Department Evaluation
Informatics Europe through the Department Evaluation initiative offers assessment of research quality in Informatics, Computer Science and IT Departments and Research Institutes in Europe and beyond.
This evaluation process proposed by Informatics Europe offers an unbiased and transparent way of assessing the research activities of a given department and provides a thorough analysis that will contribute to identify strengths, opportunities and aspects that could be improved. Such activity is currently of strategic importance because too often this kind of assessment is delegated to external agencies, whose criteria fail to single out the special aspects of research and its products in our field.
The evaluation system is based on a systematic acquisition and assessment of information about the institution, intend to provide an output that will contribute to better decisions concerning policy and planning, strategic positioning, research strategy development and management. The evaluation panel is committed in delivering useful feedback to impact decision-making. The goal is to contribute to the identification of strengthens and weaknesses and to provide advice on best ways to tackle the problems, difficulties and limitations. The evaluation outcome should effectively contribute to the elaboration of short and long-term strategies to improve the quality and impact of the research carried on in the institution. The purpose of the present evaluation system is to contribute to the improvement of research quality focusing on the central role played by the institution management.
The process is characterized by a multidimensional approach where "Research" is not limited to research results: aspects as research management, research policy, research facilities, Ph.D.-training and the societal relevance of research are considered integral parts of the quality of the work of an institute and its programs.
The general guidelines and the Steering Committee that will oversee the process are already in place. The Steering Committee will help to implement the evaluation procedure and select the panels of experts for individual department evaluations. The Steering Committee is composed of top scientists having achieved excellence in different areas of research in Informatics:
- Manfred Nagl - Aachen University, Germany (Chair)
- Fausto Giunchiglia - University of Trento, Italy
- Manuel Hermenegildo - Technical University of Madrid, Spain
- Jeff Magee - Imperial College, UK
- John Mylopoulos - University of Toronto, Canada
- Joseph Sifakis - CNRS, France
- Letizia Tanca - Politecnico di Milano, Italy
- Jan van Leeuwen - University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Peter Widmayer - ETH Zurich, Switzerland
If your institution is interested or requires a process of research quality assessment please contact us directly via e-mail ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ). Prices and logistics details will be discussed upon analyzing the characteristics of your department (size, research areas covered, number of faculty and students, etc) as well as your needs and reasons for implementing the evaluation process.
