Quality Assurance Unit

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is fully committed to implementing a policy that ensures the provision of high-quality Greek and foreign language higher education to the students who choose it, by organizing and implementing Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Doctoral Programmes of high academic standards and significant added value, both in Greek and English, in the most important fields and areas of science.

In addition, it seeks to develop a creative environment of research, promote free scientific expression, and a creative working space for all its staff and members of its academic community.

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, as the main representative of the Greek public universities, has established and implements a specific quality policy, which is fully linked to the legal and regulatory framework governing the operation of the institution and harmonized with the Principles and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015).

Through the establishment and ongoing, review, redesign, and redefinition of the Quality Policy, the NKUA is committed to achieving even higher performance. The commitment of the leadership and all staff of the Institution to continuously improve the quality of its services is a strategic management and responsibility choice.

The vision of our University is to continue to contribute effectively to addressing the educational, cultural, social, and developmental needs of our country and our people with commitment to the principles of scientific ethics, accountability, sustainable development, and social cohesion.

LINKING QUALITY POLICY TO THE STRATEGY OF THE INSTITUTION

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens has developed and implements a specific formal Quality Assurance Policy, which is part of its strategy.

The development and implementation of this policy, with appropriate structures and procedures, involves all relevant internal stakeholders (Administrative Bodies, Faculty Members and all types of teaching and research staff, Employees, Students of all programmes of study and other interested parties).

The Institution's Quality Assurance Policy and its implementation strategy are implemented through the Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) of the NKUA. This Unit is a structure of the Institution, and was founded on the 24th of July 2008 to organize, coordinate, and implement the Quality Assessment and Quality Assurance procedures in full alignment with the requirements of the framework legislation for higher education.

The QAU of NKUA is responsible for the organization and implementation in the Institution of the Internal Quality Assurance System (IQAS), with specific principles, criteria, regulations and procedures for the maintenance of positive elements and constant improvement. As a Service, the QAU of NKUA is responsible for monitoring and controlling the quality operation of the institution at all levels.

The Internal Quality Assurance System of the NKUA was developed in accordance with the international practices, especially those of the European Higher Education Area, and the principles and guidelines of HAHE (formerly HQA) (article 14, 1 of Law 4009/2011).

To ensure and continuously improve the quality of its educational and research work, as well as for the effective operation and performance of its services, the Institution complies with the criteria defined in Article 72.2 of Law 4009/2011,

This policy mainly supports:

• the organization of the Institution's internal quality assurance system,
• the responsibilities of the leadership of the institution, departments and other functional units, staff members and students, and their respective roles in relation to quality assurance,
• the safeguarding of academic principles, ethics and deontology, the prevention of discrimination, and encourages the involvement of external stakeholders in quality assurance,
• the continuous improvement of learning and teaching, research and innovation,
• the quality assurance of curricula and their compliance with the specific HAHE standards,
• the effective organization of services and the development and maintenance of infrastructure,
• the allocation and effective management of the resources necessary for the operation of the Institution,
• the development and rational allocation of human resources.

The main pillars on which the Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement Policy of the NKUA is structured and which are linked to and form part of the strategy of the institution are the following:

1. Constant reform and improvement of the Institution’s curricula.
2. Strengthening of student-centred learning in the design of curricula
3. Improving the performance and achievement of students participating in the Institution’s curricula.
4. Reducing the percentage of students who drop out or are late in completing their studies.
5. Strengthening the multi-level research work at the Institution.
6. Production of more and high impact articles in international scientific journals and edited volumes.
7. Continuous improvement of the working conditions of the scientific and administrative staff of the Institution.
8. Solving infrastructure problems (e.g. building problems).
9. Development of synergies between the Departments/Faculties of the NKUA in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes
10. Strengthening of transnational cooperation programmes providing for the mobility of students and teaching staff.
11. Strengthening of collaborations with other foreign and domestic institutions, the dissemination and enhancement of research projects and wider synergies, as well as the improvement of research output.
12. Developing the extroversion of the Faculties and Departments.
13. Attracting high quality faculty members from Greece and abroad.
14. Cooperating with the authors of global university ranking tables to better promote the quality of the Institution internationally.
15. Solving problems related to the implementation of administrative work.
16. Implementation of measures to reduce pollutants and the environmental burden caused by the University’s operation.
17. Creation of new postgraduate programmes, in particular interdisciplinary or inter-institutional programmes.
18. Use of alternative sources of funding (participation in international programmes, self-financed study programmes, sponsorships/donations).
19. Improving the organization and delivery of Lifelong Learning programmes.
20. Continuous organization and implementation of direct and indirect support activities for vulnerable social groups.
21. Organizing and making good use of the Institution's alumni network in the service of its academic and social objectives.

The Institution's strategy for quality assurance and the high-quality level of the degrees awarded is determined by the multifaceted effort to ensure the quality and completeness of the teaching process, to meet the needs of new scientific directions and concerns and to open up, in particular, interdisciplinary and international collaborations in the service of the above objectives.

The results of this strategy are documented in the reports of the external evaluators, in the detailed information on the objectives and learning outcomes, as reflected in the Departmental study guides, in the positive evaluations of the students of the Institution with regard to the courses, in the full alignment with the European and International Standards (ECTS system), in the acceptance of graduates for postgraduate and doctoral studies to universities abroad, and also in their professional rehabilitation and social development.

The way in which this policy is designed, approved, implemented, monitored, and reviewed is one of the procedures of the internal quality assurance system.