Dear reader,
This twice-yearly newsletter describes the continuous improvement mechanisms that EPFL has adopted to ensure we fulfill our missions to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.
EPFL uses a quality management system (QMS) to record all continuous improvement mechanisms and procedures.
The system is fit-for-purpose. It not only allows EPFL to meet the requirements in terms of accountability, but it is also forward-looking, as it analyzes upcoming threats and opportunities, includes trend forecasts, and lays the groundwork for future strategic decisions.
The QMS is reviewed every seven years as part of the institutional accreditation process. EPFL’s accreditation will need to be renewed by 23 June 2029.
Everyone in the EPFL community has a role to play in ensuring that our QMS works properly. Please tell us about your experience with quality assurance at EPFL by sending an email to: AQA@epfl.ch.
Quality Commission
The Quality Commission’s activities are supervised by the Vice Presidenty for Academic Affairs, since January 2025 and was recently tasked with preparing for the renewal of our institutional accreditation. The Commission is also responsible for promoting a quality culture across EPFL. In addition to an annual report, it issues a register every two years that describes enhancements that have been made (see the 2023–2024 register).
The Quality Commission is made up of process owners and quality liaisons officers. The role of the process owners, which are appointed by the corresponding vice presidents, include overseeing the continuous improvement of processes under their responsibility, performing periodic assessments of those processes, and implementing effective and efficient process improvements. The quality liaisons officers are in charge of instilling a culture of ongoing improvement at all levels; they represent EPFL’s various bodies (the EPFL Assembly, Mediacom, CDS, CCE, etc.) and associations of bachelor’s, master’s and PhD students and of postdocs.
In 2025, the Quality Commission met twice and developed a roadmap for 2025–2028.
Learn more
Update of the ESG
The current Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education (ESG 2015) are being updated. You can take part in the public consultation, which will run until 9 January 2027.
Learn more
Interim report for the CTI
EPFL’s engineering programs have been accredited by France’s Commission des Titres d’Ingénieur (CTI) and have the EUR-ACE label. EPFL prepared an interim report in December 2025 that summarizes the main improvements that were made in response to the CTI accreditation process in 2022.
The next accreditation will take place in 2028.
Upcoming school and college evaluations
The ETH Board requires that all schools and colleges in the ETH Domain be peer-evaluated. You can view the executive summaries of these evaluations online.
EPFL’s College of Management of Technology was evaluated in 2025 by a group of experts chaired by Leila Guerra, Associate Vice President (Education) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Their report should be issued in December 2025.
Your feedback
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about quality assurance at EPFL or our accreditations, or if you want to suggest a continuous improvement measure, please send an email to AQA@epfl.ch.
