Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Global university rankings increasingly universalise Anglo-American definitions of institutional excellence, creating tensions for emerging higher education systems seeking developmental responsiveness and nationally embedded legitimacy. This study examines the Vietnam University Rankings (VNUR) as an emerging nationally embedded ranking system within the globalised governance landscape of higher education. While global rankings such as QS and Times Higher Education (THE) prioritise research prestige, reputation, and international visibility, VNUR emphasises accreditation, employability, transparency, and developmental alignment with domestic policy objectives. Methodologically, the study adopts a theory-informed qualitative comparative analysis of ranking methodologies, governance assumptions, and evaluative architectures embedded within VNUR, QS, and THE. The findings demonstrate that ranking systems embody competing governance rationalities and contrasting conceptions of institutional legitimacy and academic quality. VNUR operates as a hybrid governance instrument that selectively internalises globally recognisable evaluative practices while preserving nationally embedded developmental priorities. The study argues that nationally embedded ranking systems should be understood not as derivative adaptations of global models, but as emerging governance architectures reshaping the evaluative foundations of institutional legitimacy within the Global South.</p>