Of them, Vietnam National University, Hanoi and Ton Duc Thang University in HCMC are ranked in the group of 401-600 while Hanoi University of Science and Technology is ranked 601-800 and Phenikaa University 801-1,000 of the 2021 Impact Rankings, which evaluates 1,115 universities from 94 countries/regions.

This is the third year Times Higher Education (THE) released the ranking to assess universities against the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations to call for global action with the goal of building a peaceful, fair and prosperous society as it measures the impacts and contribution of educational institutions to social development, human development, and environmental protection.

The 17 goals are no poverty; zero hunger; good health and well-being; quality education; gender equality; clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; life below water; life on land; peace, justice and strong institutions; partnerships for goals.

Compared to two years ago, the number of Vietnamese entries is higher but their rankings have dropped. Last year, Vietnam National University, Hanoi and Ton Duc Thang made it to the 301-400 rank while in 2019, Ton Duc Thang was the only Vietnamese representative when it broke into the rank of 101-200.

The overall ranking is led by a U.K. university for the first time, the University of Manchester. Three Australian institutions complete the top four: the University of Sydney, RMIT University and La Trobe University.

The top institution from an emerging economy is Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University at joint 23rd place.

Russia is the most-represented nation in the table with 75 institutions, followed by Japan with 73.