The current initiative to establish elite universities in Vietnam is both timely and well-founded. It is timely because it aligns with the country's next stage of development, where growth must increasingly rely on knowledge, science and technology, innovation and talent. 

It is well-founded because it addresses a major gap in Vietnam's higher education system. While the country has built an extensive university network, it still lacks intellectual centers capable of generating new knowledge, mastering strategic technologies and cultivating top-tier talent.

The factors that once powered Vietnam's rapid development - an abundant workforce, investment, foreign direct investment, technology transfer and strong execution capacity - are no longer sufficient to drive the next leap forward. 

The challenge today is to move from learning to innovating, from adopting technology to mastering and creating it, and from participating in global value chains to capturing their highest-value segments.

Raising the overall quality of higher education is necessary, but it is not enough. Vietnam also needs a number of leading intellectual centers where talent, resources and academic freedom are concentrated to develop exceptional capabilities. An elite university is not merely a new label but an institution designed to create new engines of national development.

The mission of Vietnam's elite universities

The primary mission of elite universities is to help Vietnam transition from implementation to innovation, and from following others to leading in its own right. That mission spans three levels: the nation, businesses and society.

First, elite universities must strengthen Vietnam's capacity for technological and scientific self-reliance. They should lead research in strategic technologies, establish research teams capable of advancing the global knowledge frontier, and educate scientists, engineers and experts who can develop technologies and solutions owned and advanced by Vietnam.

These universities should also participate directly in addressing major national and local challenges. Rather than limiting themselves to research or policy analysis, they should become knowledge partners for governments by identifying problems and designing, testing and evaluating solutions in governance, urban development, education, healthcare, environmental protection and digital transformation.

Second, elite universities should enhance the competitiveness of Vietnamese businesses. Their ultimate goal is to help more domestic companies develop unique competitive advantages and move into higher-value segments of the global economy.

Third, elite universities should become catalysts for social progress. They should not merely reflect societal development but help shape new standards for a more innovative and advanced society.

Ultimately, the success of an elite university should not be measured solely by degrees awarded, research publications or patents, but by its contribution to building a nation with greater technological self-reliance, more competitive businesses and a more progressive society.

Building elite universities

Elite universities can emerge only when the state's capacity to create enabling conditions is combined with universities' own ability to transform resources into excellence.

The State needs to create the conditions for centers of excellence to emerge. Rather than replicating identical models, elite universities should develop distinct strengths that complement one another within Vietnam's national development strategy.

Meanwhile, universities need to turn resources into genuine capabilities.

First and foremost, they need strategic vision. Each institution should identify the fields in which it can achieve world-class excellence, concentrate resources on those priorities and be willing to discontinue activities that no longer support its mission.

People are the decisive factor. An elite university must build a globally competitive talent ecosystem by attracting outstanding researchers and educators from anywhere in the world, creating an appealing academic environment, empowering them to establish strong research groups and developing the next generation of scholars.

Research should also shift from fragmented projects to concentrated, long-term efforts capable of producing breakthroughs. Instead of pursuing numerous small-scale studies, elite universities should invest in strong research teams tackling major scientific and technological challenges over extended periods.

In the early stages, Vietnam's elite universities should leverage international expertise to accelerate the development of domestic capabilities. Vietnam can invite leading global scientists, academic leaders and university administrators to help build these institutions, but the ultimate objective should be to develop strong indigenous capacity.

To succeed, the State and universities require a long-term commitment: the State grants autonomy, resources, and policy stability, while universities commit to generating capabilities, talent, and verifiable impact. Superior authority and resources must go hand in hand with superior goals and corresponding accountability.

Dr. Ma The Ngan - Dr. Pham Manh Hung

VNU University of Economics and Business