The experts group consists of seven (7) experts:

  • head of the experts group,
  • secretary of the experts group,
  • one representative delegated by the Employers’ Confederation of Latvia or by the board of experts of the relevant sector complying with the strategic specialisation of a higher education institution/college, or a representative delegated by the professional sectoral organisation if there is no board of experts established in the relevant sector,
  • one representative delegated by the Student Union of Latvia,
  • at least two foreign experts.

Observers delegated by the Student Union of Latvia and Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees take part in the work of the experts group without the right to vote.

The experts group that assesses a higher education institution/college, the head and secretary thereof shall be approved by AIKA.

The head of the experts group should have international experience in the assessment of institutions of higher education.

The experts group shall generally be experienced in the following areas, and each expert shall have experience at least in one of them:

  • experience in quality assessment in the accreditation process of higher education institutions, colleges, study directions and study programmes, or in licensing study programmes;
  • experience in the management of institutions of higher education;
  • relevant knowledge corresponding to the study directions being implemented in a higher education institution/college;
  • experience in the assessment of higher education quality assurance systems;
  • experience in the assessment of the scientific activities or artistic creation of a higher education institution;
  • experience in the assessment of cooperation between a higher education institution/college and employers’ organisations;
  • experience in the activities regarding both the European Higher Education Area (Bologna Process) or other activities in international higher education.

When preparing and approving experts for a particular assessment procedure, AIKA shall additionally take into account the following aspects:

  • type of the institution of higher education (higher education institution/college);
  • study direction and relevant study programmes;
  • specific features of the assessment (initial/regular/extraordinary accreditation);
  • absence of a conflict-of-interest.

AIKA shall, within three working days after the approval of the experts group, inform the relevant higher education institution/college about the composition of the experts group.

The higher education institution/college may, within three working days, request the rejection of the members of the experts groupby submitting to AIKA a justified written application, which shall specify the reasons for such rejection with regard to each rejected member of the experts group.

AIKA shall, within 10 working days, review the application of the higher education institution/college. If the application is recognised by AIKA as justified, AIKA shall replace the rejected expert and establish a new experts group.

If the higher education institution/college does not submit the application within the specified term, it is presumed that it agrees with the composition of the experts group.

Once the experts group is approved, AIKA shall prepare contracts with the members of the experts group.

The work of the experts group is organised by the head thereof who shall:

  • chair meetings of the experts group,
  • allocate duties among the members of the experts group,
  • be responsible for the whole work of the experts group,
  • during the on-site visit, chair the meetings with target groups either by himself/herself or delegate another member of the experts group who may chair meetings.

Secretary of the experts group shall:

  • be responsible for the joint report by the experts group which shall be prepared in collaboration with other members of the experts group,
  • summarise opinions of all members of the experts group,
  • coordinate recording of the meetings,
  • coordinate preparation of the joint report by the experts group,
  • submit the joint report to AIKA.

An employee (coordinator) of the Quality Agency for Higher Education (AIKA) shall provide support for the experts group, but he/she is not a member of the experts group.