Inheriting the quintessence and rich academic traditions of the University of Indochina, Vietnam National University, and the University of Hanoi, VNU’s cultural and intellectual flow has been a constant support for its breakthrough development at present and in the future.

VNU is a cradle that trains a lot of talents for the country such as General Secretary Truong Chinh, General Vo Nguyen Giap; Revolutionaries Nguyen Thai Hoc, Nguyen An Ninh; Prof. Nguyen Khanh Toan, Prof. Doctor Ton That Tung, Prof. Ho Dac Di, Prof. Nguyen Van Huyen, Vietnam's first Professor of Mathematics Le Van Thiem, Minister of Agriculture Cu Huy Can – an excellent poet of the New Poetry Movement, and poet Nguyen Dinh Thi.

In 1956, Vietnam National University changed its name to the University of Hanoi and Hanoi Pedagogical University with the leading lecturers of the country's education, namely: Prof. Dang Thai Mai, Prof. Dao Duy Anh, Prof. People’s Teacher Tran Van Giau, Prof. Nguy Nhu Kontum, Prof. People’s Teacher Vu Dinh Lien, etc.

Growing up amid the ups and downs of the nation, 64 students-soldiers left the University and heroically sacrificed for the Fatherland: Martyr Nguyen Van Thac - an alumnus of Mathematics-Mechanics-Information Faculty with the diary "Forever twenties" and Martyr Hoang Kim Giao – an alumnus of the Physics Faculty, awarded with the title of "Bomb Demolition Hero", Hero of the People's Armed Forces of Vietnam.

Martyr Le Anh Xuan – an alumnus of the Faculty of History, was awarded the State Prize and conferred with the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces of Vietnam. He was also the author of the famous poem "Vietnamese posture":

From his posture in the middle of Tan Son Nhat runway

The country takes off amid the spring green.

VNU has a team of prestigious and leading scientists in Vietnam, who are honoured to be listed among the world's top scientists for four consecutive years (from 2019 up to now). VNU students won many major prizes at international and regional Olympiad competitions.