Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) ranked 401-600 globally in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings.

First time participating in the ranking. In the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2021, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU-Hanoi) was highly rated for its development activities, particularly for providing quality educational services and contributing to national tasks related to sustainable development goals, ranking 401-600. This makes it one of the top two educational institutions in Vietnam in this ranking.

The Impact Rankings, published for the first time in 2019, aims to measure the success of higher education institutions in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (effective since 2016), calling for global action to build a peaceful, just, and prosperous society. In other words, this ranking assesses the impact and contribution of educational institutions to social development, human development, and environmental protection.

In the 2021 ranking, among 1115 higher education institutions participating in the THE Impact Rankings, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, participated for the first time in 7 SDGs (including: Collaboration to realize the Development Goals, Health and Good Life, Gender Equality, Quality Education, Sustainable Economic Growth and Employment, Reducing Inequality, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and achieved outstanding rankings in 4 SDGs. Specifically:

SDG 4: Quality EducationThe Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) is ranked 92nd out of 966 participating educational institutions. This is the highest ranking target, and VNU has reached the top 100 globally in this category.

SDG 5: Gender EqualityVNU Hanoi is in the 101-200 group out of 776 educational institutions participating in the ranking.

SDG 8: Decent work and economic growthVNU Hanoi is in the 201-300 group out of 685 educational institutions participating in the ranking.

SDG 17: Partnership for the goalsVNU Hanoi is in the 401-600 group out of 1154 educational institutions participating in the ranking.

Furthermore, VNU is also ranked in other SDGs such as SDG 3 (Health and Well-being) at position 601-800, SDG 10 (Reducing Inequality) at position 301-400, and SDG 16 (Peace, Equity and Strong Institutions) at position 301-400. Thus, it can be seen that out of the 7 categories/objectives included in the ranking, 5 of VNU's objectives are ranked in the 400 group or higher.

While in 2020, Vietnam only had two higher education institutions in this ranking, in 2021 there were four ranked institutions: Vietnam National University, Hanoi (positions 401-600), Ton Duc Thang University (401-600), Hanoi University of Science and Technology (601-800), and Phenikaa University (801-1000).

ImageRankings of Vietnamese higher education institutions in THE Impact Rankings (Source: timeshighereducation.com)

All four Vietnamese higher education institutions ranked highly in SDG 8 (Sustainable Economic Growth and Employment). However, only Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) ranked highly in SDG 4 (Quality Education), with 71.4 points, placing it 92nd in the world. This is also the highest score achieved by any Vietnamese educational institution. The Gender Equality Index (SDG 5) is also a strength of VNU and Hanoi University of Science and Technology. Meanwhile, SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) is one of the three outstanding indicators for Ton Duc Thang University and Phenikaa University.

Leading the THE Impact Rankings 2021 is the University of Manchester (UK), followed by three Australian universities (University of Sydney, RMIT, and La Trobe University).

In Southeast Asia, Thailand has 25 universities included in this ranking. Malaysia has 19, Indonesia has 18, and the Philippines has 5.

The ranking of Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) in its first participation in the THE Impact Rankings demonstrates the important role of VNU in Vietnam's education system. Not only does VNU focus on developing and providing high-quality educational services to the community, but it also consistently aligns with national and international sustainable development goals, meeting the country's development requirements and making positive contributions to community development. This is also consistent with the trend of advanced higher education development and aligns with VNU's core principles and development orientation: "Innovation – National Responsibility – Sustainable Development".

The THE Impact Rankings are based on the following criteria:

Accordingly, the final ranking score of a higher education institution in the ranking is the average of the 17th (mandatory) SDG score (accounting for 22% of the total score) and the three highest scores among the remaining 16 SDGs (each SDG having a weight of 26%).

For each SDG, the accompanying indicators are analyzed and used in the ranking based on three factors:

- Research (seeking new solutions and knowledge)

- Management (control of usage and sustainability), and

- Community interaction (carrying out tasks and activities related to the community and society).

Previously, in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) was in the 801-1000 group globally. Furthermore, in three consecutive rankings (2019-2021) of the QS World University Rankings, VNU consistently maintained its position in the 801-1000 group. Furthermore, for the first time, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) achieved a ranking of 101–150 in the QS Top 50 Under 50 ranking for the 2021 academic year. In terms of subject rankings, VNU currently has five fields ranked by QS: Computer Science and Information Systems (ranked 601–650 globally), Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace and Manufacturing (451–500), Mathematics (401–450), Physics and Astronomy (501–550), and Business and Management Studies (501–550). In the THE rankings, VNU's fields are ranked as follows: Computer Science (501–600 globally), Physical Sciences (601–800), and Engineering & Technology (401–500).