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This study examines the use of international publishing (i.e. publishing in journals/books indexed by international bibliometrics databases) within academia in Vietnam since Doi Moi (the Renovation) in 1986. Document analysis and in‐depth interviews with 20 Vietnamese scholars were undertaken to address the research objective. The findings revealed three important milestones in academic development in Vietnam: 1986–2008, 2008–2017, and 2017 to the present. Between 1986 and 2008, international publishing was almost non‐existent in actual practice in academia, except among the mathematics community. Since 2008, with the launch of the Foundation for Science and Technology Development, international publishing in Vietnam has become more visible on a broader scope (i.e. at ministerial level). Increasing awareness in the academic community of the role of international publishing contributed to a major increase in research output with an international outlook between 2008 and 2017. The third milestone was the promulgation of two new regulations, one relating to doctoral education in 2017 and another to professorship appointments in 2018, in which international publishing databases have been placed at the centre of these policy agendas. Looking ahead, policymakers and academic leaders in Vietnam are recommended to further use international publishing metrics to enhance international research outputs and quality.