JSTT Officially Becomes a Multidisciplinary International Journal Indexed in Scopus: A New Milestone in Bringing Vietnamese Knowledge to the World

Just over three years after its establishment and development, the Journal of Science and Transport Technology (JSTT) of the University of Transport Technology was indexed in Scopus; one year later, it advanced from Q4 to Q3 and has now expanded towards becoming a multidisciplinary international journal. JSTT’s successive achievements not only affirm UTT’s academic capacity and publishing autonomy, but also open up a space for international publication in Vietnam, where Vietnamese knowledge can reach the world and global knowledge can converge in Vietnam.

The Journal of Science and Transport Technology (JSTT) of the University of Transport Technology is entering a new stage of development as Scopus has approved its expansion towards a multidisciplinary international journal. This represents not only an expansion of academic scope, but also a milestone demonstrating the increasingly evident management capacity, scientific reputation and international integration of a journal built and developed primarily through the University’s internal resources.

JSTT officially becomes a multidisciplinary international journal in the Scopus database

Established in 2021 and oriented towards international standards from the outset, JSTT has undergone a rapid and remarkable development journey. Just over three years after its establishment, the Journal was officially accepted for indexing in Scopus. This achievement is particularly significant because JSTT did not rely on partnerships with or transfer of publishing rights to international commercial publishers, but was directly invested in, managed and developed by UTT through its own team, resources and strategy. JSTT’s experience demonstrates that a Vietnamese scientific journal can fully meet international standards with the right direction, rigorous editorial and peer-review processes, a reputable editorial board, and systematic, long-term investment.

After being indexed in Scopus, JSTT continued to make further progress by moving from Q4 to Q3 after only about one year. The continuous improvement in its ranking reflects the increasing quality of published articles, academic impact and presence of the Journal within the international research community. From a newly established journal to being indexed in Scopus within a short period and subsequently moving up in ranking, JSTT is becoming a notable practical example of the potential to internationalize Vietnamese scientific journals through internal capacity.

Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh attending and congratulating JSTT on its achievements

Scopus’ approval of JSTT’s expansion towards a multidisciplinary journal is particularly significant for its next stage of development. Building on its traditional strengths in transport, infrastructure, engineering and technology, the Journal is now positioned to expand into increasingly interdisciplinary and interconnected fields such as artificial intelligence, data science, information technology, materials, environment, Earth sciences, logistics, urban planning, economics, management and policy. The value of multidisciplinarity does not lie in simply placing different fields alongside one another, but in the ability to create new intersections among scientific communities, promote interdisciplinary research directions and address increasingly complex practical challenges.

From a broader perspective, developing a multidisciplinary international journal in Vietnam is important for the country’s scientific ecosystem. JSTT provides an additional standardized publication platform where Vietnamese scientific research can be peer-reviewed, published and disseminated to the international community through a platform developed and managed by Vietnam itself. At the same time, as the Journal’s academic scope, ranking and reputation continue to improve, JSTT is also better positioned to attract more international authors, reviewers and research groups to publish in Vietnam.

This represents a meaningful shift from simply “bringing Vietnamese knowledge to the world” towards a two-way model: bringing Vietnamese research findings to the international community while also attracting knowledge, scholars and international research networks to Vietnam. Developing domestic scientific journals to international standards is therefore not merely a matter of indexing or rankings, but is also directly related to knowledge autonomy, the flow of scientific data and the country’s academic standing.

The development of JSTT is also closely associated with the significant transformation of the University of Transport Technology. UTT is one of 13 higher education institutions selected to lead centers of excellence and talent development in technology, with the University taking a leading role in the field of advanced transport technology and smart infrastructure. This provides an important foundation for UTT to strengthen linkages among education, research, innovation, enterprises and international cooperation.

UTT is a higher education institution selected to lead centers of excellence and talent development in technology

Recently, UTT’s position has been further affirmed through its cooperation with the city of Hanoi and the French Development Agency in establishing and developing the School of Railway Technology in Hanoi. Within the framework of the high-level visit to France, UTT Rector, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hoang Long, participated in activities promoting cooperation in human resource training, technology transfer and capacity development in the field of modern railway technology. These steps demonstrate that UTT is gradually building an ecosystem that connects high-quality education, research, technology transfer, international cooperation and scientific publishing.

At the Élysée Palace, Paris, leaders of the Hanoi People’s Committee, UTT and AFD exchanged the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment and development of the School of Railway Technology in the presence of General Secretary and President To Lam and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Within this broader picture, JSTT is not an isolated achievement, but is becoming an important component of UTT’s strategy to enhance its scientific capacity and international integration. From a journal built through internal resources, JSTT has successively reached important milestones: establishment, Scopus indexing after just over three years, advancement from Q4 to Q3, and continued expansion towards becoming a multidisciplinary international journal.

These milestones not only enhance the reputation of JSTT and the University of Transport Technology, but also convey a broader message: Vietnamese universities are fully capable of building scientific publishing brands with international competitiveness, contributing to bringing Vietnamese knowledge to the world and gradually positioning Vietnam as a destination for regional and global knowledge.