Annual Report 2008 of the Estonian Higher Education Accreditation Centre
In 2008, the Estonian Higher Education Accreditation Centre (EHEAC) carried out visits by international experts from 23 broad areas of study to assess the quality of study programmes of the Estonian institutions of higher education and to conduct one research evaluation. As a result of the visits, the expert committees gave their opinions on 106 study programmes. The Higher Education Quality Assessment Council decided to give a full accreditation to 89 study programmes, a conditional accreditation to 15 study programmes, and a negative accreditation to 2 study programmes.
In 2008, expert committees visited 20 institutions of higher education and several of their colleges. The total of 86 international experts participated in the accreditation process of our study programmes. The numeric breakdown by countries was as follows:
1) 25 experts from Finland;
2) 21 experts from the United Kingdom;
3) 12 experts from Sweden;
4) 7 experts from Denmark;
5) 5 experts from Latvia;
6) 4 experts each from Hungary and Germany;
7) 2 experts each from Austria and Belgium;
8) 1 expert each from Ireland, Holland, Norway, and Switzerland.
From 1997 to 2008, 1313 study programmes have been accredited (some of them twice or more times). 1008 study programmes have received a full accreditation, 264 – a conditional accreditation, and 41 – a negative accreditation.
In 2008, organised by the EHEAC, the General Assembly of the Eurasian Quality Assurance Network took place in Tallinn. Hillar Bauman was elected Vice President of the organisation.
In November 2008, Tiit Laasberg, as a member of a committee, participated in an external review of the National Accreditation Agency of the Russian Federation to evaluate its eligibility to become a full member of ENQA.
Visits by 25 expert groups to accredit study programmes of higher education have been scheduled for 2009. The plan is to assess the quality of about 100 study programmes and 2 institutions. In addition, transitional evaluations will start in autumn 2009.
Since 1 January 2009, the Estonian Higher Education Quality Agency has been operating as a structural unit of the Archimedes Foundation instead of the former Estonian Higher Education Quality Assessment Council and the Estonian Higher Education Accreditation Centre.
According to current estimations, the Estonian Higher Education Quality Agency should undergo the external evaluation in 2010.
Pursuant to law amendments, quality assessment of study programme groups and institutional accreditation will be launched in 2011-2012. Normative documents of procedures for these activities will be developed during 2009.
