INSTITUTIONAL EVALUATION AND REGIONAL EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF UNIVERSITIES IN THE IEP FRAMEWORK

Since its inception in 1994, the Institutional Evaluation Programme of the European University Association has played a pivotal role in advancing quality assurance and strategic leadership across European higher education. This article examines the evolution of the IEP, its integration within European quality assurance frameworks, and its impact on institutional governance, teaching, research, and internationalization. A comparative analysis of follow-up evaluations at Gdańsk University of Technology (Poland) and VSB–Technical University of Ostrava (Czech Republic) is provided, highlighting both achievements and remaining challenges within the context of modern trends in the industrialization of education in the European Union.