In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), CYQAA has created its privacy policy. This policy is published on the Agency’s website for all interested parties.
The policy describes the personal data that the Agency processes and explains what databases it maintains and how they are used.
The Agency
CYQAA was established on the basis of the “Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Higher Education and the Establishment and Operation of an Agency on Related Matters Law, of 2015,” and is responsible is to ensure the quality of higher education in Cyprus and to support, through the procedures provided by the relevant legislation for the continuous improvement and upgrading of higher education institutions and their programs of study.
Legal Basis of Personal Data Processing
In order to implement its mission, CYQAA has a legal obligation to collect and process personal academic data in accordance to Ν. 136(Ι)/2015 to Ν.35(Ι)/2019 and the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation - Regulation 2016/679 (Article 5). The public interest is the main factor in this task as CYQAA’s mission is to safeguard quality higher education for the society, which involves informing the public about all the necessary academic information, experience and credentials of the persons involved in quality assurance as well as the background of academics teaching and conducting research at higher education level.
Categories and use of Personal Data
In order to carry out external evaluation and accreditation of higher education as provided by the relevant legislation, CYQAA requires and processes academic data of the teaching personnel of higher education institutions.
It is also CYQAA’s responsibility to publish the results of its external evaluation procedures and thus the names of the experts involved in these procedures are published in the reports they have drafted.
Databases
- Register of Evaluators/Experts
The Register of Experts contains a record of current or potential experts for CYQAA’s external evaluations of higher education institutions. It includes the expert’s name, email address, rank, expertise, and a brief history of his/her collaboration with the Agency for the conduct of external evaluations.
- Contacts
The database contains a record of CYQAA’s main stakeholders which includes the contact details (name, email address, and position) of relevant personnel. These lists are stored and managed by the CYQAA Secretariat and are used to send information and various correspondence that is targeted to CYQAA stakeholders (ie higher education institutions, government departments and services, professional bodies/associations etc).
- Data for Financial Transactions
CYQAA collects and stores information (including the name, address, and banking details) of individuals and organizations with whom it conducts financial transactions. This information is accessible only by staff of the CYQAA and its authorized personnel and the authorized personnel of the Accounts office at the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Any of the above-mentioned data will not be transferred or shared with any unrelated third parties. Only authorized individuals have access to information collected and stored by CYQAA.
CYQAA takes security measures to safeguard its databases, but if a breach of security is identified, CYQAA will inform those affected as quickly as possible as well as the Office of the Commissioner for Personal Data Protection in Cyprus, within 72 hours from the breach of data.
Security measures include access to authorized personnel only, high level firewall, encryption, and codes of conduct. Contacts have the right to ask for a copy of the information CYQAA has about them.
CYQAA aims to comply fully with its obligations under the relevant Regulation. For questions or concerns regarding CYQAA’s management of personal data, including the subjects’ access to data about themselves or if they feel that CYQAA holds inaccurate information about themselves the CYQAA’s Data Protection Officer may be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at 22 504345 or to the postal address, Leoforos Lemessou, 2112 Nicosia, Cyprus.
With the cooperation of higher education institutions and of the local and European organizations and through the creation of a quality culture, CYQAA aspires to Cyprus’ establishment as an international center for higher education of high quality. Through its activities, it safeguards every student’s right to study in programs that meet European quality standards and promotes synergies between institutions. It supports new models of university education, based on transnational joint programs that enhance the experience and expertise of academics and students in innovative approaches, research, teaching and practical training.
The CYQAA formally affirms its commitment to quality, acknowledging that high professional standards and integrity in the Agency’s work are indispensable and that quality assurance in the performance of its activities is essential to the credibility of its actions and the trust of its stakeholders, namely higher education institutions, students, political authorities and society at large.
Further, CYQAA formally commits to implement all necessary measures and mechanisms so that:
- all persons involved in its activities are competent and act professionally and ethically
- they lead to a continuous improvement within the agency
- they enable the agency to guard against intolerance of any kind or discrimination
- they safeguard the appropriate communication with the relevant authorities of the Republic of Cyprus
- they ensure that any activities carried out and material produced by subcontractors are in line with the ESG
The fundamental elements of CYQAA’s quality policy are:
- A clear definition of its mission and objectives;
- Compliance with the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) and the relevant national legislation;
- Quality management of the evaluation process of programs, departments and institutions of higher education;
- Transparency of all its activities;
- Establishment of accountability mechanisms;
- Adoption of a Code of Ethics for every member of the Agency’s personnel;
- Development of a quality culture among its, internal and external, members and collaborators;
- Establishment of monitoring and continuous improvement mechanisms of its activities;
- The periodic external evaluation of the Agency;
- CYQAA’s collaboration with ENQA and EQAR and other European and international organizations relevant to higher education.
In order to adhere to its quality policy, CYQAA establishes the following internal quality assurance mechanisms:
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Scheduling of activities (external evaluations) on a six-month basis, systematic progress monitoring, decision making for internal quality assurance via personnel and council meetings, tasks and objectives achievement appraisal feedback;
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Formal and informal hearings of higher education institutions and their representative bodies on the development of legislation, criteria, procedures, and instruments related to external evaluation and accreditation processes;
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The document focuses on:
- basic standards and rules governing the behavior of the officers when they come in direct, personal or telephone, contact with the citizens, under the general obligations of decorum, professionalism and honesty.
- ethical standards governing the actions of officials with regards to the handling of citizens' affairs (respect for legality, obligation to impartiality, objective judgment, credibility, accountability and transparency, the duty of equal treatment of citizens and good administration);
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Monitoring, review and regular updating of the evaluation and accreditation mechanisms and procedures;
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Meetings of the Agency’s Council on a monthly basis - The Council systematically examines comments, analyses and suggestions and, when appropriate, integrates them in the decision-making process;
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Collection and analysis of feedback from the Agency’s stakeholders, such as higher education institutions, members of external evaluation committees, student associations, faculty associations, professional associations an
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ministry of education, regarding the Agency’s organisation, tools, criteria, performance and the evaluation and accreditation procedures.
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Guidance and training of the members of external evaluation committees and specialised training of the Agency’s staff;
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Development and regular supplementation of an experts’ registry, with experienced experts in all disciplines from all over Europe;
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Systematic study of ENQA and other organizations’ publications and reports aiming at the implementation of best practice;
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Organization of seminars for institutions of higher education aiming at their updating and guidance on the Agency’s policies and its external evaluation procedures;
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Development and systematic updating of forms, questionnaires, documents etc. targeting transparency and equal treatment of higher education institutions;
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Monitoring and assessment of the Agency’s procedures and activities by the Council of the Agency and the competent assigned officer;
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Recording and presentation of the Agency’s activities and distribution of day-to-day tasks to the members of the personnel via bottom-up procedures.
The Council of CYQAA pledges to ensure the fulfilment of this quality policy and its periodic updating taking into account the development of higher education matters, the Agency’s needs and those of the society and, most importantly, by adopting innovative practices which unify, via quality, the European Area for Higher Education.
The present quality policy is communicated to all internal and external partners of the Agency and is available on the Agency’s Website.
