The Agency for the Control and Assurance of the Quality of Higher Education became a part of the Global Academic Integrity Network (GAIN) in July 2024. GAIN represents a consortium of agencies engaged in quality education and integrity worldwide, joining forces to combat the rise of commercial academic service fraud aimed at students.
Founded by the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) and Australia’s Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), the network aims to fight against commercial fraud, protecting students, qualifications, and the integrity of national education systems.
In Montenegro, the Law on Academic Integrity was adopted in March 2019. This law established the foundation for the formation and operation of the Ethical Committee, the highest moral authority in monitoring and promoting the principles of academic integrity in the country. Additionally, the law mandated the establishment of ethical committees/bodies at higher education institutions.
In February 2023, the Agency signed a cooperation agreement with the Ethical Committee, with the aim to establish collaboration in areas of mutual interest, particularly in promoting and strengthening the application of academic integrity principles.
With the support of the Council of Europe Office in Podgorica, through the project “Quality Education for All,” a supplementary standard on academic integrity was developed. A pilot evaluation of this standard was conducted in 2023, after which the standard began to be used in all institutional evaluations at higher education institutions in Montenegro.