The certification of the 28 undergraduate programs (UG programs) of the four branches of non-state university legal entities (NPLUs), which received a license to operate from the Ministry of Education last August, is currently underway. The Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (HAHE) must certify these programs before they can commence operations.

So far, evaluations have been completed for 17 NPLU programs, and “all certification reports will be ready by October 15,” stated HAHE President Periklis Mitkas in an interview with protothema.gr.

Steps Toward Certification

The certification process follows the same methodology used for public universities since 2018. HAHE’s quality standards for both public and non-state universities align with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015), comply with the legal framework, and are publicly available on HAHE’s website.

The complex certification process consists of five (5) main stages encompassing 36 specific actions involving three parties: HAHE, the institution, and the External Evaluation and Certification Committee (EECC).

The inspection and report preparation for each program are carried out by an independent EECC, which includes:

1. Three or four independent experts—professors or researchers from relevant scientific fields at foreign universities, selected from HAHE’s Expert Registry.
2. One student from HAHE’s Student Registry.
3. One representative from the relevant professional body or chamber, in cases where the program leads to a legally regulated profession (e.g., Engineering, Medicine, Law, Agriculture/Forestry).

“In each program, there is a dedicated evaluation committee,” explained Professor Mitkas. He added that for programs granting professional rights—such as Law, Engineering, Medicine, and Economics—allowing graduates to register with professional associations, a representative from the relevant chamber joins the committee. In such cases, the number of foreign professors decreases from four to three.

Members of the EECC, having received the necessary guidance from HAHE, operate under the Authority’s Code of Ethics with impartiality, objectivity, and full confidentiality to ensure the integrity of the certification process.

The final decision to grant certification is made by HAHE’s Evaluation and Certification Council (ECC), composed of the HAHE President, eight senior faculty members covering all scientific fields, one joint representative from professional chambers, and one student representative. This composition ensures comprehensive input from faculty, students, and professional sectors.

The process is guided by clear ethical standards and academic values: objectivity, evidence-based evaluation, collaboration, respect, impartiality, and confidentiality. HAHE certification guarantees that programs comply with quality requirements and that graduates acquire the expected competencies corresponding to the appropriate academic level (6, 7, or 8) in the European and National Qualifications Framework.

Although the process is ongoing, Professor Mitkas noted that “the overall impression from the evaluators reviewing the program files during the first week was satisfactory.”

Regarding the expected timeline, he added: “We expect to have the first decisions between October 10 and 15, so that the first non-state universities can start operating.”

Licensing Applications for NPLU Branches

According to Law 5094/2024, branches of foreign public or private universities can establish operations in Greece as Non-State University Legal Entities (NPLUs). These institutions can award higher education degrees, are affiliated with recognized universities abroad, and must be licensed following a review and evaluation process conducted by HAHE and other relevant national authorities.

Foreign parent universities submit an application and supporting documentation to the Ministry of Education, and the academic portion of the dossier is forwarded to HAHE for evaluation and verification.

HAHE’s Role

HAHE designs and implements quality assurance measures as part of its mission to safeguard and continuously improve the quality of higher education institutions (public and non-state). Since 2018, HAHE has certified:

• 100% of Internal Quality Assurance Systems of universities and higher education institutions
• Over 400 undergraduate programs (UG programs)
• Over 600 postgraduate programs (PG programs)

More than 300 independent experts from Europe, America, Asia, and Africa have participated in these evaluations, serving as professors/researchers (62%), students (25%), and professional representatives (13%).

Through reliable and transparent evaluation processes, HAHE continuously enhances the international recognition of degrees, the attractiveness of academic programs, promotes student mobility, and fosters academic collaborations abroad.