Canary Islands Higher Education Decree

Overview

The new Canary Islands decree streamlines the process for establishing, updating, and ending university programs, aiming to enhance quality, sustainability, and alignment with regional development goals.

It sets clear procedures for obtaining official approval to launch or alter degrees, emphasizing the importance of external quality assessments and strategic analysis of social and economic needs.

Key Provisions

• Proposal Submission:
  • Universities must submit detailed proposals, including:
    • Project viability
    • Social and academic relevance
    • Strategic contribution to regional objectives such as:
      • Reducing inequality
      • Promoting employment
      • Environmental sustainability
• Promotion of Bilingual Education:
  • Requiring programs to incorporate second languages, primarily English, to boost international competitiveness.
• Oversight and Evaluation:
  • Establishes mechanisms for regular evaluation of programs.
  • Failure to start programs within two years results in automatic extinction.
  • Procedures for the official discontinuation of degrees.

Goals and Impact

“This regulation represents a significant step towards modernizing higher education, making programs more responsive to societal needs and boosting the region's competitiveness on a global scale.”

• The decree aims to ensure that university programs are viable and aligned with market demands.
• It seeks to coordinate regional policies with national standards.
• Promotes transparent and efficient governance of higher education in the Canary Islands.
• Overall, it aims to enhance quality, sustainability, and regional development through a modernized higher education system.