Ownership of quality. Higher education institutions (HEIs) hold primary responsibility for their internal quality assurance. Our primary purpose is to support Icelandic HEIs as autonomous institutions in engaging with external quality assurance and fulfilling their responsibilities for the management and enhancement of quality.
Enhancing quality. Our framework is enhancement-led and developed to support Icelandic HEIs, not simply in terms of the basic assurance of quality, but also in the continuing enhancement of all aspects of their activities.
Involvement of students. Students are involved as active participants in the assurance and enhancement of their learning. Our framework embraces all students, regardless of physical ability or mental health status, gender, sexual orientation, racial or ethnic background, nationality, religion, residence or financial situation.
International and Icelandic perspectives. Our fit-for-purpose framework is firmly rooted in the Icelandic context while maintaining a balance between local developments and international perspectives. As higher education is increasingly delivered through international partnerships and collaborations, we embrace both an inward- and outward-looking approach.
Independence and partnership. We operate with full independence, and our framework is managed outside of any vested interest or instruments of control. At the same time, we recognise the importance and value of dialogue with our stakeholders through appropriate fora.
Transparency. We emphasise transparency through availability of non-confidential material, guidance and resources, and regular dialogue and communication with the sector, as well as support through conferences, meetings and other events.