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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 critically evaluate the fitness for purpose of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).
This first project phase investigated how the ESG have been adapted to different contexts, and explored how quality assurance activities are addressing recent and emerging issues, including those beyond the current scope of the ESG. The data was collected through a survey for higher education institutions that EUA and EURASHE disseminated among their members between December 2022 and January 2023. While the QA-FIT project is still ongoing, this paper already provides an insightful overview of HEIs’ perception of quality assurance practices across the EHEA, and valuable reflections on a potential future discussion about the scope and structure of the ESG.
The QA-FIT project is coordinated by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), in partnership with the European University Association (EUA), the European Students’ Union (ESU), and the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE). The project also includes the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) and a number of national organisations as partners: the Irish Universities Association (IUA), the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC), the National Alliance of Student Organisations in Romania (ANOSR), and the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia (associated partner). The project was launched in June 2022 and will conclude in November 2024.
The QA-FIT project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
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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 ...
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 ...
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: ...
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 ...
Update n.10 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, September 2012. ...
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 ...
Update n.9 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, June 2012. ...
In October 2009, the European University Association (EUA), together with its partners, the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) and QAA Scotland, launched a project entitled: “ ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Fiona Crozier I. Setting the stage ...
EUA Position Paper on the Commission’s proposed amendments to Directive 2005/36/EC on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications, 26 January 2012. ...
EUA Briefing Note on the Commission’s proposed amendments to Directive 2005/36/EC on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications, 4 January 2012. ...
EUA response to European Commission’s Consultation on Green Paper COM(2011) 367, 10 September 2011. ...
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 ...
Update n.8 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, September 2011. ...
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 ...
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 ...
Update n.7 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, May 2011. ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Fiona Crozier EQAF – a report from a continuing journey into quality by EQAF 2010 Steering Committee ...
EUA response to European Commission’s Consultation Paper on the Professional Qualifications Directive 2005/36/EC , 12 March 2011. ...
Update n.6 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, February 2011. ...
EUA responded to the European Commission’s consultation on the Future of the EU programmes. The EU programmes have a European added value, which could be further enhanced, and which is critical ...
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 ...
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 ...
Presentation on the Evaluation of the Professional Qualifications Directive – presentation by Jürgen Tiedje, Head of Unit, Professional Qualifications, European Commission, DG Internal ...
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 ...
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. ...
Update n.5 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, August 2010. ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Henrik Toft Jensen Part 1. 2010 is here: How far have we come and where are we going? ...
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. ...
Update n.4 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, February 2010. ...
Institutional diversity is becoming more central to higher education policy as higher education institutions are moving to the centre stage of political and public attention, with ...
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 ...
Update n.3 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, June 2009. ...
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 ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Henrik Toft Jensen 1. Introduction ...
Update n.2 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, October 2008. ...
Update n.1 on EU legislation on the recognition of professional qualifications, April 2008. ...
Report on the sectoral professions. EUA Workshop 17 October 2007. ...
Background note on Qualifications in the Sectoral Professions, Directive 2005-36-EC and the Bologna Process - EUA Workshop 17 October 2007. ...
Doctoral education is a major priority for European universities and for EUA. In the context of the Bologna Process the importance of doctoral education as the third cycle of higher education and ...
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 ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Henrik Toft Jensen 1. Introduction to the Forum by Klaus Dieter Wolff ...
This report is the result of a four-year project, which involved 134 higher education institutions grouped in 18 networks. The major aim of the project was to identify how internal quality cultur ...
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 ...
This report aims to provide EUA members and other stakeholders in higher education and research with a broad view of the current landscape of doctoral programmes in Europe. EUA is grateful t ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
During a recent meeting, governments and stakeholders from over 40 European countries assessed progress within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and set goals for its next work programme. ...
The 2024 Bologna Process Implementation report provides an overview of the latest policy commitments in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and assesses their implementation. ...
The 2024 edition of the European Students’ Union’s ‘Bologna with Student Eyes’ report has been published. The publication was developed in the context of the ESU-coordinated and Erasmus+ fund ...
Ahead of a meeting of Bologna Process ministers, the European University Association has outlined key considerations for the future of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). ...
On 29 April, the Register Committee of the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) found that the European University Association’s Institutional Evaluation Programme continu ...
The consortium of the Erasmus+ project “Bologna with Stakeholders Eyes for an Innovative, Inclusive and Interconnected European Higher Education Area by 2030 (BWSE FOR2030)”, in which EUA is a par ...
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 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Coimbra Group member universities are offering 90 scholarships for young professors and researchers that are both national and residents of Latin American, Sub-Saharan Africa or European neighbourhood ...
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 ...
Current crises, and the geo-political, economic, social, environmental and technological change and uncertainty that they bring, are impacting how universities work, follow their missions and collabor ...
Six Turkish universities are raising funds to support university students affected by the devastating recent earthquakes. ...
On 13 December, the DocEnhance project organised its final event entitled “Transferable skills in doctoral education”. One of its main outcomes was the launch of the DocEnhance Platform, which hos ...
EUA member Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) is starting the process of rectorial election by announcing an international open competition for the position of the rector on 9 January. Applications ...
The Magna Charta Observatory has launched a new initiative to invite and promote academic research on “The Responsive and Responsible University”. ...
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 ...
On 18 January 2022, the European Commission launched a new higher education package, including a European Strategy for Universities and a Commission proposal for a Council recommendation on transnatio ...
On 30 November, the European Commission published the 2022 call for proposals for alliances under the European Universities Initiative. ...
The Central European University (CEU) has launched the 2021-2022 call for applications for the European Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Social Sciences and Humanities. ...
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 ...
The Rovira i Virgili University has announced three calls for a total of 61 doctoral positions under the Martí i Franquès programme. The calls fall under three funding sources: STANDARD, Banco Santa ...
The TPG-LRC project, aimed at promoting the implementation of procedures compliant with the Lisbon Recognition Convention, has published a guide for higher education institutions. TPG-LRC stands for ...
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 ...
EUA’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP) is now accepting registrations for the 2021/2022 round. ...
On 14 February, Frédérique Vidal, French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Innovation, announced plans to order the French research agency (CNRS) to conduct an enquiry into French universi ...
The Eurasian Universities Union (EURAS) organises the Eurasia Higher Education (EURIE) Summit on 3 – 5 March 2021. ...
In November 2020, the ministers responsible for European higher education will meet to discuss the future of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) at the Ministerial Conference. On the occasion, & ...
EUA member in Ukraine Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, together with the NGO “Sustainable Development Landmarks”, organise the 1st virtual international conference on sustainable ...
EUA is embarking on an initiative to develop a vision for Europe’s universities in 2030. This vision by the sector for the sector will serve as inspiration for EUA members, as well as for policy mak ...
EUNIS, the European University Information Systems organisation, opened the registrations for the EUNIS2020 Congress “Virtual Helsinki”, which will take place online from 10 to 12 June 2020. Regis ...
Due to the coronavirus crisis, the EHEA Ministerial Conference has been postponed to 18 -20 November 2020. The Conference will take place in the same location, La Nuvola Conference Centre. ...
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 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 ...
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 ...
Quality assurance has been one of EUA’s key areas of activity since the Association was established. As the voice of Europe’s universities, EUA seeks to ensure that the views of the university sec ...
This playlist includes contents produced by EUA in relation to the Commission’s European Strategy for Universities. Released in January 2022, it is an important step in connecting the university-rel ...
The European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF) provides a platform for discussion, professional development and exchange of experiences among the main stakeholders in quality assurance (QA). The Forum is ...
Helene Peterbauer outlines what the entry into force of a treaty on automatic recognition between Benelux and Baltic countries means for universities both within and outside these regions, and asks wh ...
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 ...
The UK will join the EU’s Horizon Europe programme in January 2024. Rebuilding collaboration, regulatory divergence and sensitive technologies are the next challenges, EUA’s Thomas Jørgensen writ ...
How can universities adopt more flexible and adaptive approaches to strategy development? Gert-Jan Scheurwater reports on TU Delft’s progress in introducing foresight as a tool to tackle this challe ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
The European University Association’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP) has outstanding experience in conducting institutional evaluations. Here, our quality assurance experts Elena Cirlan an ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
From EU funding programmes, to travel and data transfer, the pieces of the puzzle are finally falling into place for universities post-Brexit. EUA’s Thomas Jorgensen provides an update on the situat ...
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 ...
Higher education institutions in Europe are highly engaged in addressing environmental challenges through education, research and their own greening initiatives. However, sustainable procurement may b ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
A new EUA study reveals that higher education institutions in Europe are highly engaged in activities that address environmental challenges and the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals ...
Sustainability is an important issue for universities. At Trinity College Dublin, the current strategic plan articulates sustainability as a priority supported by two goals: alignment to the UN Sustai ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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. ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 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. ...
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 ...
Europe must connect its ambition of being a digital leader with initiatives already happening at its universities, says EUA Secretary General Amanda Crowfoot in an editorial in The Parliament Magazine ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 transition to Open Science and Open Access is gaining momentum in Europe, making it a shared responsibility for universities and their main partners to review how they incentivise and reward resea ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
In uncertain times with anti-EU movements and Brexit negotiations, the EU institutions must make an effort to reach an agreement on Horizon Europe. EUA’s Lidia Borrell-Damian talks about the key ame ...
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 ...
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 ...
Thomas Estermann from the European University Association examines the university efficiency debate, explaining that behind the push to save money there is actually much more, including a silver linin ...
Lidia Borrell-Damián from the European University Association argues the European Commission’s Horizon Europe initiative holds great promise for the future of research and innovation in Europe. Thi ...
The European Commission’s proposal for the next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (Horizon Europe) shares broad similarities with Horizon 2020, but there are some significant differenc ...
The proposal for the next Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, also known as Horizon Europe, has been published by the European Commission. Universities and research centres across Europe ...
As the Rector of the University of Groningen, and an economist, I am often asked why universities receive so much public funding for academic research. What is the use for society? A simple first resp ...
As Europe decides how to best invest in the future of research and innovation, it is clear that Horizon 2020’s successor will need more funding. It is also quite certain that its design must be more ...
Director of Research and Innovation, European University Association, Lidia Borrell-Damián shares her thoughts on what lies ahead after Horizon 2020, in which she envisions a new kind of impact by li ...
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 ...
Investment in research and education not only brings the highest European added value, it is also the most effective long-term, future-oriented commitment that the EU can make towards its citizens, wr ...
The lack of funding needed to achieve Europe’s widely advertised ambitions for global excellence in research and innovation should be addressed in discussing Horizon 2020’s successor. Understandin ...
Europe needs more ambitious research funding, or risks losing precious knowledge, writes Rolf TarrachThe European Union is currently defining its priorities for the next decade. The scientific communi ...
In the top 50 performing participants in Horizon 2020, 4.2 billion euros went to 37 universities, 11 research agencies and two research institutes. These are all from 12 countries in Europe: the UK, G ...
The current state of the European Union demands new political thinking and action – not just “business as usual”. Europe faces a series of interlinked economic, political, societal and cultural ...
Horizon 2020 plays a significant part in developing the research and innovation capacity of the European community, as well as of the individual member states. We have already witnessed the 7th Framew ...
For the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), participation in Horizon 2020 is a number one priority. The framework programme gives us the opportunity to collaborate with excellent re ...
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 ...
The AR25 project aims to support the implementation of the Council (of the European Union) Recommendation on promoting automatic mutual recognition of qualifications and learning periods abroad and ac ...
Europe has a unique multilateral and multilevel framework for cooperation in higher education and research. For more than two decades, governments across Europe have built a common framework for highe ...
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 ...
Building on the work of the first round of the project Bologna With Stakeholders' Eyes for a Stronger Future of the Bologna Process (BWSE FORward), the follow-up project BWSE FOR2030 aims to continue ...
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 ...
The TPG-LRC CoRE project has the objective of supporting the implementation of the Bologna Process, focusing on key commitment 2 on national legislation and procedures compliant with the Lisbon Recogn ...
The I-AR project aims to implement fair automatic recognition by offering guidance in policy development on a European and national level. Furthermore, through capacity building, higher education inst ...
The “Spotlight on recognition” project aimed to support staff at higher education institutions who are responsible for recognition processes and decisions by enhancing their capacities in terms of ...
EUA has developed its vision for Europe’s universities in 2030. After intensive consultations with more than 100 experts and visionaries from the EUA membership and a wide range of external partners ...
The BWSE FORward project aims to update the latest version of the “Bologna with Student Eyes publication” (2018), analysing the views of European students on the implementation of the Bologna Proc ...
The MICROBOL project aims for ministries and stakeholders to explore, within the Bologna Process, whether and how the existing Bologna tools can be used for or adapted to micro-credentials. ...
The EUniQ project aimed to develop in close cooperation with European Universities, a quality assurance approach for European Universities. ...
The aim of the DEQAR project was to develop a database that would enhance access to reliable information on the higher education institutions/programmes that had been subject to external quality assur ...
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). ...
As in Europe, quality assurance in higher education is a policy priority in Africa at institutional, national, regional as well as continental level. ...
The University of Barcelona (Coordinator) and the European University Association (EUA) comprise the consortium ‘SPHERE’ (Support and Promotion for Higher Education Reform Experts), an initiative ...
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 free movement of people to study within Europe is a founding principle and long-term objective of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Well-functioning, fair and transparent recognition of f ...
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 ...
To shape the future that universities want, we must proactively engage with possible futures. The world is changing rapidly. And with it, universities and their contexts are changing. Among the major ...
The Bologna Process is an intergovernmental higher education reform process launched in 1999 that includes 48 European countries and a number of European organisations, including EUA. It is dedicated ...