Higher education institutions carry out their activities in accordance with their strategic objectives, ensuring the fulfilment of their training, research and extension functions and fulfilling their commitments to society. Institutional assessment is an instrument for the continuous improvement of the national higher education system, covering all the different institutions (public and private, polytechnic and university).
According to the Legal Framework for the Assessment of Higher Education (Law No. 38/2007, of August 16), institutional assessment aims to assess the quality of the performance of higher education institutions and their organic units, assessing the strategy adopted to ensure the quality management of their activities, as well as the degree of fulfillment of their mission. To this end, institutional assessment meets the requirements of the Legal Framework for Higher Education Institutions (Law No. 62/2007, of September 10) and uses performance parameters related to the performance of said institutions, prioritizing their respective results. It also uses international best practices in the field as a reference, namely the standards defined by ENQA (ESG, 2015), also taking into account the principles and objectives of the European Higher Education Area that bind the A3ES.
The Polytechnic of Coimbra was evaluated for the first time based on these assumptions in 2017, compared to the previous period of 6 years, and as a result of the evaluation of its performance a decision was made to accredit with conditions, for a period of 2 years.
From the most recent assessment, which took place during 2023 and whose decision was issued on June 7, 2024, the Polytechnic of Coimbra was awarded the highest accreditation granted by A3ES for the first time, valid for a period of six years and without conditions.
According to the evaluation report of the External Evaluation Committee (CAE), the Polytechnic of Coimbra has shown good performance, with significant improvements in all dimensions that represent its mission. The CAE considers that it is clear that the Polytechnic of Coimbra has been following “a path based on a strong culture and strategic management, which has driven the Polytechnic of Coimbra brand and consolidated its institutional reputation as an HEI linked to the local territory, in its people and companies, but with international projection”, adding that “At IPC, one breathes quality and ambition”.
For the president of the Polytechnic of Coimbra, Jorge Conde, this is the result of “systematic work, which in recent years has led to a consolidation of work between schools and services, allowing greater organizational growth of the institution”. “This does not mean that everything is fine, it means that we are on the right track, a track that must be maintained to ensure the quality and ambition necessary to repeat the process within six years”, adds the person in charge.