2025-07-29
Viet Nam's new Education Strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045, boosts STEM enrollment, targets global university rankings, and aims to raise international student numbers. With increased funding and reforms, it seeks to enhance the country's global competitiveness.
East Asia and the Pacific
HE planning
On 31 December 2024, the government of Viet Nam adopted a new Education Development Strategy by 2030, with a vision to 2045, prioritizing STEM disciplines and enhancing the internationalization and global competitiveness of its higher education system.
The strategy seeks to better align higher education with evolving economic needs and globalization. For that purpose, it sets the target of 35% of students enrolled in STEM fields by 2030, compared to the current share of around 30%.
Furthermore, it aims to expand international reach and enhance the global visibility of Viet Nam’s higher education institutions. This also includes better positioning the country in global rankings, with at least five universities to be listed among the world’s top 500 and among Asia’s top 200, and increasing the number of PhD-holding teaching personnel. In addition, one of if its goals is to raise the proportion of international students to 1.5%, up from 0.27% in 2022.
To achieve these targets, the Strategy introduces several financial and legislative measures. It sets education expenditure to at least 20% of total government expenditure, for example, with priority funding for key disciplines. On the legislative front, the country has introduced and is developing various regulations, including on research output and doctoral-level teaching personnel in higher education institutions.
The UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) and UNESCO Office in Viet Nam have provided technical assistance for the new EDSP 2021-2030.
