How scientific research changes the Vietnamese higher education landscape: Evidence from social sciences and humanities between 2008 and 2019

Abstract

Background: In the context of globalization, Vietnamese universities, whose primary function is teaching, there is a need to improve research performance. Methods: Based on SSHPA data, an exclusive database of Vietnamese social sciences and humanities researchers’ productivity, between 2008 and 2019 period, this study analyzes the research output of Vietnamese universities in the field of social sciences and humanities. Results: Vietnamese universities have been steadily producing a high volume of publications in the 2008-2019 period, with a peak of 598 articles in 2019. Moreover, many private universities and institutions are also joining the publication race, pushing competitiveness in the country. Conclusions: Solutions to improve both quantity and quality of Vietnamese universities’ research practice in the context of the industrial revolution 4.0 could be applying international criteria in Vietnamese higher education, developing scientific and critical thinking for general and STEM education, and promoting science communication.

Research promotion in Vietnamese higher education: how to enhance research activities at a young and dynamic university

“…Figure 2 below provides the distribution of the above two categories. In 2016, there were 11 STEM publications, which was two times higher compared to SSH publications (5). In 2018, the number of STEM publications (38) was 1.4 times higher than SSH.…”

Citations in Scientific Journals in Vietnam: An Analysis from the Field of Educational Science

“…Therefore, it is extremely necessary to propose a criteria and measures for domestic scientific journals to access international publishing standards as well as improve the capacity of Vietnamese researchers. In a number of studies related to improving the quality of international publications of scientists in Vietnam, the issue of improving the capacity of ranking research journals appeared in the works of Chung et al(2019), Cuong, Loc, Trung, & Trung (2020), Ho et al (2019) Hoang et al (2020), Hung (2016), Nguyen et al (2020), Trang et al (2020), Trung, Linh, Phuong, Toan, & Hoang (2020). Most authors have confirmed the trend of increasing the quantity and quality of research in general and research in the field of educational science in Vietnam.…”

Comparing Apples With Apples: Women Faculty Research Productivity in Vietnamese Higher Education

“…Likewise, this argument is underpinned by a preceding report that claimed that disparities in higher education participation in South Asian countries were disturbing (T. L. H. Nguyen, 2013; T. H. T. Nguyen et al, 2020; UNESCO, 2015).…”

“…P. 23) and formulate strategies to support the majority of women faculties who are struggling with “publish or perish” higher education policy forces. Accordingly, Vietnam is one of the model countries in East Asia, where women have a load of family burden, which emerged from centuries of the country’s socio-cultural stereotype (T. H. T. Nguyen et al, 2020; Q.…”

“…Higher education has been mending the harmony of faculties’ research output from the implications of existing and emerging evidence, despite the need for more studies in developing countries that made their universities fall behind (Heng et al, 2020). On top of that, most studies conducted in Vietnam unfold institutional and management factors that determine the research productivity of faculty members; thus, recent arguments have emerged to investigate the individual level (cf., T. H. T. Nguyen et al, 2020).…”