Ensuring high quality education for the dynamic development of economy and knowledge-based society is one of the key elements of the mission of Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT). One of the most important tools supporting our university in fulfilling such a mission is the University System for the Assurance and Improvement of Education Quality (the Quality System). The specific objectives of the Quality System were formulated in the Resolution of the Senate of GUT (No 57/2017/XXIV of, 15 March 2017) and focus mainly on building a culture of quality, ensuring coherence of education and research, improving the quality of research and teaching staff and administration and enhancing the attractiveness and competitiveness of Gdańsk University of Technology.
Such goals are derived from the expectations of internal stakeholders: students, Ph.D. students, academics, engineering and administration staff, and external stakeholders: the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Polish Accreditation Committee, employers and regional authorities. Stakeholders’ interests are characterised by a great diversity. Academic teachers expect that their didactic work will be strongly linked to the subject matter of their research, while students expect they will have the opportunity to pursue specialised training (in engineering, design, programming) necessary to find a well-paid job. Significant differences in the requirements how students should be trained can also be found among the employers. While small and medium-sized companies formulate expectations consistent with students' expectations, large enterprises are more likely to focus on "soft" skills, i.e. good language skills, teamwork, and loyalty to the employer.
The GUT Quality System has an impact on the organisation of the academic life, mainly by monitoring all elements of the education process, providing good quality information on education curriculums or ensuring the compliance of the education programmes with the guidelines of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and accreditation bodies. Observed shortcomings or opportunities to improve the quality of education are reported to appropriate participants of the learning process or procedures are created to facilitate systematic adaptation of this process to the new regulations introduced by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
Communication process between people influencing the Quality System usually takes place through the members of the University Committee for the Assurance of Education Quality at Gdańsk University of Technology or by the Quality Management Office. An especially important element of this communication process is Procedure No. 2 of 23 January 2013, "Reporting the need for change", which can be used in electronic form since the academic year 2016/17.
The GUT Quality System works to systematically improve the quality at the university and to meet the quality standards adopted for higher education, referring to the best practices in the European and global educational environment. The high quality of education is currently one of the key factors in attracting the best candidates for studies, and only the best graduates of upper-secondary schools are able to maintain a high level of education and increase the chances of university graduates to find a job that would be satisfactory, both intellectually and financially.