Our history

VLUHR QA was established in 2013 as a result of an integration process of the quality assurance agencies of the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR) and the Flemish University Colleges Council (VLHORA). The organisation of programme assessments was entrusted by decree to VLIR in 1991 and to VLHORA in 2000. Within both VLIR and VLHORA, there was a well-developed Quality Assurance Unit responsible for the coordination of the programme assessments.

In 2009, the Flemish government asked for the quality assurance activities of VLIR and VLHORA to be brought together in a single organisation, the Flemish Higher Education Council (VLUHR). VLUHR was formally established on 20 December 2010 by the Flemish universities, university colleges and associations. According to the statutes of VLUHR, it subsequently set up an entity for its quality assurance activities. With the start of a new accreditation system in 2013, the integration of the two Quality Assurance Units was completed. VLUHR QA was born. At the same time, this new organisation was given its own governance structure, which had to offer the necessary guarantees of independence to its founding parties.

Although VLUHR QA occasionally carried out other activities, the focus was mainly on programme assessments. Following a decree amendment in 2015 the programme reviews were systematically replaced by institutional reviews, VLUHR QA had to reposition itself. Since 2015, VLUHR QA has fulfilled its role as a partner for quality in education and training.