The UNIQUe Quality Label for the innovative and creative use of ICT in higher education was officially launched on Friday, June 12th, during the EDEN Conference, in Gdansk.  The UNIQUe project was successfully completed and the first universities and institutes awarded.

The advantages of the UNIQUe accreditation are multiple. The recognition as one of the top European Universities in the use of ICT, in line with the European Commission’s standards stands among the top advantages. Furthermore, once awarded, the UNIQUe accreditation is valid for a three-year period. During this period, the university can use the UNIQUe Quality Label in its official and promotional documents, as well as on its website. The eQuality Official Awarding Certificate will be given to the UNIQUe certificated universities and institutes at the EFQUEL Innovation Forum in Helsinki, September 2009.

The nomination of the successful universities and the rising popularity among the European and recently international universities lead the way to a bright and unique perspective. The top European institutions which have been awarded the UNIQUe ‘e-learning quality label’ accreditation for 2009-2012 include the Università di Macerata (Italy), the University of Leicester (UK), the Universidad de Granada (Spain) and the TKK Dipoli Institute at the Helsinki University of Technology (Finland) . Prof. Gilly Salmon from the University of Leicester commented “All colleagues involved in eLearning and learning technology research, development and innovation throughout the university can be delighted that their efforts have been recognised, not only across our university and by their students, but also in the demanding and competitive, external Higher Education world”.

What makes it different from other accreditation systems is the broadest stakeholder environment, the self-assessment and peer-review approach. Moreover, the continuous quality improvement raises a continuous awareness for the institution itself, regarding its ICT services and the use of them in order to contribute to the welfare and reform of the European Higher Education.

Out of commitment to innovation, the UNIQUe project was executed by EFQUEL, EFMD, EuroPACE and the MENON Network with sponsorship from the EU’s Socrates (presently, ‘Lifelong Learning’) Programme. Dr. Claudio  Dondi, President of EFQUEL defines UNIQUe as “the combination of academic tradition of peer-review and management tradition of certification at institutional level of business schools”.


The UNIQUe Quality certification is the outcome of the UNIQUe Project. This institutional accreditation aims at awarding the Higher Education bodies for outstanding work in the use of ICT with regards to learning resources, learning processes and learning contexts. Its goal is to raise the standards of technology-enhanced learning programmes in Europe. EFQUEL is proud to be in charge of the project’s continuation, for widening the accredited Higher Education Area in Europe and beyond.