National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education

The National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education (大学改革支援・学位授与機構), abbreviated NIAD-QE, is Independent Administrative Institution affiliated with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), whose objectives are:


 * To evaluate education and research activities of Japanese universities and their consortia and to publish the result of the evaluation.
 * To evaluate achievements of higher education-level learning outside mainstream universities and award academic degrees.

As of July 2007, the second objective consists of:


 * Accrediting the courses of some daigakkō and awarding academic degrees to the graduates
 * Awarding bachelor's degrees to the graduates of Japanese junior colleges and kōsen (technical colleges) who did recognisable extra studies.

It is headquartered in Kodaira, Tokyo.

History

 * 1991: The Study Centre for Academic Degree Awarding and Committee for Study for Creation of Academic Degree Awarding Institution was established in the Graduate University for Advanced Studies.
 * 1992: The NIAD was established.
 * 1994: The NIAD was expanded to NIAD-UE.
 * 2002: The first publication of the results of evaluation.
 * 2003: Relocated to the current campus in Kodaira.
 * 2016: The NIAD-QE was established.