Belgium

• Governmental membership
  Belgium has been a Governmental Member of EQAR since February 2008.

  Read more: all Governmental Members of EQAR

• General information on higher education

  Belgium is a federal state which has three Communities and three Regions. The Federal State delegated the competence for education to each of the three Communities (French, Flemish and German‐speaking).

• National external quality assurance requirements

  • French Community - Programme evaluations
    address 1st (bachelor) and 2nd cycle (master) degrees. Institutions of higher education are required to ensure their own quality management and assurance and to take measures for an effective internal self‐evaluation (Article 9, Decree of 31 March 2004 & Article 9 of the Decree of 7 November 2013). While the institutions go through a periodic programme evaluation, the results of assessments have no formal impact in terms of financing or accreditation of higher education institutions. Private higher education establishment are not recognised by the legal framework of the French Community of Belgium

  • Flemish Community - Institutional review and programme accreditation
    University colleges and universities require an institutional review and they have to organize the assessment of the quality of their programmes. Other higher education institutions require programme accreditation. For all new programmes an initial accreditation and a first accreditation by NVAO is mandatory. Only education providers included in the Flemish Higher Education Register can award legally recognised degrees. Programme accreditation is still required for the delivery of new programmes or for programmes with a limited period of accreditation (the ‘Codex Hoger Onderwijs’ 2013).

• Cross-border quality assurance

  In Belgium higher education institutions may choose a suitable EQAR-registered agency.

  Flemish Community (fl): for external quality assurance at programme level

  French Community (fr): for all periodic programme evaluations

  • Eligibility requirements for foreign agencies: (fl)  registration on EQAR or formal agreement with NVAO outlining requirements to meet the ESG / (fr) EQAR registration

  • Conditions for the agencies’ work (e.g. criteria to be used): (fl) own criteria / (fr) own criteria (compatible with AEQES and the ESG)

  • Recognition of reviews carried out by foreign agencies: (fl) Methodological check re. assessment report by NVAO / (fr) AEQES reviews the request of the higher education institution to recognise the programme evaluations carried out by the foreign agency; external QA carried out by EQAR-registered agencies go through a simplified procedure.

  Read more: countries where higher education institutions may choose a suitable EQAR-registered agency

• European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes

  In Belgium the European Approach is available to higher education institutions.

  The Approach can be used for the external review of joint programmes in both Flemish and French Community.

  Read more: countries where the European Approach is available to higher education institutions

• Permalink
  https://data.deqar.eu/country/17/
• Further information

  • Decision of the Flemish Government on higher education (in Dutch, Art. II. 122. § 4, the ‘Codex Hoger Onderwijs’ 2013)

  • AEQES QA Guide (BE-FR)

  • Ministry responsible for higher education (BE-FL)

  • Ministry responsible for higher education (BE-DE)

  • Belgium Flemish Community - European Higher Education Area

  • Belgium French Community - European Higher Education Area

  • ENIC NARIC

  • Ministry responsible for higher education (BE-FR)

Registered agencies operating in Belgium