In 2020, the Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan (HEEACT) introduced the Overseas Program Accreditation (OPA) to provide a professional and transparent accreditation service for overseas higher education institutions and their degree programs. Accreditation results are publicly available through the HEEACT TQID website. 

In 2026, HEEACT released an updated Overseas Program Accreditation Handbook and Overseas Program Accreditation Standards, aligned with the updated fourth cycle of HEEACT’s program accreditation. The 2026 Standards retain the same three-standard structure as 2020, while strengthening expectations related to institutional alignment, risk management, sustainability, and integrity.

2026 Standards at a Glance
The framework continues to comprise three standards:

• Program Development, Governance, and Improvement
• Faculty and Teaching
• Students and Learning

Key emphases in 2026 include stronger alignment to institutional direction and external change, an explicit sustainability orientation linked to the UN SDGs, enhanced risk preparedness and continuity planning, clearer expectations for academic standards and integrity, broader student development support, and more structured evidence expectations through required fact sheets.

Main Goals
HEEACT OPA aims to: 

• Assist programs to enhance quality and develop distinctive features
• Promote internal quality assurance and continuous improvement mechanisms
• Increase international visibility
• Enhance cross-border student mobility

Specialized Expertise
HEEACT appoints review panels with appropriate disciplinary expertise, drawing from a broad set of academic fields, to ensure fit with the applicant program’s discipline. These fields include:

• Agriculture
• Art and Design
• Business and Management
• Communications
• Education
• Liberal Arts
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Training and Support
HEEACT provides applicant-oriented support, including briefings and workshops, to help institutions understand the standards and prepare accreditation documentation. For details, please refer to the HEEACT OPA Handbook or contact our OPA Coordinator, Mr. Edward Wu (edwardwu@heeact.edu.tw).