When considering hiring Vietnamese talent, you will likely look at the education section of their resume, but it can often be hard to grasp how universities rank locally. Vietnamese universities fall into three categories—national universities, public universities (regional comprehensive universities and specialized universities), and private universities—and quite a few are well known internationally. Here, we introduce eight of Vietnam’s world-class universities.

Famous Vietnamese Universities ①: Only Two National Universities Nationwide

Because national universities are educational institutions under the direct authority of the government, they receive priority funding for research and education. Tuition is also relatively low, so outstanding students from across the country aim to enroll.

Vietnam National University, Hanoi

Vietnam has only two national universities, one of which is Vietnam National University, Hanoi. It comprises seven member universities covering the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences, and more, with four campuses in Hanoi. One of the seven is Vietnam Japan University, established as a symbol of friendship and solidarity. Its goal is to develop talent who can thrive not only in Japan and Vietnam but also across ASEAN and other Asian countries. Because it was founded with support from Japanese universities and companies, many graduates have studied in Japan.

Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City is a comprehensive university with a high level of research second only to the Hanoi campus. It partners with Japanese national universities such as Hiroshima University and Kyushu University and actively sends Vietnamese students abroad. It was also a pioneer in Japanese-language education, and at one time most Japanese speakers came from the Ho Chi Minh campus. Ho Chi Minh City has an especially large number of Japanese speakers and Japan enthusiasts. It is fair to say that Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City helped create that foundation.

Famous Vietnamese Universities ②: National Regional Comprehensive Universities Focus Mainly on Specialized Education

Public universities in Vietnam fall under the Ministry of Education and Training. Regional comprehensive universities in particular have a mission to produce specialists in education, agriculture, science, economics, foreign languages, and other fields.

Hue University

Hue, in central Vietnam, was the capital of the Nguyen dynasty from the 19th to the 20th century. With its historic atmosphere, it is also called “the Kyoto of Vietnam” and is a popular destination among Japanese travelers. Reflecting the character of this ancient capital, Hue University has a tourism faculty that is relatively rare in Vietnam. It mainly partners with Japanese private universities for student exchange and joint research.

The University of Danang

Also in central Vietnam, The University of Danang comprises four member universities—of technology, economics, education, and foreign languages—plus a college of technology. With more Japanese companies investing in Danang, the city is seeing an unprecedented boom in Japanese-language learning. Many students who graduate from the Japanese department of the University of Foreign Language Studies aim to work at Japanese companies based in Danang.

Famous Vietnamese Universities ③: Strong Japanese-Language Education Programs

Reflecting strong domestic demand for Japanese-language education, both public and private universities stand out for their well-developed Japanese programs.

Hanoi National University of Education

Hanoi National University of Education is Vietnam’s top teacher-training university. It was established by spinning off from Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Japanese-language education began in 1992, and quite a few current students and graduates work as Japanese teachers in Hanoi. Other universities of education also have departments or courses that train Japanese teachers. As a result, you will fairly often see resumes of Japanese speakers who graduated from universities of education.

Thang Long University

Thang Long is an old place name in Vietnam. Bearing this historic name, Thang Long University was the first private university established in Vietnam. Because tuition is higher than at national or public universities, graduates can generally be considered relatively well-off. Although it is not a teacher-training university, it has a Japanese department and actively exchanges students with Japanese private universities.

Famous Vietnamese Universities ④: Technical Fields That Lead to Strong Job Prospects

As living standards rise rapidly with Vietnam’s economic development, demand for technical universities in engineering, agriculture, and related fields is also growing.

Hanoi University of Science and Technology

With industrial parks, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure under development in Vietnam, engineering fields that offer strong job prospects are popular. Vietnam’s top school—often called the “University of Tokyo” of Vietnam—is Hanoi University of Science and Technology, the country’s first comprehensive technical university. Although national universities also include universities of technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology ranks first in Vietnam ahead of them. Not only at this university but more broadly among engineering students, many study Japanese in parallel out of interest in Japanese construction technology.

Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment

Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment was established under government leadership to address worsening natural destruction and environmental pollution in Vietnam. It actively engages with Japanese researchers through symposiums, workshops, and similar events. It is essentially an elite training institution. Talent who work in the field in agriculture and related areas typically graduate from lower-tier agricultural universities. Growing awareness of pesticide-related harm has increased interest in organic farming among Vietnamese people. Some university graduates come to Japan to learn organic vegetable production methods.

Conclusion

Vietnam’s university enrollment rate is said to be around 30%. For financial reasons, a fair number of Vietnamese people work and save money before entering university. Graduating from a national or public university is a reasonable indicator of strong academic ability, but the same does not necessarily apply to Japanese-language proficiency. It is best to consider hiring based on educational background while also taking into account the candidate’s motivation and the impression from actual conversation.