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The project involved many different types of institution located in 36 countries in Europe. Legal frameworks vary significantly across such a broad geographical area. The maturity with which some institutions approach the topic of quality was evidently linked to their higher degree of autonomy and provides further confirmation of the integral link between quality and institutional autonomy.
This project has had a very important impact on the discussions linked to the Bologna process and the objective of creating a Europe of knowledge. It demonstrated to policy makers that higher education institutions are aware of and committed to the need to demonstrate and improve their quality and that as stated by the Berlin Communiqué “the primary responsibility for quality lies with higher education institutions”.
Quality assurance and doctoral education have been elements of the Bologna Process since the 2003 ministerial meeting in Berlin, but until rather recently, they have been developing on two differ ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Henrik Toft Jensen 1. Introduction to the Forum by Klaus Dieter Wolff ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Henrik Toft Jensen 1. Introduction ...
On 22 May, the European Commission launched the second part of its ambitious education package for the creation of a “European Education Area” by 2025. EUA is pleased with the “strong conse ...
This report presents findings of a preparatory survey conducted among 33 higher education institutions (HEI) who have participated in peer-to-peer counselling missions, as part of a project focused on ...
As the Bologna Process looks towards its third decade, EUA has published a statement focusing on how to further the Process’s achievements and enhance its ability to respond to a changing ...
European higher education institutions (HEIs) are facing increasing demands for more flexible learning and flexibility in learning paths. ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Henrik Toft Jensen Part 1. 2010 is here: How far have we come and where are we going? ...
Transnational joint education provision — education jointly developed and delivered by two or more institutions in different countries — has emerged as a desired experience for many students, a ke ...
At its meeting on 12 June 2018, the Board of the European University Association (EUA) welcomed the new political momentum of the Bologna Process resulting from the Ministerial Conference in Paris (23 ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Fiona Crozier I. Setting the stage ...
With the present paper, the European University Association (EUA) responds to the European Commission’s public consultation on promoting the mutual recognition of qualifications and study p ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Fiona Crozier EQAF – a report from a continuing journey into quality by EQAF 2010 Steering Committee ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Norma Ryan I. Making a difference: perspectives and lessons learnt ...
The European University Association (EUA) applauds the European Commission’s proposal to put education front and centre on Europe’s social agenda. With its Communication on “Strengthen ...
Abstract The massification of higher education in Poland means that labour market outcomes of graduates are an important perspective for future students, higher education institutions as well as the ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Norma Ryan Analysing the implementation of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance at institutional level: Outcomes of the IBAR project ...
Abstract In 2017, the Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) started to pilot a new External Quality Assurance (EQA) model. The guiding principles include: a coherent model in line with ESG and a ...
With this statement EUA responds to the Communication of the European Commission on a Renewed EU Agenda for Higher Education published on 30 May 2017. The Renewed Agenda is a follow-up to th ...
EUA reports regularly on two policy areas which have implications for higher education institutions: EU trade agreements and EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications. ...
Abstract To this date, research on the interplay between organisational structure/managerial and organisational value/psychological elements impacting educational quality enhancement is scarce. As a ...
Abstract Student Centred Learning (SCL) has been given a new and distinct role in the European understanding of education quality. Agencies and HEIs are in the process of discussing how the new ESG 1 ...
Abstract This paper aims at describing why and how a QA agency decided to trigger a process of in-depth reflection and consultation on its external quality assurance (EQA) practices in order to ...
Abstract Quality assurance and enhancement is central to all higher education activities. The educational authorities in the Republic of Macedonia (RM) have tried for about a decade, to assure the qu ...
Abstract After the amendment of the Flemish Codex of Higher Education concerning quality assurance and accreditation in June 2015, the Flemish higher education institutions had the opportunity t ...
Abstract While most of the European countries conduct accreditations, quality audits are the Finnish way to follow the Berlin conference’s demand of implementing an external quality assurance instr ...
Abstract In the summer of 2016 NOKUT conducted a survey of academic teachers’ perceptions of quality in ‘their own’ educational programmes. From this survey, the theme of teacher coll ...
Improving the quality of teaching and learning has been at the heart of the Bologna Process reforms and continues to be of crucial importance for the further implementation of these reforms. The growt ...
Abstract Employers can give a valuable insight into the employability competencies and desired improvements in the higher education quality assurance system. The main aim of the paper is to find ...
Abstract This paper describes the outcomes of a review of practice and related policy and procedures for annual programme monitoring. The review of practice highlighted that there was an artificial s ...
Trends reports are generally timed with the biannual ministerial meetings and track progress of Bologna implementation, within a two-year timescale. Trends 2010 is different. ...
Abstract Student Engagement in module and programme evaluation has become a pressing issue in the quality assurance and enhancement of the higher education teaching and learning environment. ...
Abstract This paper outlines the key data and metrics that are being used to assure and assess quality and standards in United Kingdom (UK) higher education. It is a brief overview of data drive ...
Abstract The paper discusses the necessity for flexibility in QA systems through a case study of a recent merger between four HEIs in Norway. It draws on experience from engineering education and sho ...
Abstract 183 employees of 10 higher education departments described their own attitude and role with respect to quality and diversity. The results reveal rather low levels of involvement. Comparison ...
Abstract The Quality Assurance System for Course Units at Instituto Superior Técnico monitors the course units taught at the institution, by involving the entire academic community in the teaching a ...
Abstract The ever-changing landscape of higher education and the rapid technology advancement are leading to new ways of teaching and assessing. Accordingly, quality assurance (QA) must adapt to thes ...
EUA Briefing Note on the Commission’s proposed amendments to Directive 2005/36/EC on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications, 4 January 2012. ...
Abstract The papers describes a project which was established as an agreement of Armenian higher education (HE) stakeholders, some European universities and organization supporting students’ partic ...
The Bologna Process and DIR 2005/36/EC: the points of divergence - presentation by Howard Davies, EUA Brussels, 14 October 2010, at the European Parliament. ...
Abstract This paper session will cover how the University of Edinburgh has made improvements to data available to support quality assurance and enhancement processes using a project to develop a syst ...
The study is the result of a series of activities including workshops, surveys and focus groups implemented under the framework of the EQUIP project ‘Enhancing quality through innovative policy & ...
Background note on Qualifications in the Sectoral Professions, Directive 2005-36-EC and the Bologna Process - EUA Workshop 17 October 2007. ...
Abstract What should be taken into account when developing University Quality Assurance policies to ensure maximum engagement leading to successful implementation? How could the resistance for develo ...
Report on the sectoral professions. EUA Workshop 17 October 2007. ...
The Bologna Process and Directive 2005/36/EC on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications: is there scope for creative interaction? Report of the meeting convened by EUA, held in the Europea ...
Abstract The paper presents an overview of the upcoming ISO 21001 standard, which will be published in early 2018 as a Management System Standard for Educational Organizations. It shows how ISO 21001 ...
Abstract This paper addresses a challenge that is often referred to in quality assurance processes: the involvement in these processes of teaching staff. The authors suggest that this challenge ...
Presentation on the Evaluation of the Professional Qualifications Directive – presentation by Jürgen Tiedje, Head of Unit, Professional Qualifications, European Commission, DG Internal ...
EUA Briefing Note on Directive 2013/55/EU, containing the amendments to Directive 2005/36/EC on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications. ...
Abstract The implementation of the Bologna reform in the Croatian context has led to a number of issues with reforming and delivering doctoral education, including a lack of research qualifications o ...
The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) were adopted by the Ministers responsible for higher education in 2005 following a proposal prepared by t ...
Abstract In addition to exploring the quality culture paradox in the higher education (HE) area the paper is identifying practical ways for in-depth quality culture evolvement and change, drawing bot ...
At a time of continuing and globally driven change, and with the growing importance of the student voice in quality, the national level of decision-making is a crucial arena for building partnership i ...
Abstract In recent years the tone of voice in higher education policy in the Netherlands has changed from advocating tight control and accountability to giving more room to the ‘soft’ side of qua ...
Abstract Establishing causality between internal quality review (iQR) and impact is important not only for enhancing responsible behaviour but also for demonstrating that quality assurance (QA) has v ...
Update n.1 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, April 2008. ...
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the field of education, with the forced move of many activities to online environments. This has led to the adoption of a series of changes that focus o ...
Update n.2 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, October 2008. ...
Abstract Internal quality assurance systems are expected to improve the institutions’ core mission of teaching and learning. Resorting to data gathered through an online survey, distributed in 2014 ...
Update n.3 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, June 2009. ...
Update n.4 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, February 2010. ...
The Bologna Seminar on ''Doctoral Programmes for the European Knowledge Society'' provided the first major forum to discuss the new Action Line in the Bologna Process entitled “European Higher Educa ...
The European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), European Students’ Union (ESU), European University Association (EUA), European Association of Institutions ...
Abstract We developed an analytic framework to strategically plan IQA communication, in order to increase the overall impact of IQA-output. Our paper considers traps and obstacles in communication. D ...
Update n.5 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, August 2010. ...
Abstract In 2015, a teaching portfolio pilot project was conducted at the University of Graz. This paper aims at sharing insights and lessons learned from that project and also points at encountered ...
Abstract The continuous process of improving ARACIS activity has two major objectives: increasing the efficacy of the process of internal and external evaluation and the development of new standards ...
Update n.6 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, February 2011. ...
Abstract At the University of Graz (Uni Graz) one of the key quality management procedures in terms of research is peer-evaluation. After the first two cycles of evaluation, with different perception ...
Abstract Fair recognition of qualifications, periods of study, and prior learning has been one of the main objectives of the Bologna Process since its creation. The Lisbon Recognition Convention esta ...
Update n.7 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, May 2011. ...
Abstract The paper presents Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) experience of introducing and embedding an innovative whole-University student engagement initiative into a small, traditional, Uni ...
Update n.8 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, September 2011. ...
Abstract Countries across Europe shared similarities in quality assurance in the higher education area even before the ESG. This paper explores these similarities in different contexts from a student ...
Update n.9 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, June 2012. ...
Abstract Six quality assurance agencies have recently decided to be part of an active yet informal network (réseau FrAQ-Sup) with the goal of sharing professional experience and supporting the devel ...
Update n.10 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, September 2012. ...
Abstract Over the last decades higher education in Sweden has been subject to a number of different national QA systems. Now and then, they have been met with criticism. In 2012, the Swedish Associat ...
Update n.11 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, March 2013. ...
As the European Universities Initiative moves into a new phase, EUA has taken stock of its impact thus far, notably in how it may further policy reforms that benefit transnational university cooperati ...
Update n.12 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, August 2014. ...
Abstract When implementing a new QA system in 2014, NVAO conceived the Appreciative Approach as the underpinning philosophy of its new QA methodology. Previous QA methodologies were primarily complia ...
Update n.13 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, January 2015. ...
At least 20% of students within the European Higher Education Area should experience mobility to an institution abroad. This briefing examines why this target has never been reached, the ensuing ...
Abstract Student satisfaction is important not only for improving learning outcomes but also for improving retention, progression and completion rates. Raising student satisfaction is strongly correl ...
Update n.14 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, February 2016. ...
EUA has a long record of working on quality assurance (QA) in Europe and has supported its members in developing their internal QA systems through a variety of activities. Many of these acti ...
EUA response to European Commission’s Consultation Paper on the Professional Qualifications Directive 2005/36/EC , 12 March 2011. ...
Abstract 2015 is not only the 10th anniversary of the ESG and EQAF, but with the Ministerial Conference also the time for a new edition of the European Students' Union's survey “Bologna with St ...
EUA response to European Commission’s Consultation on Green Paper COM(2011) 367, 10 September 2011. ...
Abstract On-site visit interviews play a crucial role in external quality assurance procedures. Nevertheless, so far there seems to be little empirical research, both in linguistics, and in the field ...
Abstract The extensive establishment and development of external quality assurance agencies all over the world has created a new profession so-called the external quality assurance profession. ...
Abstract Student participation on equal terms as partners in higher education assurance was a novel concept in the year 2000. Since its founding in 2000-08-12, the German Student Accreditation Pool ( ...
Abstract There is an increase in number of overlapping student satisfaction surveys in the higher education sector. Here we present results from a national and an institutional survey. The nati ...
Abstract Core academic principles and purposes of higher education can be expressed in such terms as students’ personal development or academic identity. These are important in the Bologna pro ...
Abstract University of Luxembourg has recognized the difficulty of students’ course evaluation: it has replaced a formal evaluation system with a more open and flexible one, taking into ac ...
Abstract Many higher education institutions are revising, and in some cases reforming, their undergraduate curricula with an objective of providing a higher quality education experience to students. ...
The first results of U-Multirank (UMR), a multi-dimensional ranking of higher education institutions produced with seed funding from the European Commission, were unveiled on 13 May 2014. UMR has ...
Abstract After 10 years of intensive developments in European quality assurance and in the year of the adoption of the revised European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) this paper will ask whether exce ...
Abstract After the Bologna Process (2006), tutoring activities have been introduced and disseminated among most IST Programmes as a way to support expected and needed changes on the teachin ...
Abstract Expert evaluation of study programmes has been a common feature of quality assurance systems in Europe and worldwide. In general, expert committees are formed of disciplinary or professional ...
Abstract Quality Assurance (QA) at one university has evolved significantly over the past 15 years in keeping with emerging European standards, reported best practices and structured feedback from ke ...
Abstract Assessment in internship is an important part of the learning process aimed to provide a focus on what has been learned during the internship. Using diaries is a strategy to deepen lear ...
Abstract Given the ten years since the introduction of the ESG and the five years since the formal launch of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) quality assurance of higher education has gained ...
Abstract Higher Education Institutes operate in the forefront of knowledge and are entrusted with the provision of relevant knowledge, tools and methods to their customers – our society.&n ...
Abstract Graduates must be able to use their degree on the labour market that awaits them when they have completed a higher education study programme. Danish politicians have increasingly focused on ...
Abstract In 2013 QQI commissioned the ‘Review of Reviews’ to take stock of Irish legacy review models and make proposals for the features of a new QQI model. QQI has now published (June, ...
Abstract Formative student feedback can be used to uncover problems early on and establish a collaborative learning as well as quality culture at universities. Beyond that the quality loops- app ...
Abstract Evidence, both quantitative and qualitative, is at the core of every assessment process. New technology has given us an unprecedented opportunity to tackle both structured and unstructured d ...
Abstract The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) is the organization responsible for quality assessment in Finland. The UH passed an international audit performed in 2014–2015. Th ...
Amid renewed political interest in transnational university collaboration, notably joint educational provision, the European Commission has indicated that it will test possible criteria for a European ...
Abstract One of the most successful actions of the Bologna Process is said to be QA. Yet, studies made clear that in quite some HEIs and Bologna countries internal QA was developed only after or beca ...
Abstract This paper deals with students’ role in quality enhancement in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). The main focus is on student feedback, where the discourse fluctuates from ...
Abstract This paper considers how centrally-available and comprehensive quantitative data can be used as an indication of risk in a risk-based system of quality assurance, as currently implemented in ...
Abstract EQuAM (Enhancing Quality Assurance Management) is a collaborative project involving European and Jordanian universities and QA agencies. It links successful aspects of the Bologna ...
Abstract Obtaining accredited status is of great importance for programmes offered in universities, regardless of their scale, location on this globe and developmental status. However, there are few ...
EUA Position Paper on the Commission’s proposed amendments to Directive 2005/36/EC on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications, 26 January 2012. ...
The publication “Rankings in Institutional Strategies and Processes (RISP): Impact or Illusion?” is the outcome of a 2.5 year EUA-led project, which has carried out the first pan-European ...
Abstract Teaching competence is often discussed in relation to rewards of present day achievements, rather than in terms of strategic long-term quality. A call for a shift towards a long-term quality ...
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Abstract We present findings on practical experiences with national and cross-border external quality assurance procedures made by six universities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland working with th ...
Abstract This paper will provide a theoretical contribution to current debates on quality assurance in higher education. To refine the role of audit and enhancement, it will outline the dif ...
Abstract Input factors have always been an important element in the evaluation of education. Another approach is to highlight outcomes, and yet a third to listen to the students’ assessment of& ...
Abstract The United Kingdom's quality assurance framework for higher education has been characterised by relative policy stability over the last 20 years. But far reaching and significant reforms to ...
EUA Strategic Plan The need for strong universities has never been greater in addressing societal challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, resource scarcity, ageing populations, migration a ...
Abstract In accordance with the HE Act, the University of Maribor has among the governing bodies also the Students’ Council that is led by the student who is a Vice-rector and has an ...
Abstract Student participation in the internal Quality processes is one of the fundamental values underpinning the Quality system at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). This participation does not sto ...
Abstract The Bologna process considers a greater internationalization and cultural diversity. In virtual higher education quality is particular important but difficult to manage and to reac ...
Abstract The paper analyses the main outcomes of programme accreditation in Portugal further to the operations of the Agency for Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education, which were initiated ...
Abstract In July 2015 Malta inaugurated its National QA Framework for Further and Higher Education to foster a comprehensive quality culture in the sector. This is the first QA framework within the E ...
In recent years, higher education provision has been changing rapidly, including the mainstreaming of e-learning, the emergence of micro-credentials, the launch of the European Universities Initiative ...
Abstract Learning from the animal kingdom we stipulate that the mission for higher education institutions (HEI) that want to persist beyond the 21st century is simply: “how not to be a dinosaur ...
Abstract In March 2008, the EU launched the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). EIT can be said to be a “new animal” in the European educational landscape, based on the ...
Abstract One of the main concepts of the ESG is that they are European. Nevertheless, even if they provide a framework for quality assurance in the entire EHEA, the ESG also apply to quality assuranc ...
This publication intends to provide observations on and recommendations for enhancing the complementarity between higher education mobility policies at the institutional, national and Europe ...
Abstract From a conceptual point of view, quality assurance tends to be oriented towards the presence or the past rather than the future (ex post approach). This paper strongly advocates the need to ...
EUA has been an active contributor to the Bologna Process since its start 20 years ago. The present position paper welcomes the recent progress in the development of the European Higher Education Area ...
Abstract Within the system of external quality assurance of the education programmes in the Spanish Higher Education system, and in its phase of ex-ante accreditation (program approval), a provi ...
Abstract The paper reports on a comparative study, conducted in 2013-14, of four higher education systems (the Netherlands, Flanders, North Rhine-Westphalia and Ireland), which aimed to find out ...
Created in 1994, IEP (Institutional Evaluation Programme) is an independent membership service of the European University Association (EUA) which has carried out over 300 institutional evaluations in ...
Abstract In recent years there has been a paradigm shift in education from teaching to learning. A key question is whether the same shift in focus is reflected in the core purpose of quali ...
Abstract We want to explore the potential impact of the internal service units on the quality culture in a higher education institution (HEI). We will describe how the service units are involved in t ...
Abstract Are universities responsible for the employability of graduates? In Finland it has been more or less self-evident that people with a university degree are not struck by unemploymen ...
Abstract The main aim of this paper is to bring together the conclusions drawn from an empirical study carried out with a selection of Universities and Quality Assurance Agencies (QAAs) in Bosnia and ...
Abstract A unique collaborative partnership of higher education institutions, students’ representatives and national agencies has implemented the first national survey of student enga ...
Abstract Higher education is undergoing deep transformations driven by increasing demand, high youth unemployment, rising costs and new uses of technology. These have triggered an unprecede ...
Abstract In essence, quality assurance is very much a complex issue, with different perspectives, normative ideals and interpretive patterns on the nature of quality and the functions of quality assu ...
Abstract This paper addresses the question of how the system of quality assurance in UK higher education has responded to the shift from teaching to learning by promoting a culture of ...
Abstract The paper discusses the current status of one of the traditional methods of external quality assurance in European higher education, the institutional quality audit. Taking its point of ...
Abstract Considering some of the Bologna principles, this paper aims to show the main changes and consequences of the performance assessment system of IST teaching body (QUC, Course Unit Qu ...
Abstract This paper addresses factors that seem important for the quality assurance system and for improvement of educational quality at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU. Furt ...
Abstract The quality of learning has evolved into the core of the quality system of higher education institutions over the last decade. Different external evaluation processes are implemented to ...
Abstract The paper focuses on the role played by the administrative staff in the internal quality assurance systems managed by the universities in Poland. Conducted analysis concerned the p ...
Abstract Drawing on collaboration amongst higher education institutions in nine different European countries, this paper describes mechanisms which, over the two years of the SPEAQ project, hav ...
Abstract The increasing emphasis on the outcomes of learning, as captured in the conference title has many implications for both internal and external quality assurance. One of the external evaluatio ...
Abstract Literature recognises that a Quality Assurance System needs to be a stable, foreseeable, consistent and coherent framework. However, if this system is to be context-sensitive, projected in t ...
Abstract This paper looks at the way two European universities of applied sciences (UAS) deal with the “shift from teaching to learning”. It focuses on Berner Fachhochschule (BF ...
Abstract Taking into consideration the paucity of information in the area of external quality assurance activity of quality assurance agencies (QAAs) the present paper provides a first atte ...
Abstract Although European quality assurance (QA) can be considered a recent phenomenon, it has come a long way in a short time. Still, a large degree of heterogeneity between external QA systems rem ...
Abstract The main objective of this paper is to address the changing role of university quality assurance structures in particular regard to teaching and learning and the associated developments ...
The first EUA report on “Global university rankings and their impact” was published in June 2011. Its purpose was to inform universities about the methodologies and potential impact of the ...
Abstract A key issue in effective internal quality assurance (IQA) is active involvement of different stakeholders. The role of student representatives is formalized in most institutes for higher edu ...
Abstract As every system also the System of Ensuring and Development of Quality of Education in WULS-SGGW is subject to constant development. The presented case study shows the changes of a system fr ...
Abstract This paper shares the results of the first external assessment of all Flemish post-graduate teacher education programmes, focussing on how cooperation contributes to improved quality. T ...
EUA commissioned this report in response to the growth in international and national rankings, as a result of increasing questions from member institutions requesting information and advice on th ...
Abstract A vast majority of Higher Education Institutes have formalised their quality management practices in order to be able to systematically generate information for accountability and improvemen ...
Synopsis Accreditation is recognized as the most important factor in improving the quality of education in Kazakhstan. Introduced transparent standards and procedures for quality assessment are givin ...
Abstract Quality assurance is a necessary benchmark in order to identify high quality offers on the further education market. Quality assurance could be described as an important factor to reach pote ...
Le présent rapport a été établi à la demande de l’EUA en raison du nombre croissant de classements internationaux et nationaux dans l’enseignement s ...
Abstract In 2011 a new era of external quality assurance in Austria began. The process of further development of the quality assurance (QA) system showed the necessity of a deeper debate within the A ...
Abstract The ORPHEUS/AMSE1/WFME2 PhD standards document, published January 2012, is a practical tool for quality assurance of PhD programmes. Another document, the new PhD principles document: &ldquo ...
Abstract In December 2009, after an official demand coming from four universities of the French community of Belgium (FCB), AEQES1 (a generalist evaluation agency) and CTI2 (an engineering accreditat ...
Abstract Since its introduction to higher education about twenty years ago, formal quality assurance developed to an important and mostly uncontested pillar of university management. But although QA ...
Abstract The purpose of this article is to analyse the composition of teaching staff in Portuguese higher education institutions and assess the existing gap between reality and desirability, in the c ...
Abstract The implementation of quality assurance and quality development procedures constitutes one of the major challenges in the management of higher education institutions (HEIs). In this context ...
Abstract In 2011-2012 Higher education institutions in Flanders started a benchmarking exercise. All of them are members of the KU Leuven Association. The ambition was to build expertise in benchmark ...
Abstract A number of various definitions have been given concerning quality in higher education, each one representing a different view, a reality which is reflected in the content of external evalua ...
Trends 2015 is the seventh in the series of Trends reports published by the European University Association. The main goal of Trends 2015 is to document the universities’ perceptions of the chan ...
Abstract Academics are at the heart of higher education, being key actors for assuring and promoting their institutions and systems’ quality. This paper explores academics’ views on ...
Trends V provides the most comprehensive view available of the state of European higher education - as seen by higher education institutions themselves. Indeed, more than 900 European higher ...
Abstract What is the role of student experts in evaluation panels? Are they token representatives of the masses of customers or are they professionalized partners in quality management? This study sh ...
Abstract Program QA at Copenhagen Business School (CBS) faces two major challenges; (1) large number of different programs, and (2) decentralized organisation of the program area. CBS has more than 6 ...
Abstract The IBAR project studied barriers higher education institutions experienced to implementing the ESG part 1. Our paper reports on the major findings of this project. ...
Trends IV provides the only European-wide analysis of how universities are responding to the challenges of implementing the Bologna reforms. Demonstrating that there is widespread support for ref ...
Abstract The national QA system in Sweden does not any longer include assessment of the institutions’ internal QA procedures. The Experts Group on Quality at the Swedish Association for Higher ...
Abstract Due to EQA and accreditation the quality of higher education programmes has increased. At least, that is what everyone hopes. In fact, little or no research is conducted in Flanders to measu ...
Abstract This paper reports results from an audit of the achievements made towards introduction of a regional quality assurance (QA) system in higher education in East Africa involving the Inter-Univ ...
Abstract The foundation of the ESG was a step towards a pan-European Quality Assurances market. Nevertheless, the majority of evaluation or accreditations still remain within the national frameworks. ...
Abstract Student participation in quality assurance (QA) processes, and more particularly as evaluators in external QA, has been acknowledged in the European Standards and Guidelines since 2005. This ...
Le rapport Trends IV constitue la seule analyse à l’échelle européenne sur la manière dont les universités répondent aux défis de la mise en oeuv ...
Quality is a measure applying to transactions among bodies. The level of quality is high if all involved bodies’ needs have been met.Consider a simple transaction along a simple supply chain &nd ...
Tendencias IV es el único estudio completo elaborado en Europa que analiza la respuesta de las universidades a los retos que plantea la puesta en marcha de las reformas de Bolonia. El estudio pone de ...
Foreword In this paper, you will find a summary by the Estonian Higher Education Quality Agency (Eesti Kõrghariduse Kvaliteediagentuur; EKKA) of an atypical quality assessment in Estonian high ...
In this paper we elaborate the idea of ‘dialectical reasoning’ as a way of reconciling managerial paradoxes. Two ‘mental exercises’ have been developed to encourage such dialec ...
Tendències IV proporciona l’única anàlisi d’àmbit europeu sobre la manera com les universitats responen als reptes de la implementació de les reformes de Bolonya. Després de constatar e ...
Abstract The idea for the study of these issues arose as a result of the current state of higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has not yet begun the process of accreditation of higher ed ...
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to report on a qualitative investigation to identify and explore: - the value added by quality reviews in service and support units in the UJ;- improvements to ...
Abstract The main aim of this paper is to provide examples of how quality assurance and enhancement activities have provided a clear means of integrating QA into an Irish third level institution, Dub ...
Abstract This paper presents a cooperation model between a Russian organisation aiming at fostering quality culture in higher education, the National Center of Public Accreditation (NCPA) and a Europ ...
Abstract This paper argues that the aims of UK quality assurance (QA) within institutions should be concerned not only with the requirements to provide a profile of programmes, institutions and their ...
Abstract The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education (the Agency), established in 1995, has the national responsibility for quality assurance of higher education through quality evaluation of fi ...
Abstract The main purpose of the paper is to present the concept for assessment of the doctoral programmes implemented by PKA as an important supplement of the institutional evaluation. The paper pre ...
Abstract The presentation is a case study of how Lund University have used the mapping of existing student and graduate tracking initiatives within its faculties and central administration to introdu ...
The present study aims at providing an overview of the tracking initiatives of students and graduates in Europe. As a first study of this kind, its aim was to map the state of play, and provide f ...
Abstract One of the main principles of the quality assurance procedures is to encompass the interests of all stakeholders. Among the stakeholders there is one group it is students whom very often man ...
Abstract The process of adaptation to the challenges in the European Higher Education Area, lead to the development of an Integrated Quality System at IST (SIQuIST), consolidating the quality culture ...
At the end of first decade of the Bologna Process, there was an acute awareness that academic mobility in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) had probably not improved as anticipated, but also t ...
Abstract Although e-learning has become mainstream provision in European higher education it has not yet become integral part of the QA systems.Surveys like the E-learning Quality (ELQ) report (2008: ...
Quality and quality assurance (QA) is everyone’s responsibility. In a higher education institution (HEI) this includes all teaching, research and support staff. Students also play a key role mainly ...
In October 2009, the European University Association (EUA), together with its partners, the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) and QAA Scotland, launched a project entitled: “ ...
The project "Examining Quality Culture in Higher Education Institutions" (EQC) aimed to provide an overview of the internal quality assurance processes in place within higher education institutio ...
The project “Examining Quality Culture in Higher Education Institutions” (EQC) aims to identify institutional processes and structures that support the development of an internal qual ...
Concerns about the relationship between quality assurance processes and creativity and how quality assurance, whether internal or external, can either enhance or stifle innovative practices and&n ...
This EUA report gives a detailed overview of the development of Master degrees in Europe. Based on a wide-ranging survey of European students, universities (leaders and academics) and employers, it sp ...
In recent times e-learning in different forms has been integrated in a high percentage in the study offerings of HEIs in Europe. The quality assurance of this type of provision has become a concern bo ...
These Guidelines for Quality Enhancement in European Joint Master Programmes are addressed to all higher education institutions either considering or actually running joint programmes. It is the ...
The Institutional Evaluation Programme of the European University Association (EUA) was launched in 1993 and has evaluated over 110 universities in 35 countries. The evaluation reports ...
The EUA Quality Culture Project, funded by the Socrates Programme, was conceived to enable participating institutions to discuss how to introduce and embed a quality culture in their institutions ...
EUA developed this project with the twin objectives of using the experience of joint programmes to find solutions to a range of issues in the European higher education landscape that need to be r ...
In October 2002, ELU (the Latin European Universities Group), an organisation made up of rectors and staff of Swiss, Italian, Portuguese, francophone-Belgian and French rectors’ conferences ...
En octobre 2002, le groupe ELU (Europe Latine Universitaire) composé des Présidents et de permanents des conférences de Présidents et de Recteurs suisse, italienne, po ...
This survey represents the first attempt to describe and analyse systematically the present state of the art in respect of Master level degree programmes and joint degrees offered ...
Cette étude est la première à décrire et à analyser systématiquement l’état des lieux actuel des cursus de niveau master et des diplômes conjoints proposés dans l’Europe&nb ...
Rather than analysing European academic cooperation and mobility for their own sake, the following pages try to set interuniversity developments in their historical context, as higher educat ...
EUA is pleased to present the third report on trends in higher education in Europe, prepared with the support of the European Commission through the Socrates Programme, on the occasion of the Sep ...
L’EUA présente le troisième rapport sur les tendances à l’oeuvre dans l’enseignement supérieur en Europe. Réalisé avec le soutien de la ...
The first Trends report was mainly based on a survey of structure and trends in higher education in the EU/EEA countries. Trends II surveyed the other signatory countries of the Bologna Declaration.&n ...
The report on the project, Trends in Learning Structures in Higher Education, is hereby presented as a background paper for the Bologna Forum on 18-19 June 1999. ...
In 2012-2014, EUA was part of the stakeholder group that revised the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). This work resulted in the current ...
The Glasgow Convention provided the opportunity for over 600 EUA members and partners from over 40 countries to come together and take stock of progress made so far in developing the European Higher E ...
Trends 2018 examines how learning and teaching at European higher education institutions evolves in the context of changing demands, technological and societal development, and European- and national- ...
In recent years, the enhancement of learning and teaching has become a priority, not only for higher education institutions, but also for national governments, the European Union and the Bologna Proce ...
The evaluation of learning and teaching is one central activity through which universities monitor the fitness-for-purpose of their education provision. This paper represents the outcomes of the work ...
Universities across Europe are calling for a more student-centred, inclusive university environment bringing together all actors of the university community, while also implementing measures to achiev ...
Ample evidence suggests that even though student-centred learning is a topic of great interest and benefit to universities across Europe and beyond, there are widespread difficulties in addressing the ...
At the centre of a student’s university experience stands the programme that they follow. Therefore, creating curricula that are fit-for-purpose is at the heart of an institution’s teaching missio ...
Assessment is an essential and influential element in the learning journey of all students. There is commitment across universities to promoting a holistic assessment design, based on co-creation betw ...
The concept of evidence-based learning and teaching is complex and multifaceted. The EUA Learning & Teaching Thematic Peer Group on “Evidence-based approaches to learning and teaching” underst ...
There is a legitimate need for data on the performance of higher education institutions. It is important for the institutions themselves, as well as their stakeholders, including society. The use of i ...
Micro-credentials have attracted interest as a means to increase the effectiveness and flexibility of higher education and to provide upskilling and reskilling opportunities for the labour force. ...
In response to the Covid-19 crisis, higher education institutions around the world adjusted their activities to an emergency online mode in the first half of 2020. As institutions have the main respon ...
This self-assessment tool was developed by the European University Association (EUA) in partnership with the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), the Spanish Rectors’ Conference (Crue) and the Dutch ...
The European University Association (EUA) presents a set of recommendations on sustaining Ukrainian universities and enabling them to continue their research and teaching activities. ...
This paper presents the results of the first phase of the “Quality Assurance Fit for the Future” (QA-FIT) project, which aims to map the state of play of quality assurance in the EHEA and to criti ...
On 27 March, the European Commission published a new higher education package, including proposals for Council Recommendations on a European recognition and quality assurance (QA) system and attractiv ...
The 2019 European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF) is taking place this week at Technical University Berlin in Germany. More than 500 participants are attending the event, which runs from 21-23 November ...
In response to the European Commission’s public consultation to evaluate the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF), the European University Association (EUA) has developed a ...
The European University Association (EUA) is pleased to become a supporting organisation for the More Than Our Rank initiative, promoted by the International Network of Research Management Societies ( ...
On 14 June the kick-off meeting of a project to establish a new European RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) Network took place in Vienna, hosted by the Austrian Quality Assurance Agency (AQ Austria). ...
EU education ministers welcome the European Strategy for Universities and have confirmed their support for the four priority areas in the higher education package put forward by the European Commissio ...
EUA’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP), a quality assurance agency that supports universities in enhancing their strategic leadership and ability to manage change, is now accepting registrat ...
In 2018 EQAR established a database of higher education institutions and programmes that have been subject to external quality assurance by a quality assurance agency, DEQAR (Database for External Qua ...
On 17 May 2021, the Education Ministers of EU member states adopted Council Conclusions on the European Universities Initiative. The Council Conclusions come at a crucial point as the mid-term evaluat ...
The STREAM online training platform, which provides training materials based on the European Recognition Manual for Higher Education Institutions (EAR-HEI manual), is open for a second round of t ...
The fourth edition of the G3 Quality Symposium will take place on 28 – 30 October 2020 at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Brussels. ...
The Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education is looking for international evaluators to take part in the upcoming evaluation and accreditation procedures at Slovak universities and schools of ...
The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) organises the final dissemination seminar of the Erasmus+ Refugees and Recognition – Toolkit 2 (REACT) project on 17 January 2020 in B ...
The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) organises a webinar on 19 November from 12:00 to 14:00 to present the results of the testing performed at higher education institutions ...
The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) Secretariat has launched both the External Quality Assurance Providers (EQAPs) and Internal Quality Assurance (IQ ...
The "Bologna Hub Peer Support II" project, funded by Erasmus+ and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, aims at fostering the implementation of the Bologna key commitments at Higher E ...
Representatives of higher education institutions in countries that are a member of the Thematic Peer Group B on the Lisbon Recognition Convention are invited to fill in a survey gathering real-life ex ...
EUA’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP) is now accepting registrations for the 2021/2022 round. ...
Reflecting on progress made in the enhancement of quality, transparency and mobility over the past two decades, early findings from the QA-FIT project provide some noteworthy insights into the sector ...
FAIR data is an essential component of the open research ecosystem. In this article, Alexander Refsum Jensenius argues that "FAIRification" can also benefit research-based and research-led education, ...
It has been 10 years since the European Universities’ Charter on Lifelong Learning was published. It outlines 10 commitments for universities and governments to support the development of lifelong l ...
The European University Association (EUA) and its Expert Group on ‘Science 2.0/Open Science’ are supporting universities in Europe in the transition to Open Science. Here, Lidia Borrell-Damián, D ...
With the academic year now in full swing, and most university rankings published – the latest being the US News and World Report’s 2019 Best Global Universities ranking on 30 October – higher ed ...
By Tia Loukkola, Director of Institutional Development and senior quality assurance expert at the European University Association. In Europe, quality assurance has made major strides since the beginn ...
Recognition of study and qualifications are key for people to move freely to study and work in Europe. However there are challenges to get recognition properly working. EUA’s Tia Loukkola addresses ...
The EUA Thematic Peer Group on the evaluation of learning and teaching has enhanced a student partnership project at Queen’s University, Belfast. Claire Dewhirst, chair of the Thematic Peer Group, e ...
The continuous development of teaching competences needs commitment at all levels. It is a systematic process that requires a framework for teaching performance, a professionalisation body, preferably ...
New approaches to quality assurance in different regions of the world are contributing to a global dimension in the field. EUA’s Tia Loukkola takes note of frameworks in Africa, Asia and Europe, exa ...
As discussions are underway at the European Learning & Teaching Forum, EUA’s Tia Loukkola gives an overview of the extensive work taking place in the field, including reports, lessons learnt by ...
Student-centered and active learning are a necessity for European universities to remain relevant to young people and society. Cecilia Christersson and Patricia Staaf of Malmö University discuss the ...
Research-based education is happening in Europe, but there are clear challenges with how it is defined and understood. Bjørn Stensaker from the University of Oslo breaks down the topic and makes some ...
Quality assurance and the enhancement of learning and teaching are no longer exclusively the responsibility of those with the explicit responsibilities attached to their job titles. As EUA’s Tia Lou ...
A recent EUA study stresses that contributing to innovation in society is a central mission of today’s higher education institutions. EUA’s Tia Loukkola examines the role of quality assurance in t ...
External quality assurance reports are publicly available, demonstrating transparency and building trust and confidence in the quality of higher education. As EQAR’s Colin Tück explains, a new data ...
Reports produced by quality assurance agencies can be used in many ways, including in policy-making. As EUA’s Tia Loukkola explains, there is much room for bettering the accessibility and use of inf ...
European higher education has made tremendous progress since the Bologna Declaration. As EUA President Michael Murphy writes, there is much to celebrate, but still much to achieve in ensuring the sect ...
How can universities frame their internal quality assurance and shake up the image of the bureaucratic burden? EUA’s Tia Loukkola gives us three approaches and tells us why the most effective proces ...
Numerous cases of positive change in higher education systems can be attributed to EUA’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP). As IEP celebrates its 25th anniversary, Andrée Sursock looks back ...
Will quality assurance as we know it remain relevant amid the changing higher education landscape? What changes are needed? EUA’s Tia Loukkola gives an overview of the diverse questions to be addres ...
The quality of student assessment is one of the major concerns in Europe’s universities. Emmanuel Sylvestre from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland discusses the issues related to student ass ...
This year, EUA’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP) marks 25 years since its foundation. Tatjana Volkova, Chair of IEP Steering Committee, and EUA expert Anna Gover reflect on the benefits tha ...
Cross-border quality assurance has been slow in the making over the past two decades. However, as EUA’s Tia Loukkola explains, a new political context in Europe and the launch of new networks and co ...
Why should universities collect formative data at the course level if they aim to make evidence-based improvements in learning and teaching? Murat Sözer and Zuhal Zeybekoğlu from the Koç University ...
While Europe discusses its data strategy, the digital transformation must be on the radar of universities. Digital skills, the infrastructure and support for “FAIR” research data management, and t ...
Research assessment practices are becoming more accurate, transparent and responsible. This is partly due to the sharp increase in external evaluations of universities that lead to internal evaluation ...
The importance of learning outcomes has gained traction at Europe’s universities in recent years. The topic is also important in sectors beyond higher education, but often with a different purpose. ...
What would be the most effective way forward for universities to promote social dimension in their respective contexts? EUA expert Tia Loukkola discusses the role that quality assurance can play and i ...
The Bologna Follow-up Group has developed a new strategic document that defines ten principles and guidelines to strengthen the social dimension of higher education in Europe. Ninoslav Scukanec Schmid ...
As universities across Europe move to online learning and teaching amid the coronavirus crisis, questions might arise about what steps may be needed to ensure quality. EUA expert Tia Loukkola explains ...
In recent years, a series of new international university rankings have come into the spotlight. Their focus differs from those of more established, comprehensive rankings in that they aim to highligh ...
In the coming academic year, virtual mobility might be the only reliable option for some institutions in the fallout of the Covid-19 crisis. EUA expert Michael Gaebel gives a vision for the future of ...
The idea of a European degree is fascinating and attractive, but it also raises many conceptual and practical questions. What does a European degree mean? How would it differ from the current degrees ...
The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) have led to major developments, however there are now proposals for revisions. EUA expert Tia Loukkola lo ...
Micro-credentials are growing exponentially in popularity, attracting the interest of various stakeholders due to their flexibility and ability to meet the demands of a rapidly changing labour market. ...
Learning outcomes are increasingly used in qualifications frameworks and quality assurance processes. As such, they aim to secure and foster public trust among education providers. Yet, against the ba ...
UNESCO’s Global Open Science Partnership is well-timed in promoting a much-needed global dialogue on Open Science. EUA expert Bregt Saenen discusses the initiative, its evolving backdrop and why it ...
The European Commission should learn from the Bologna process, which has shown how universities can work together with policymakers to bring about meaningful education reform, argues Tia Loukkola. Th ...
Fair recognition in the European Higher Education Area can only be fully achieved if practices in higher education institutions are more systematically addressed. As Jenneke Lokhoff at Nuffic points o ...
We enter into a New Year, a world more enriched and more impoverished than just 12 months ago. We have endured great loss of life, a heavy burden of illness and deep economic shock. Yet, lessons from ...
Students from disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds still struggle to participate in higher education. Covid-19 has made inclusion even more difficult. EUA expert Luisa Bunescu discusses three so ...
Gathering feedback is a key element in internal quality assurance. However, “closing the feedback loop” requires acting on the data gathered and informing respondents about the subsequent actions ...
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the European University Association, Andrée Sursock analyses two decades of transformation and renewal in Europe’s higher education landscape, and charts ...
The Covid-19 crisis has led to a widening of the scope and role of internal quality assurance at universities and a shifting of the focus of evaluation practices. With the challenge of ensuring the qu ...
The European Commission aims at developing a “European strategy for universities” to strengthen synergies between teaching, research, innovation and service to society by better linking related Eu ...
The quality-led rationale of digitalisation in learning and teaching slowly moves back onto the agenda of higher education institutions – accelerated and enriched by experiences resulting from the C ...
European countries have made strides in establishing the right framework conditions to facilitate the recognition of qualifications. However, as this University World News article points out, there is ...
External quality assurance across the European Higher Education Area is highly diverse. EQAR’s Melinda Szabo maps the situation through the rich datasets of the Database of External Quality Assuranc ...
As learning pathways are increasingly international, the recognition of qualifications and credits obtained abroad is a key issue for countries and higher education institutions. Sebastian Bruque from ...
EU policy makers often fail to consider the specific nature of higher education, research and innovation in legislation aimed to shape Europe’s digital transformation. EUA expert Bregt Saenen explai ...
How can universities address digital and academic sovereignty through jointly coordinated actions in education, research and research assessment? VSNU’s Darco Jansen outlines the Dutch example, prov ...
Micro-credentials are expected to widen participation in higher education by supporting inclusion and facilitating access to education. They are also expected to close the skills gaps in the labour ma ...
Education’s digital transition has allowed students to study and researchers to work remotely throughout the pandemic, however we need to ensure technology is not abused and access is open to all.To ...
The European University Association’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP) has outstanding experience in conducting institutional evaluations. Here, our quality assurance experts Elena Cirlan an ...
Achieving and maintaining compliance with internationally accepted recognition procedures is a necessary task for higher education institutions. EUA Senior Adviser Howard Davies highlights rapid chang ...
Enhancing the social dimension of higher education has been a central pillar of the Bologna Process since its inception. The Rome Communiqué of 2020 and Erasmus+ 2021-2027 both place inclusion firmly ...
If we want universities to make a leap in transnational cooperation, policymakers must take their own leap in implementing reforms that work towards creating the necessary framework conditions. In Res ...
Martin Prchal expands the debate on teaching and learning to how institutions should see themselves as learners in their continuous endeavours to improve the learning experience of their students. Her ...
Can, and should, quality assurance play a greater role in ensuring that common academic values are respected? EUA’s Maria Kelo examines recent debates on the scope of QA in higher education. Qualit ...
Despite a proliferation of initiatives to promote Open Science, many obstacles persist. Here, Jean-Pierre Finance examines the progress that this movement has made and looks to the next steps, includi ...
For Elizabeth Gadd, it is time for the higher education sector to think carefully about the effects of global university rankings. To explain why, she responds to three simple questions. The perverse ...
The main objective of the project Bologna Hub Peer Support II (2022-2024) is to continue to foster the implementation of the Bologna key commitments and the application of the Bologna tools at higher ...
The Quality Assurance Fit for the Future (QA-FIT) project looks at the design and implementation of internal and external quality assurance in the EHEA in order to reflect on the Standards and Guideli ...
As in Europe, quality assurance in higher education is a policy priority in Africa at institutional, national, regional as well as continental level. The European Union and the African Union, in the c ...
The EUREQA project brought together partners from the Western Balkans and the European Union to support higher education institutions in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo* in improving their ...
The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) are the basis for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). At their meeting in Ye ...
EUA works to ensure that the views of the university sector are taken into account in European and national-level policy discussions on internal and external quality assurance. It also supports its me ...
