The NVAO's 2024 Annual Report highlights a year of continuity and further development in quality assurance for higher education in the Netherlands and Flanders. Throughout 2024, the NVAO adopted numerous decisions, once again confirming a high level of confidence in the quality of higher education. This confidence is particularly important at a time of societal debate and global uncertainty. The NVAO focused on optimising and further developing existing systems, with particular attention to simplifying and clarifying procedures. In the Netherlands, a new assessment framework was introduced and the declarations of independence for panel members were updated. In Flanders, preparations were made for a new quality assurance system that will come into effect in September 2025.
In 2024, the NVAO also invested in substantive initiatives to support educational quality, including thematic analyses and the publication of reports. New staff members were recruited to strengthen thematic analysis activities, and collaboration with stakeholders was intensified to further enhance the quality culture within higher education institutions. In addition, the NVAO focused on international cooperation and on improving its internal processes and systems. A new digital environment was developed for the handling of applications, with the aim of making assessment procedures more efficient.
The year 2024 was also characterised by organisational continuity and consolidation within the NVAO. No major organisational changes took place, but the existing structure was further optimised. An important challenge for the coming years is achieving the long-term sustainability of the multi-year budget. The NVAO Board looks back on 2024 as a year of continuity, in which the quality of higher education remained at the heart of its work.
This annual report is only available in Dutch.