2025-06-12
Uruguay’s new quality assurance agency, INAEET, began operations in December 2024. Rooted in principles of transparency and academic freedom, it aims to strengthen educational standards nationally and align Uruguay with international quality assurance practices.
Quality assurance
Latin America and the Caribbean
Uruguay took a major step toward enhancing the quality higher education system in December 2024 with the launch of the National Institute for Accreditation and Evaluation of Tertiary Education (INAEET), originally created through a law from 2019.
This autonomous, public, non-state entity is headquartered in Montevideo and linked to the executive branch of government through the Ministry of Education and Culture.
INAEET’s primary mission is to evaluate and accredit public and private tertiary education institutions, both university and non-university, upon their request, as well as their academic units and programmes. Accreditations are granted for terms up to six years.
The institute is rooted in the belief that education is a public good. Its principles include academic freedom, transparency, continuous quality improvement, equitable access to information, institutional accountability, and alignment with national and international standards.
At the global level, INAEET represents Uruguay in international quality assurance networks, including the ARCU-SUR system, positioning the country alongside the majority of Latin American states that have established dedicated quality assurance agencies.
In May 2025, with support from UNESCO IESALC, INAEET convened a regional meeting to exchange best practices and lessons learned from peer agencies—an important step in advancing its operationalization.
