Mission

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in Andorra (AQUA) is a public entity whose mission is to ensure the quality of higher education in Andorra with a constant demand for quality and rigor derived from social and labor demands, through evaluation, accreditation, and certification in the field of teaching and research based on the standards defined in the European Higher Education Area.
 

Vision

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in Andorra (AQUA) aims to be an agile, approachable, and internationally recognized agency that accompanies Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) towards the continuous improvement of their activities and generates and transfers knowledge in the field of quality assurance.
 

Values

The AQUA Code of Ethics defines the values that should guide the actions of AQUA personnel and those who collaborate with it:

• Independence: AQUA is committed to being independent and acting autonomously

• Rigor: AQUA is committed to carrying out its activities with accuracy and technical justification.

• Integrity: AQUA is committed to conducting its activities coherently and honestly, avoiding possible conflicts of interest.

• Transparency: AQUA is committed to actively publishing relevant information about its activities and ensuring the right of access to public information.

• Collaboration: AQUA is committed to cooperating and working as a team with different actors with a constructive vision, acknowledging and valuing diversity and differences of opinion, and contributing to maintaining a good working environment. Additionally, AQUA's activities and results must respect the autonomy of each higher education institution and promote its improvement.

• Equity: AQUA is committed to promoting equity in all its activities and processes, and ensuring equal opportunities among its staff.

• Innovation: AQUA is committed to fostering continuous learning among its team and reinforcing continuous improvement and the development of quality assurance.

• Sustainability: AQUA is committed to minimizing the social, environmental, and economic impacts derived from its activities.

AQUA's functions are:

• Evaluation, accreditation, and certification of the quality of learning and teaching leading to the obtaining of official degrees and of the different processes that may affect higher education institutions, with special attention to the framework of the European quality space.
• Evaluation, accreditation, and certification of basic and applied research activity of higher education institutions.
• Definition of guidelines, criteria, and indicators for the evaluation of quality in the fields of higher education and research in line with European and international standards.
• Development of studies for the improvement and innovation of the evaluation, certification, and accreditation processes of the higher education system.
• Issuance of evaluation reports addressed to higher education institutions, educational administration, social agents, and society in general.
• Advisory role for the educational administration, higher education institutions, and other institutions in the scope of its functions.
• Establishment of cooperation links and collaboration protocols with other foreign agencies entrusted with evaluation, accreditation, and certification functions.
• Creation, modification, or elimination of fees and public prices, as well as their management and collection, by what is established by regulation.
• Any other functions derived from its activity or delegated to it by law.

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee is the collegial governing body of AQUA. It is composed of:

• Mrs Susanna Vela, President of the Legislative Committee on Education, Research, Culture, and Sports of the Andorran Parliament. She acts as the President of the Steering Committee.

• Mr Marc Magallón, Vice President of the Legislative Committee on Education, Research, Culture, and Sports of the Andorran Parliament.

• Mr Ladislau Baró, Minister of Institutional Relations, Education, and Universities.

• Mr Francesc Xavier Campuzano, Director of the Department of Higher Education, Research, and Technological Innovation of the Ministry of Institutional Relations, Education, and Universities.

• Dr Juli Minoves, Rector of Universitat d'Andorra.

• Dr Helena Prieto, Rector of Universitat Carlemany.

• Mr Arnau Solé, student at Universitat d'Andorra.

• Mr Jordi García, student at Universitas Europaea IMF.

• Mrs Roser Daban, Representative of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Services of Andorra.

• Dr Martí Casadesús, Professor at Universitat de Girona.

• Dr Isaac Galobardes, Director of AQUA. He acts as the secretary of the Steering Committee.

Management

The function of the management is to coordinate the development of actions proposed by the Steering Committee to achieve the policies and strategic objectives.

Dr Isaac Galobardes is the director of AQUA.  

Technical Team

The technical team consists of quality assurance technicians and junior quality assurance technicians. Their function is to carry out the tasks of the agency.

Evaluation Committee

The Evaluation Committee is responsible for issuing evaluation and accreditation reports for study programs and teaching staff. The functions of the Evaluation Committee are:

• Issuing and signing evaluation reports and accreditations.

• Proposing improvements to evaluation guidelines, criteria, and protocols for consideration by the Board Committee.

• Performing tasks assigned by the Board Committee.

The Evaluation Committee is composed of:

• Dr Carles Solà, professor of chemical engineering at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

• Dr Albert Sangrà, professor of education at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

• Dr Isaac Galobardes, president (director of AQUA).

Appeals Committee

The functions of the Appeals Committee are:

• Resolve appeals filed against resolutions of the Evaluation Committee or other resolutions issued by AQUA.

• Issue review reports of appeals filed against resolutions of the Evaluation Committee or other resolutions issued by AQUA.

• Perform other functions assigned by the Steering Committee.

The Appeals Committee is composed of:

• Mr Francesc Xavier Campuzano, Director of the Department of Higher Education, Research, and Technological Innovation of the Ministry of Institutional Relations, Education, and Universities.

• Dr Martí Casadesús, professor at Universitat de Girona.

• Mr Arnau Solé, student at Universitat d'Andorra.

AQUA  developed a strategic plan in 2023 for the three years.

You can consult the strategic plan here.

AQUA is governed by the following regulations:

• Law 9/2016, of June 28, creating the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in Andorra (AQUA).

• Law 14/2020, of November 12, amending Law 9/2016, of June 28, creating the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in Andorra (AQUA).

• Decree 63/2021, of February 24, approving the Regulations of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in Andorra (AQUA).

• Law 23/2021, of October 14, on fees of the Agency for Quality in Higher Education of Andorra.

• Decree 68/2022, of February 23, approving the modification of the Regulations of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in Andorra (AQUA).

• Law 1/2023, of January 19, amending Law 23/2021, of October 14, on fees of the Agency for Quality in Higher Education of Andorra.