In 2025, the LEPL – National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE) implemented the following key activities, aiming to enhance the quality of education:

Organizational development of the NCEQE:

• The NCEQE developed the 2026-2030 Strategy with the broad involvement of stakeholders. 2026 organizational Action Plan was also developed. These documents were reviewed and approved by the NCEQE's Coordinating Council.
• Human Resources Management Concept was developed, which provides a solid foundation for improving human resources management mechanisms.
•  In addition, an Occupational Safety Handbook was also created.
• The user satisfaction survey of the NCEQE's services was conducted in the following six areas: 
  • Authorization of higher education institutions;
  • Increase in the maximum number of students at a higher education institution;
  • Changing the address/premises where educational activities are conducted by a general education institution within the same municipality;
  • Registration of vocational training/retraining programmes;
  • Granting the right to implement vocational training/retraining programmes; User satisfaction survey of the hotline service.
• On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the NCEQE and the 20th anniversary of Georgia’s accession to the Bologna Process, a two-day international conference was held. The conference was attended by the Minister of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia, Deputy Ministers and representatives of the Ministry; representatives of higher education, vocational education, general education, and early and preschool education institutions; members of the Authorization, Accreditation, and Appeals Councils; as well as heads and representatives of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), the European University Association (EUA), the European Students’ Union (ESU), the Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (CEENQA), and the Association of Medical Schools in Europe (AMSE), alongside local and international experts in the field of education.
   

Internationalization of the NCEQE:

• In 2025, the NCEQE completed work on the changes required for the renewal of its registration in EQAR. Considering the evaluation by ENQA experts, the NCEQE carried out a self-evaluation process. The purpose of the self-evaluation was to analyze the assessments conducted by ENQA, identify strategic directions for systemic improvement, and strengthening a quality assurance culture based on European values. As a result of the self-evaluation process, a package of amendments to the NCEQE, Authorization, and Accreditation regulations was prepared and approved in the fourth quarter of 2025.
• The NCEQE actively continued its participation in Bologna Process thematic and working groups, including: Thematic Peer Group A on Qualifications Framework (TPG A on QF); Thematic Peer Group B on the Lisbon Recognition Convention (TPG B on LRC); Thematic Peer Group C on Quality Assurance (TPG C on QA); Thematic Peer Group D on Social Dimension (TPG D on SD); Working Group on Internationalisation and Mobility.
• NCEQE participated in the following Erasmus+ funded projects:
  • "Micro-credentials for Higher Education systems of Georgia and Armenia: South Caucasus lighthouse (Micro-GEAR)";
  • “Responsible Conduct of Research - Research Integrity and Ethics in Georgian Universities (ETHICS);
  • PROFFORMANCE +;
  • “Strengthening Capacities for the Implementation of Dual Education in the Higher Education System of Georgia”– DUGEOR;
  • “Strengthening Capacities for the Implementation of Georgian National Qualifications Framework (NQF) through Referencing and Self-certifications Processes” – GEOREF;
  • Institutional Development Project (Erasmus+ CBHE Strand 1, HEAL);
  • “Promoting High-quality Digital Education in Georgia (PRODIGE)“;
  • “Development of Soft Skills at Higher Education Institutions of Armenia and Georgia in Compliance with the 21st Century Labour Market Requirements" (DeSIRE)“;
  • ARAQUA 2 - Road to Automatic Recognition of Higher Education Access Qualifications“; “TPG-LRC Plus – Fostering LRC implementation in the EHEA“.
• An analysis document of the self-evaluation and recommendations of ENIC Georgia, developed within the framework of the Erasmus+ TST2 project, was prepared. 
• The NCEQE joined an international organization operating in the field of recognition of education, namely The Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals (TAICEP).
• The NCEQE signed Memoranda of Cooperation with the Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB) and the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR).
• The NCEQE hosted the 27th International Seminar of the Standing International Conference of Inspectorates (SICI), which was attended by 23 representatives from 14 European countries.
   

Qualifications development:

• The NCEQE actively implemented the referencing and self-certification processes of the Georgian National Qualifications Framework and the Classifier of Fields of Study against the European Qualifications Framework.
• Seven higher education sector benchmarks were developed and approved, while 10 documents were updated. As of 2025, a total of 100 higher education sector benchmarks have been developed and/or updated.

Higher Education Quality Assurance

• In 2025, 13 higher education institutions successfully underwent re-authorization.
• The cluster accreditation process was carried out in the fields of education, environment, information technologies, and agricultural sciences, covering approximately 200 educational programmes. Importantly, the evaluation of doctoral educational programmes was conducted under updated standards and criteria. Within this framework, 14 doctoral educational programmes from various fields were assessed.
• The certification of accreditation experts for higher education programmes was completed in the fields of education, environment, information and communication technologies, manufacturing and processing, agriculture, forestry, veterinary medicine, and transport services.
• Based on the ENQA recommendations, changes were implemented to strengthen the role of the Coordinating Council, improve the selection procedures for members of the Authorization, Accreditation, and Appeals Councils, and enhance mechanisms for ensuring compliance with ethical standards. These changes contributed to greater transparency and fairness in decision-making processes.
• The “Rules and Conditions for Conducting Authorization and Accreditation Processes in a fully or partially distance format" were approved. This document ensures the continuity of evaluation processes in exceptional circumstances and enhances the flexibility and technological integration of the system.
• The Authorization and Accreditation regulations were updated with the aim of more clearly defining external quality assurance criteria and strengthening outcome-oriented approaches.

Vocational Education Quality Assurance

• A total of 151 administrative proceeding were completed related to authorization/re-authorization, granting the right to implement vocational programmes, increasing the maximum student enrolment, and changing premises, including: 30 college authorizations/re-authorizations cases;
  and 2 cases granting higher education institutions the right to implement vocational programmes.
• During 2025, 130 vocational training/vocational retraining programmes were added to the system, 88 of them obtaining the right. The system currently provides access to 600 vocational training/retraining programmes. Vocational training/retraining programmes are implemented by 74 educational institutions and 68 legal entities.
• An assessment of the results of integrating the indicators of the EQAVET into authorization standards was carried out.
• In 4 public schools, 4 vocational training/retraining programmes were introduced.
• In 64 public schools, 64 integrated programmes were implemented; within this process, the NCEQE assigned supporting experts to general education institutions.
• In 2 private general education institutions, 5 integrated programmes were introduced.
• In order to strengthen quality assurance capacities of vocational education institutions and legal entities implementing vocational training and retraining programmes, as well as those of the Councils, training sessions and workshops were conducted.
• With the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), an analysis of the results of piloting a 360-degree self-assessment in the electronic system was carried out, involving 64 institutions.
   

General Education Quality Assurance

• In 2025, 109 public and 8 private general education institutions underwent authorization and were granted the status of a general education institution. In total, 574 public and 206 private general education institutions are currently authorized.
• Support measures were provided to public general education institutions in relation to the preparation of self-evaluation reports and authorization applications.
• To strengthen the capacities of authorized public and private schools, training sessions and supportive activities were conducted in the area of internal quality assurance.
• Capacity-building activities were also carried out for authorization experts of general education institutions and members of the Authorization Council.
• A Guide to the Authorization Standards for General Education Institutions was developed.

Ensuring the Quality of Early and Preschool Education and care

• For the first time, in 2025, 121 institutions seeking the status of early and/or preschool education and care institutions submitted authorization applications to the NCEQE. As of today, 102 public and 1 private early and preschool education and care institutions are authorized.
• The updated composition of the Authorization Council for Early and Preschool Education and care Institutions was approved, and capacity building training sessions were conducted for its members.
• In line with the 2026–2029 authorization process schedule, training sessions were delivered to early childhood and/or preschool institutions seeking authorization, in the areas of sanitation and hygiene, nutrition, and curriculum (Authorization Standards II and IV).

Development of educational services provided by the NCEQE:

• An accelerated service was introduced for apostille certification/legalization.
• For educational institutions, a mechanism was introduced enabling the electronic submission of applications to the NCEQE for the recognition of education obtained abroad.
• Amendments were made to the rules for the recognition of education obtained abroad, making the procedure more flexible and efficient.
• An updated policy on exemption from service fees and the provision of fee reductions for services delivered by the NCEQE to individuals was introduced.
• A total of 23,734 decisions were issued on the recognition of education obtained abroad.
• The right to study without taking the Unified National/Common Master’s Examinations was granted to 20,028 applicants.
• A total of 1,154 certificates regarding the status of foreign educational institutions were prepared.
• A total of 4,291 decisions were issued concerning the verification of the authenticity of educational documents issued in Georgia.
• 11 decisions were issued concerning the state recognition of higher education obtained by individuals enrolled in licensed higher education institutions.
• 22 decisions were issued concerning the recognition of education obtained by internally displaced persons from the occupied territories of Georgia.
• 344 decisions were issued concerning the recognition of education obtained at liquidated or discontinued institutions.
• A total of 75 diplomas certifying higher and/or vocational education obtained at liquidated or discontinued educational institutions were prepared.
• From the perspective of linguistic accuracy, the NCEQE processed 143 drafts of controlled-accountability documents.