Estonian Quality Agency for Education (HAKA)
Contact Information
| Street name: | Tõnismägi 11 |
| Postal code and City: | 10119 Tallinn |
| Country: | Estonia |
| Phone/Fax: | +372 5660 6419 |
| E-mail: | haka@harno.ee |
| Website: | https://haka.ee/en/ |
| Introductory presentation: |
HAKA Qualifications Framework: A Tool for Quality Assurance in Learning and Teaching |
| Contact person: | Dr Liia Lauri |
| Function of contact person: | Assessment Director |
| Founding year: | 2009 (predecessor agency 1997-2008) |
| Legal status: | HAKA (former EKKA) was established in 2009 (at that time as part of Archimedes Foundation) to continue the work of the Estonian Higher Education Accreditation Centre. As of the 1 August 2020, HAKA operates within The Education and Youth Authority, a governmental body under the administration of the Ministry of Education and Research. As part of the Authority, HAKA continues to perform its activities and tasks independently. |
| International Links and membership: | ENQA, EQAR, INQAAHE |
HAKA is the leading competence centre in the field of external evaluation of educational institutions in Estonia. HAKA’s activities are based on the needs of the Estonian education system and learners as well as guidelines and agreements in the areas of European higher and vocational education. In its daily work, HAKA draws on up-to-date know-how tailored to the local context and informs stakeholders of the results of external assessments and analyses conducted thereof. HAKA’s mission is to support the development of a culture of quality in the field of education and enhance the openness and competitiveness of the Estonian society. The key responsibilities of HAKA are:
- organising and conducting institutional accreditation in educational institutions providing higher education; and quality assessment of their study programme groups and
- performing other functions assigned to it by legislation, including quality assessment of study programme groups in vocational education and training.
The work of HAKA is guided by the Supervisory Board consisting of representatives of various interest groups. The assessment principles in higher and vocational education are approved by the Quality Assessment Council for Higher Education and the Quality Assessment Council for VET. These councils also adopt assessment decisions. There are also independent Appeals Committees at HAKA, whose task is to provide the Council with an unbiased opinion on the validity of the objection submitted to the actions of the Council or the administrative decisions of the Council. The director of HAKA manages the Secretariat, that comprises fourteen permanent employees.
