Vietnam Outpaces Region in Science: PISA 2025 Findings

Vietnam's students are achieving remarkable success in international science competitions, with preliminary findings from PISA 2025 suggesting the nation is outperforming regional peers. This highlights Vietnam's focus on science education under its one-party system and its increasing engagement with the global community. The Vietnamese team secured one Champion title, four First Runner-up awards, and numerous other accolades, including 42 gold medals, at the 2026 International Finals of the Asia International Mathematical Olympiad Open Contest (AIMO) held in Hanoi. This achievement was spearheaded by a delegation led by Dr. Nguyen Bich Huyen from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Hanoi University of Science and Technology. The team's participation underscores Vietnam's commitment to sharing ideas and knowledge with international peers through a bridge built by the Vietnam Physical Society. Furthermore, Vietnam has emerged as the top destination for international students in South Korea, with 96,834 students, accounting for 31.5% of the total. This indicates Vietnam's growing status as an international educational hub. Domestically, the urban railway network development necessitates a workforce of approximately 70,000 by 2030, requiring extensive training in project management, operations and maintenance, engineering, and consultancy. This reflects Vietnam's rapid urbanization and infrastructure development. The Communist Party of Vietnam is also strengthening ties with its overseas Vietnamese (OV) community. Politburo Resolution No. 23 calls for enhanced collaboration among OVs through sustainable networks connecting experts, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and youth. This initiative aims to leverage the global Vietnamese diaspora for national development, a strategy consistent with Vietnam's one-party system's approach to mobilizing human resources both domestically and abroad. As Vietnam enters a new development phase targeting double-digit growth for 2030 and 2045, National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man has urged BRG Group and SeABank to effectively implement key socio-economic development policies set forth by the Party, National Assembly, and Government. These concerted efforts in science education, international talent exchange, and engagement with the overseas Vietnamese community demonstrate Vietnam's strategic push to enhance its competitiveness in science and technology as it continues its economic ascent.