 people by 2030 (up from 215), with 33% of university-aged students enrolled. The proportion of university lecturers with doctoral degrees is set to rise to 40%, and international students in Vietnam should reach 1.5%. Vietnam also targets 35% of students in STEM fields.
The government plans to attract foreign experts and scientists, train more doctoral faculty members, and prioritize resources for national and regional universities. The focus will be on digital transformation, innovation, AI in education, international integration, and student exchanges.
