As an introductory study, this paper traces the history of science and technology (S&T) in Vietnam since the colonial period focusing on science education and pol-icy. The Vietnamese encounter with modern science began in the colonial period but the legacy of colonial science did not serve as the foundation for modern sci-ence in Vietnam due to the intermittent wars and political instability. During the Vietnam War, the development of S&T was modest, though technology transfer from the superpowers contributed to the transformation of Vietnam from post-colonial to modern society. After the war, the Vietnamese succeeded in making hybrid technologies based on the U.S. legacy and USSR’s help, such as the reacti-vation of Da Lat nuclear research reactor. In the 1990s, Vietnam rapidly integrat-ed itself into the world and the Vietnamese government started to show their commitment to making S&T the driving force in economic development. The S&T legal framework was set up and the S&T system of personnel and institutions to conduct R&D activities has been formed, along with the emergence of more S&T infrastructure. Examining the trajectory of the growth of S&T in Vietnam, this paper illuminates the hybrid origins of a modern Vietnamese S&T system from colonial inheritance to contemporary global cooperation.