AQU Catalunya participated today in the 20th CoAVA meeting (Public Policy Evaluation Practice Community of the Generalitat de Catalunya). The event, focused on evaluating public policies and accountability within the public sector, took place at the Administrative District of Barcelona.
The meeting was inaugurated by the Director General of Budgets of the Department of Economy and Finance, Esther Pallarols. Attendees included the Secretary of the Governing Council of AQU Catalunya, Maria Giné, and the project manager of the Area of Internationalization and Knowledge Generation, José Luis Mateos González.
José Luis Mateos presented the paper "Measuring to Improve: The Graduate Employment Survey as a Tool for Public Policy Evaluation." This presentation detailed how the Employment Survey, conducted by AQU Catalunya since 2001, has become a strategic tool for assessing the quality and impact of the Catalan university system.
The study analyzes graduate employability, acquired competencies, the value of university education, and the equity of its outcomes. According to Mateos, its strength lies in a methodology consolidated over nine editions (2001-2026) and a high sample representativeness, providing comparable data for decision-making.
Results from the 2026 edition of the survey show high employment rates: 90.4% for bachelor's degrees, 93.7% for master's degrees, and 95.7% for doctorates. These figures illustrate how the survey can help align academic offerings with labor market needs, enhance student competencies, guide prospective students in their choices, and demonstrate the value of higher education to society.
The presentation concluded by highlighting that the systematic use of evidence can improve university planning and higher education public policies.
