The European Quality Assurance fORUM (EQAF) was held in the period 23-25 November 2023. in Aveiro, Portugal. The topic of the forum was “Internationalization in a changing world. New trends and challenges for QA”.
During the three-day plenary sessions, workshops and presentations, the participants had the opportunity to discuss current topics in the field of higher education, such as quality assurance in European University Alliances, challenges in quality assurance of new forms of student mobility and internationalization, the central role of quality assurance in cooperation outside Europe.
The special emphasis of the forum was on the discussion regarding the improvement of European standards and guidelines through the social dimension, greater involvement of students, as well as the evaluation of academic integrity.
As strengthening internationalization is one of the goals of the development strategy at higher education institutions, the forum was an opportunity to exchange information and experiences in the field of application of the European framework for accreditation of joint programs, defining further steps and harmonizing approaches in the evaluation of this type of program.
The Deputy Director in the Department for Quality Control, Tamara Đuričković, participated in the forum where, through discussion and exchange of experience, presented the challenges that ACQAHE faces when it comes to the accreditation of joint study programs.
It was concluded that in addition to external quality assurance conducted by agencies, internal quality assurance that leads to strengthening the quality of culture in institutions of higher education is equally important. European standards and guidelines must be flexible enough to allow applicability within the framework of national legislation. Also, in addition to clear guidelines, the existence of a committee between partner institutions, as well as respect for national frameworks and regulations, is important for successful accreditation and the realization of joint programs.
The forum, organized every year in November by the European University Association (EUA), the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), the European Student Union (ESU), and the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE), gathered over 450 participants, representatives of students, universities and agencies dealing with quality assurance in the field of higher education.