In accordance with the Law on Higher Education, Article 13a, ACQAHE is obliged to propose measures for improving the quality of higher education. Likewise, in line with Standard 3.4 of the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG), ACQAHE is required to produce thematic analyses that describe and assess activities in external quality assurance.
The foundations for research are:
- Accreditation and re-accreditation procedures, which by filtering data identify good and poor practices and provide recommendations for improvement;
- Comparative analyses of quality assurance systems across the EHEA;
- Topics relevant to the current context and the enhancement of the higher education system.
By the first half of 2025, ACQAHE had prepared a number of comparative analyses with the aim of better understanding specific challenges and opportunities within various educational systems across the EHEA. These analyses served both policymakers in drafting the new Law on Higher Education and in improving ACQAHE’s own procedures.
Below is an overview of the research activities carried out by the first half of 2025:
Analysis of high school graduates’ aspirations in transitioning to higher education
During 2024, ACQAHE initiated a challenging study regarding the ways in which high school graduates make decisions about their study choices, with the aim of contributing—at the institutional level—to addressing one of the pressing problems in the transition to higher education. With the approval of the Ministry, the Bureau for Education, and the Center for Vocational Education, the research began in April 2024 by distributing questionnaires to all secondary schools in Montenegro. The public presentation of the Analysis was held in May 2025.
Analysis of the compliance of the quality assurance system with the European Standards and Guidelines
This Analysis identified that ACQAHE is fully aligned with 4 out of 14 ESG standards, while partial compliance has been achieved with the remaining 10 standards, mostly due to inadequate legislative solutions. This Analysis allows ACQAHE to continuously monitor its progress towards fulfilling the ESG.
Comparative analysis of compliance with ESG Standard 3.3 “Independence”
In order to more appropriately define the provisions of the new Law on Higher Education, ACQAHE developed a Comparative Analysis of compliance with ESG Standard 3.3 “Independence,” based on the example of 11 agencies. The purpose of this Analysis was to examine governance structures and the structures of expert bodies responsible for evaluation procedures. It was concluded that in all the analyzed agencies, both bodies include all stakeholders in the higher education system.
Comparative analysis of ESG Standard 3.6 “Internal Quality Assurance and Professional Conduct”
Using examples from 5 agencies that are full members of ENQA, key components of a successful internal quality assurance system were identified, which will serve as a basis for shaping ACQAHE’s future activities.
Currently, an Analysis of compliance with Standard 7, criterion f, of the Re-accreditation Reports is underway.
These studies enable alignment with the latest trends in the higher education sector, thereby contributing to the further integration of Montenegro’s higher education system into the European Higher Education Area.
Additionally, ACQAHE is responsible for maintaining the database of current programme accreditations and institutional re-accreditations, and in this regard carries out the following activities:
- Updating the database of accredited study programmes and re-accredited institutions;
- Updating the database of study programmes re-accredited through institutional re-accreditation procedures;
- Updating the joint database of accredited study programmes and institutions in the Western Balkans.
For the purpose of monitoring and providing a quantitative overview of Montenegro’s higher education system, ACQAHE annually updates its internal database of enrolled and graduated students, as well as the database of higher education institutions and study programmes. The collection of data on the number of enrolled and graduated students is a regular activity carried out by ACQAHE, based on official MONSTAT data.
In 2025, ACQAHE will begin activities related to designing, distributing, and analysing questionnaires concerning stakeholders’ experiences in evaluation procedures. Through these distributed questionnaires, ACQAHE plans to collect feedback from stakeholders who have undergone various evaluation processes, such as: study programme accreditation, institutional re-accreditation, and follow-up procedures. The analysis of the questionnaires will help ACQAHE improve the efficiency of evaluation processes and procedures, based on stakeholders’ experiences and suggestions.
Furthermore, in the second half of 2025, ACQAHE will dedicate efforts to producing thematic analyses based on findings from evaluation procedures.