Vietnamese universities have made notable progress in the QS Sustainability Rankings 2026, with several institutions improving their positions significantly. This momentum reflects genuine effort—but rankings alone do not create institutional strength.
The key question is how sustainability performance can be translated into governance capacity and long-term institutional maturity, particularly in the context of Resolution 71.
Recent results highlight persistent challenges across the sector: fragmented ESG data, weak integration into budgeting and KPIs, limited governance structures, low student engagement, and insufficient international comparability.
Sustainability should not be treated as a separate agenda. It functions as a capability test. Institutions that can operationalise ESG data are better positioned to strengthen governance, deliver on autonomy, and improve quality over time.
The path forward is increasingly clear: integrate ESG data systems, link sustainability KPIs to faculties and administrative units, embed sustainability into curricula and projects, establish governance structures for SDG implementation, report progress regularly, and connect sustainability to the student lifecycle.
Improved rankings are not the end goal. They are a starting point for building institutional maturity, international visibility, and long-term transformation capacity.
