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The 2024 European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF) will be hosted from 14 to 16 November 2024 by University of Twente, Netherlands.
The Forum, entitled “Enhancing education, research and societal engagement through quality assurance”, will combine sessions about policies and trends, research, and practical case examples related to the Forum theme and more generally about current developments in quality assurance.
Connecting quality assurance efforts across teaching, research, and the third mission is crucial for universities to achieve their strategic objectives. This integrated approach can foster a well-rounded and impactful educational experience for students while advancing research and contributing meaningfully to society. However, addressing the interconnectedness of the three missions is becoming more challenging both for internal and external QA systems due to the wide variety of new developments and trends in higher education. These range from the need to base learning and teaching on research, to technological advancements including artificial intelligence, and the rise of projects envisaging the cooperation of different actors including non-academic stakeholders.
EQAF 2024 will explore new policies, innovative methodologies and tools that can ensure a holistic approach to quality and quality assurance. It will also invite the audience to reflect on how quality assurance can meet needs and challenges arising at the interconnection of the three missions. In addition to researchers, practitioners and policy makers in quality assurance, this year’s event will be of special interest to professionals responsible for quality of research and outreach functions at universities, and to staff with project management functions.
This year’s Forum will take place on-site and will provide participants with opportunities for discussion, debates and networking, also outside the formal programme. The sessions will facilitate audience interaction to allow participants to gain the most from the event.
For updates, please follow @EQAF and #EQAF on Twitter and/or join the LinkedIn group “European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF)”.
Dear guests,
It is my privilege to welcome you all to the vibrant and innovative community of the University of Twente, where curiosity meets creativity!
What sets the University of Twente apart is its unique blend of academic excellence, entrepreneurial spirit, and societal relevance.
As a leading research university, we are at the forefront of groundbreaking discoveries and innovations that address some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity. From sustainable energy solutions to cutting-edge healthcare technologies. Our interdisciplinary approach fosters collaboration across disciplines, driving forward progress and innovation. What this illustrates is our new Master Humanitarian Engineering that got recently approved by our government and that will start upcoming academic year.
In an era marked by rapid advancements and evolving challenges, the role of quality assurance in education and research has never been more crucial. Quality assurance serves as the cornerstone upon which we build trust, credibility, and innovation. For this we work with a developmental approach for our internal quality assurance on education that supports the open entrepreneurial mindset we need to build the required trust, credibility, and innovation.
Crucially, our endeavours in education and research do not exist in isolation; they are intricately intertwined with the fabric of society. Across our campus you can find the business & science park where many spin-offs of our university are situated. Hence, the nexus between academia and society underscores the significance of societal engagement. Quality assurance in societal engagement ensures that our outreach efforts are inclusive, impactful, and responsive to the needs of diverse communities. This is reflected in the collaborations we have. For example, in our region with Saxion University for Applied Sciences, the University of Münster and ROC van Twente, and a bit further with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) and technical universities in the Netherlands and around the world. From these we catalyse positive social change. With VU Amsterdam we started branch offices of our technical degrees Mechanical Engineering and Creative Technology to make an impact by bringing the much-needed engineering and technical talent to society.
In the spirit of collaboration and collective action, let us for the upcoming days seize this opportunity to exchange insights, best practices, and innovative strategies for enhancing quality assurance in education, research, and societal engagement.
Prof. dr. ir. Tom Veldkamp, Rector Magnificus