The President of ENQA awarded our Agency with a certificate of renewed affiliate membership until 2029
The General Assembly of the European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), which traditionally takes place every year in October, bringing together full and affiliate members of the Association, was held this year in Malta. Around 150 delegates from the countries participating in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) gathered in one place. ACQAHE was represented by Milica Kavedžić, Deputy Director in the Department for Quality Assurance and Research.
The Assembly was opened by ENQA President Douglas Blackstock and the director of the Maltese QA agency, Rose Anne Cuschieri, as the host country representative.
At this year’s Assembly, President Blackstock awarded our Agency with a certificate of renewed affiliate membership until 2029.
During the three-day meeting, participants had the opportunity to learn about new developments in ENQA’s activities, including the planned revision of the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) to ensure they are clearly defined and adapted to various contexts and systems in which they are applied. The final version of the revised ESG is expected to be prepared in the fall of 2026, with anticipated adoption by the ministers for education in 2027. Additionally, the event provided a chance for representatives of quality assurance agencies to present their priorities for ENQA’s future activities through participation in smaller groups.
Aside from the plenary session, a significant segment of activities was conducted through parallel sessions covering topics such as external quality assurance of research, frameworks for institutional evaluations, collaboration between agencies in external quality assurance, and digitalization. Deputy Director Kavedžić attended a session showcasing successful cooperation between partner agencies in the region and a session presenting successful stories regarding the implementation of digitalization systems in quality assurance processes.
During the Assembly, representatives from “small” countries, namely Malta, Andorra, Iceland, Cyprus, and Montenegro, signed the Memorandum of Understanding. The signatories agreed that this Memorandum represents a valuable platform for future activities and for addressing common challenges faced by agencies from smaller systems, which are still on the path to full membership in ENQA.
On the margins of the Assembly, Deputy Director Kavedžić discussed with ENQA Director Anna Gover and President Blackstock possibilities for the support that ENQA could provide to ACQAHE towards meeting ESG standards and achieving full membership.
Deputy Director Kavedžić also informed the Director of the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR), Aleksandar Šušnjar, about these challenges.
In conclusion, the ENQA General Assembly serves as a valuable platform for discussion, exchange of ideas, and networking among representatives of quality assurance agencies across Europe.