National Authority for Higher Education: The certification process for non-state university programs

The certification of the 28 undergraduate programs (UG programs) of the 4 branches of non-state assemblage ineligible entities (NPLUs), which received a licence to run from the Ministry of Education past August, is presently underway. The Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE) indispensable certify these programs earlier they tin commence operations.

So far, evaluations person been completed for 17 NPLU programs, and “all certification reports volition beryllium acceptable by October 15,” stated HAHE President Periklis Mitkas successful an interrogation with protothema.gr.

Steps Toward Certification

The certification process follows the aforesaid methodology utilized for nationalist universities since 2018. HAHE’s prime standards for some nationalist and non-state universities align with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance successful the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015), comply with the ineligible framework, and are publically disposable connected HAHE’s website.

The analyzable certification process consists of five (5) main stages encompassing 36 circumstantial actions involving 3 parties: HAHE, the institution, and the External Evaluation and Certification Committee (EECC).

The inspection and study mentation for each programme are carried retired by an autarkic EECC, which includes:

1. Three oregon 4 autarkic experts—professors oregon researchers from applicable technological fields astatine overseas universities, selected from HAHE’s Expert Registry.
2. One student from HAHE’s Student Registry.
3. One typical from the applicable nonrecreational assemblage oregon chamber, successful cases wherever the programme leads to a legally regulated assemblage (e.g., Engineering, Medicine, Law, Agriculture/Forestry).

“In each program, determination is simply a dedicated valuation committee,” explained Professor Mitkas. He added that for programs granting nonrecreational rights—such arsenic Law, Engineering, Medicine, and Economics—allowing graduates to registry with nonrecreational associations, a typical from the applicable enclosure joins the committee. In specified cases, the fig of overseas professors decreases from 4 to three.

Members of the EECC, having received the indispensable guidance from HAHE, run nether the Authority’s Code of Ethics with impartiality, objectivity, and afloat confidentiality to guarantee the integrity of the certification process.

The last determination to assistance certification is made by HAHE’s Evaluation and Certification Council (ECC), composed of the HAHE President, 8 elder module members covering each technological fields, 1 associated typical from nonrecreational chambers, and 1 pupil representative. This creation ensures broad input from faculty, students, and nonrecreational sectors.

The process is guided by wide ethical standards and world values: objectivity, evidence-based evaluation, collaboration, respect, impartiality, and confidentiality. HAHE certification guarantees that programs comply with prime requirements and that graduates get the expected competencies corresponding to the due world level (6, 7, oregon 8) successful the European and National Qualifications Framework.

Although the process is ongoing, Professor Mitkas noted that “the wide content from the evaluators reviewing the programme files during the archetypal week was satisfactory.”

Regarding the expected timeline, helium added: “We expect to person the archetypal decisions betwixt October 10 and 15, truthful that the archetypal non-state universities tin commencement operating.”

Licensing Applications for NPLU Branches

According to Law 5094/2024, branches of overseas nationalist oregon backstage universities tin found operations successful Greece arsenic Non-State University Legal Entities (NPLUs). These institutions tin grant higher acquisition degrees, are affiliated with recognized universities abroad, and indispensable beryllium licensed pursuing a reappraisal and valuation process conducted by HAHE and different applicable nationalist authorities.

Foreign genitor universities taxable an exertion and supporting documentation to the Ministry of Education, and the world information of the dossier is forwarded to HAHE for valuation and verification.

HAHE’s Role

HAHE designs and implements prime assurance measures arsenic portion of its ngo to safeguard and continuously amended the prime of higher acquisition institutions (public and non-state). Since 2018, HAHE has certified:

• 100% of Internal Quality Assurance Systems of universities and higher acquisition institutions
• Over 400 undergraduate programs (UG programs)
• Over 600 postgraduate programs (PG programs)

More than 300 autarkic experts from Europe, America, Asia, and Africa person participated successful these evaluations, serving arsenic professors/researchers (62%), students (25%), and nonrecreational representatives (13%).

Through reliable and transparent valuation processes, HAHE continuously enhances the international designation of degrees, the attractiveness of world programs, promotes pupil mobility, and fosters world collaborations abroad.