ShareAQU Catalunya convenes the Advisory Commission
In its 2025 annual session, members discussed a methodology for evaluating the impact of institutional accreditation after introducing the Commission’s new members.
AQU Catalunya convened the Advisory Commission last Friday at the Agency’s headquarters. The session began with the introduction of the Commission’s new members, recently joined by Dr. Guy Haug and Dr. Marc Tarrés Vives. Haug, appointed as an international academic member, is regarded as one of the architects of the Bologna Process and of the creation of the European Higher Education Area. Tarrés, a tenured professor in the Department of Administrative, Procedural, and Financial and Tax Law at the University of Barcelona, joined the Advisory Commission as the representative of the Unión General de Trabajadores union, filling a seat that had been pending renewal.
After the introductions and the approval of the minutes of the previous meeting, the Commission’s Chair — who also serves as President of AQU Catalunya, Francesc Xavier Grau Vidal — moved through the various agenda items. The first focused on reviewing AQU Catalunya’s activities throughout 2025. This was followed by an analysis of the impact of the new Royal Decree 05/2025 of 7 October, which amends several regulations on the creation and accreditation of universities and higher education institutions.
The results of the Satisfaction survey of graduates from Catalan universities (2015–2023) and of the Gender Perspective Satisfaction module (2024) were then presented. The session concluded with a discussion on the methodology being developed by the Agency to evaluate the impact of institutional accreditation.
The Advisory Commission is the consultative body that supports AQU Catalunya by advising on strategies, defining and improving procedures, and preparing proposals for action to ensure the quality of the Agency’s activities in line with international benchmarks. The Commission comprises national and international academics with recognised expertise, student representatives from Catalan universities, and representatives of major trade unions in Catalonia with experience in higher education and research quality.