Pallas University of Applied Sciences was accredited for seven years
Pallas University of Applied Sciences (Pallas UAS) has successfully completed institutional accreditation. The Assessment Council of the Estonian Education Quality Agency (HAKA) decided to accredit Pallas University of Applied Sciences for the next seven years.
The international expert panel highlighted several strengths at Pallas UAS. According to the evaluation committee, Pallas’s services to society are worthy of special recognition. Pallas was commended for its diverse engagement with society, demonstrating a strong commitment to extending the impact of higher education beyond the academic community. Through Gallery Pallas, its library, student-led projects, continuing education programs, and active cooperation with cultural and professional partners, Pallas effectively promotes public engagement, cultural development, and lifelong learning.
“Over the three years following the previous evaluation, Pallas has undergone significant development. This progress has been made possible by values-based leadership founded on mutual trust. A substantial curriculum reform has been implemented, and quality agreements have been established to guide teaching and learning,” noted HAKA Director Heli Mattisen.
Rector of Pallas UAS, Piret Viirpalu, explained that the evaluation process was an important opportunity for self-reflection and learning: “The outcome of the institutional accreditation confirms that Pallas is moving in the right direction and that the developments already underway will continue. At the same time, in art higher education it must be acknowledged that not everything essential can be measured—creativity, intuition, and the experiential dimension inherent to art are primarily expressed through Pallas’s spaces, people, and creative work.” Regarding future plans, she added: “We are currently preparing Pallas’s next five-year development plan, which will allow us to integrate the recommendations received, the new higher education standard, and future directions in order to shape the best possible applied art higher education.”
All higher education institutions in Estonia must undergo institutional accreditation at least once every seven years. Institutional accreditation is an external evaluation in which the compliance of the institution’s management, teaching and research activities, and the study and research environment with legislation, institutional goals, and the development plan is assessed. The evaluation is carried out by an international expert panel.
More detailed evaluation documents are available on the HAKA website.
Cover photo: Kristel Serge / Illustration of Pallas by Olevus Art
