The Bhutan Qualifications and Professionals Certification Authority (BQPCA) under the Ministry of Education and Skills Development in its continued effort to uphold and promote quality assurance in higher education institutions, completed accreditation of five higher education institutions (HEIs) in the financial year 2024-2025. Institutional Accreditation is a key tool to ensure that education provider of the Institutes of Higher Education meets minimum acceptable quality standards.
The accreditation was carried out based on the Institutional Accreditation Manual (IAM) 2024 which outlines seven Standards for accreditation: i. governance, leadership and management, ii. academic systems, iii. human resources, iv. research, publications and linkages, v. infrastructures and learning resources, vi. students’ services, and vii. Internal quality assurance and enhancement systems. Two international and 18 national assessors were engaged for accrediting the five HEIs and their results are as follows:
The award of certificates ceremony was graced by Commissioner Baburam Sherpa, RCSC as the Chief Guest on 6th June 2025. The presidents, directors, representatives of the HEIs and Assessors also participated in the event. In his keynote address, the Chief Guest emphasised that HEIs obtaining institutional accreditation is an assurance to all stakeholders that the institution meets international benchmarks as the process and standards are aligned to international best practices and global standards. The representatives of the HEIs and Assessors echoed that institutional accreditation ensures compliance and commitment to continuous improvement with the national standards and quality benchmarks set forth by the BQPCA.
The Institutional Accreditation will be continued in the coming financial years based on the validity of previous accreditation status or eligibility criteria outlined in the Manual. This is done to align with the rapid transformation of the global higher education landscape, and External Quality Assurance (EQA) agencies worldwide adopting innovative practices to stay aligned with evolving trends in higher education quality.
