Evaluating Vietnam’s higher education modernization in the digital era: an Education 5.0–oriented policy review

Abstract

In the context of rapid digital transformation, widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), and intensifying global knowledge competition, modernizing higher education has emerged as a strategic priority, particularly for developing countries. This study employs a policy-oriented integrative review combined with a comparative evaluation approach to examine the modernization of Vietnamese higher education in the digital era, emphasizing the interaction among data-driven university governance, responsible autonomy, innovation ecosystems, and human-centered education. Drawing on a selective synthesis of international literature and policy documents published between 2020 and 2026—including reports from the OECD, UNESCO, and World Bank alongside key Vietnamese policy instruments—the study analyzes reform experiences in Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Taiwan. The analysis reveals that higher education modernization involves a systemic institutional and cultural transformation that extends beyond technological adoption, requiring coordinated development of ethical AI governance, science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM)-oriented education, and smart data-driven governance mechanisms. Based on these insights, the study develops a five-dimensional Education 5.0 evaluation framework tailored to the Vietnamese context, providing policy recommendations and a conceptual basis for evaluating higher education reform in digitally transforming education systems.