Abstract:

This article argues that quality assurance (QA) in military higher education cannot be reduced to a bureaucratic compliance exercise, but must be understood as a strategic lever for operational readiness. Drawing on a single-case mixed-methods study of the Portuguese Naval Academy, we link internal quality dynamics to the future capability requirements identified in the Navy’s long-term strategic planning. Quantitative data from a census survey of cadets (n = 170) and a near-census of academic staff (n = 22) reveal critical vulnerabilities: only 13% of lecturers are perceived as “excellent” and 24% of cadets state they would not reapply to the institution. These findings are triangulated with documentary analysis and elite interviews with the Academy’s Commander, the national quality assurance agency (A3ES) and the joint military higher education authority, in order to assess their implications for the emerging profile of officers required to operate technologically complex platforms with reduced crews. Building on this diagnosis, we propose a new Integrated Quality Assurance System (SIGQ) structured in macro-processes (integrative, core and support) and epistemically anchored in the field of Naval Military Sciences. We contend that, in this context, QA systems can function as early-warning mechanisms for risks in talent retention, scientific capacity and interoperability, thereby linking quality work directly to defence effectiveness. While based on a single national case, the model offers a transferable framework for other European military academies navigating the Bologna architecture under conditions of strategic uncertainty.

Keywords:

Higher education, quality assurance, operational readiness, naval military sciences, accreditation.