Andorra imposes moratorium and new national strategy to regulate universities

The amendment to the Higher Education Law came into force last Tuesday, and a moratorium on new applications for university centres has been in effect since then while a national higher education strategy is prepared. The strategy is intended to establish the “regulated discretion” the ministry seeks to manage the arrival of new educational projects and to allow tighter conditions on both existing and prospective institutions.

This week the privately run UDDI, a virtual and semi‑residential university, received final government authorisation to begin activity, becoming the seventh institution authorised under the current regime. Four further applications remain in process; because they were submitted before the legislative change, they will be handled under the prior regulations.

The forthcoming strategy will be binding, with institutions given a transition period: if they fail to meet certain requirements, they will have five years to remedy shortcomings. The law’s explanatory notes say the strategy should define objectives and strategic criteria for authorising new institutions and programmes, as well as the requirements for keeping authorisations valid. It should ensure the country’s provision responds to students’ needs, maintain European quality standards and reinforce the central role of the University of Andorra.

The strategy will be drafted with input from the University of Andorra, the Andorran Agency for Quality in Higher Education (AQUA), Andorra Research and Innovation (AR+I), the competent legislative committee and, where appropriate, other relevant bodies and student representatives.

AQUA expects an expanded role in the process. All authorisation requests require AQUA’s endorsement, but its current assessments are ex ante, focused on the strategic plan rather than on whether institutions later fulfil those plans. “We want to introduce institutional ex‑post evaluation; now intentions are evaluated,” said AQUA director Isaac Galobardes, who added that follow‑up evaluations can be repeated after an initial failure. He noted that UDDI had been rejected by AQUA in 2024 but, after addressing identified deficiencies, its strategic plan was approved in 2025 and the government granted final authorisation this week.

Degree curricula must also pass AQUA’s scrutiny, and a recent decree allows follow‑up every three years on the implementation of study plans. Galobardes has previously expressed concern about the proliferation of university institutions and said AQUA is aligned with the ministry on the new direction for higher education.

There is no fixed deadline for the strategy’s completion, though Minister Ladislau Baró said it should be in place by the next academic year at the latest. The amended law requires operational institutions to adapt to the new requirements; failure to do so will constitute non‑compliance with legal consequences. The strategy will operate through five‑year plans that may be tacitly renewable. Baró emphasised the aim is not to set a numerical cap on universities but to ensure growth is coherent and sustainable rather than growth for its own sake.