On-site Visit by Experts

AIKA shall select and approve the experts group consisting of at least 5 experts and inform the respective higher education institution or college about the composition of the experts group, the observers, and the AIKA representative who shall coordinate the assessment procedure.

The higher education institution or college may reject the members of the experts group by submitting a justified written application to AIKA specifying the reasons for each rejected member of the experts group.

AIKA shall review the application of the higher education institution or college. In the event that the application is found justified, a new experts group shall be established, and the higher education institution or college shall be informed thereof.

The aim of the on-site visit is to gain as much information as possible on the study directions and the relevant study programmes in order to carry out a comprehensive and unbiased assessment in compliance with the provisions specified in Paragraph 15 of Cabinet Regulation No. 793 of 11 December 2018 and the criteria specified in the Guidelines for the Preparation of the Joint Opinion by the Expert Group on the Assessment of a Study Field.

The AIKA coordinator shall prepare the agenda of the on-site assessment visit and coordinate it with the experts group and the respective higher education institution or college.

During the on-site assessment visit:

• The higher education institution or college shall ensure that each of its representatives, who wishes to meet the experts group, shall have such an opportunity.
• The higher education institution or college shall, upon request by AIKA or the experts group, provide access to the informative resources/infrastructure, including the library resources, the material and technical provision, the final theses (if any), the examination materials, and other resources of the higher education institution or college.
• The higher education institution or college shall provide proper premises and equipment required during the assessment on-site visit.
• During the on-site visit, each representative of the higher education institution or college may attend only one meeting of the experts group, except individual cases, where this opportunity has been previously discussed and coordinated with the assessment coordinator.
• The meetings with the teaching staff and the students shall take place in the absence of the representatives of the managerial staff of the higher education institution or college. Moreover, no lists of the participating students are drawn up during the meeting with the students.
• As for the meetings with the graduates and the representatives of the employers and/or professional organisations, the persons studying and/or employed at the respective higher education institution or college shall not be allowed to attend these meetings.
• During the on-site visit, the breaks (coffee breaks, lunch, and dinner) shall be organised separately from the representatives of the higher education institution or college.

English shall be the working language during the assessment on-site visit, unless otherwise agreed upon with AIKA. If necessary, the higher education institution or college may use the services of an interpreter, subject to previous coordination thereof with AIKA prior to the on-site visit. The interpreter may not be involved in the implementation of the study direction subject to the assessment. The expenses related to the interpreting services shall be covered by the higher education institution or college.