The current edition of Webometrics, an initiative from CSIC, the largest public research body in Spain, which ranks universities around the world, shows that, despite their consistent national performance, Vietnam's universities do not fare well compared to their Southeast Asian counterparts.
According to VOV, Can Tho University now ranks 53rd, compared to 39th in the previous edition. Ho Chi Minh City’s Vietnam National University ranking dropped 21 places to 87th, down from 66th.
The current top ten positions in Webometrics' rankings of Southeast Asian higher education establishments are all occupied by universities from Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, with the former's National University of Singapore claiming the top position. Vietnam's best performing institution, the Vietnam National University Hanoi, only comes in 28th place.
However, according to Pham Thi Ly, director of the research program at the Ho Chi Minh City branch of Vietnam National University's International Education Institute, the lower ranking is not a concern.
She told VOV that the Webometrics rankings only show which school websites have more page views, which does not directly relate to the quality of the education offered. Still, regarding the ranking's methodologies, the site states that "[its objective] is not to evaluate websites, their design or usability or the popularity of their contents according to the number of visits or visitors."
In related news, another index, QS University Rankings Asia, listed five Vietnamese universities among the top 500 Asian universities in June this year, up from only two in 2015.
Apart from the above-mentioned rankings, many other studies indicate that Vietnamese universities are still not competitive, reports VnExpress. In order to boost their regional and global competitiveness, Vietnamese universities need to improve their administration and, especially, their research quality.
[Photo via Cong An Nhan Dan]
