Aalto Handbook

Quality policy and system

The aim of Aalto University is to continuously improve the quality of all operations and to implement common best practices in the organisation. The quality system is an entity of policies, procedures and processes aimed at safeguarding and improving the quality of the university activities, its education, its research and other activities and it is embedded in university governance and in daily activities.
Aalto quality system
Aalto quality system

Aalto University has a quality policy with the following principles: 

  • Pursuit of excellence in all activities
  • Contribution towards the shared purpose by each member of the Aalto community 
  • Continuous assessment and development of all activities and management 
  • Systematic and shared ways of working to ensure quality and effectiveness of activities  

The objectives set for the quality system are to do the following: 

  • support the achievement of the university's strategic objectives and the goals set for activities, and ensure the high quality of university activities and results 
  • reinforce a joint quality culture and the participation of students, personnel and external stakeholders in the planning, implementation, evaluation and development of university activities  
  • clarify and harmonise procedures as well as the roles and responsibilities of various actors 
  • disseminate consistent operating methods and best practices throughout the university
  • ensure the reliability of quantitative and qualitative information used for planning, management, monitoring and development of activities 
  • identify, document and develop key operating processes based on systematic feedback  
  • maintain and strengthen openness and transparency
  • ensure that Aalto meets quality requirements set at national and international levels
  • ensure that the operations of Aalto University are in line with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG)
  • strengthen the prestige and competitiveness of Aalto University.

Why Aalto University has a quality system

The establishment of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the changes in the operating environment of higher education institutions require universities to continuously develop and increase the transparency of their operations. Quality management is guided by the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG), which is a reference framework for internal and external quality assurance systems in higher education. Consequently, similarly to other universities in Europe and Finland, Aalto University has a quality management system to support its strategic management and continuously improve its activities on all levels.The quality system is embedded in all processes and everyday activities of the university. 

With the quality system, we ensure that Aalto University's operations and activities are systematically planned, implemented, evaluated and developed. Through the system, we also monitor that we are progressing towards our goals and proactively responding to development needs. 

According to the Universities Act, Finnish universities must participate in external evaluation of their operations and quality systems on a regular basis. Begin of 2023 the quality system of Aalto University was audited by the international audit team of the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC/Karvi) with excellent results. The quality label received is valid for 6 years.

FINEEC has awarded Aalto University its Quality Label for Excellence in spring 2024The Quality Label for Excellence can be granted only to a higher education institution audited by FINEEC in recognition of the exceptional quality in the development of its activities.

More information

Aalto University campus

Quality system audit 2022/2023

to University's quality system was audited early in year 2023. The quality label is valid until May 2029.

Aalto Handbook
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