Hanoi National University of Education was officially established on 11^th October 1951 by Decree No. 276 of the Ministry of National Education. However, the University’s origins date back to as early as 1945 when President Ho Chi Minh ordered the formation of the Philology University Committee. On 10^th October 1945 just over a month after delivering the Declaration of Independence that gave birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV), President Ho Chi Minh signed decree No. 45 to establish a new University Board – the Philology University Committee in Hanoi to train teachers for secondary schools. On 8^th October 1946, he issued Document 194/SL to establish an Education Branch for training teachers for the basic education levels, high schools, specialists, experimental and professional schools in the country.

The University was recognized as the key national pedagogy university in October 1975, and then as one of six key tertiary institutions in Vietnam in March 1977. From 1994 to 1999, HNUE was a member of Vietnam National University. However, according to Decision No. 201/QD-TTg on 12 October 1999 by the Prime Minister, the University was separated and became one of the 14 key national universities in Vietnam. In 2000, the University began to develop into a key pedagogical university with the specific tasks of training high-quality teachers and conducting advanced scientific research, to promote the development of the pedagogical system and K-12 education.

The University now consists of approximately 700 lecturers, including nearly 200 full and associate professors, and over 300 doctors. In addition to 23 faculties, one department, and 14 research centers, five affiliated schools have become well-known in the national K-12 education system. With more than 70 years of development, the HNUE has trained thousands of school teachers, university lecturers, and researchers for the country. The University currently provides 43 full-time undergraduate programs and 43 post-graduate programs. The annual members of undergraduate and postgraduate enrolments are over 4000 and 1000, respectively.