ERI SEE and RCC for Higher Education
In cooperation with the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), a study visit for Western Balkan Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education to Scottish Quality Assurance Agency was organized in March 2024. The visit was organized as a part of the implementation of the Common Regional Market Action Plan, Priority area 5, measure 5.1. Mobility of students, researchers and professors. Within this measure, multilateral exchanges with partners with mature quality assurance systems were planned, as a way to increase the level of support to Western Balkans Quality Assurance Agencies (QAA) in Higher Education for their membership in European Association for Quality Assurance (ENQA).
The Study visit was hosted by the QAA Scotland in partnership with the Heriot Watt University on their Edinburgh campus, with the main goal to explore the integration of The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) into the work of quality assurance agencies in higher education from the Western Balkans (WB).
Across the two-day visit, QAA colleagues discussed a range of topics, including internal quality assurance processes, approach to thematic analysis, management of quality review and experience of review by ENQA. Heriot Watt University also presented to the delegation their approach to quality assurance and enhancement and how this interacts with external quality review.
On the occasion of the visit, QAA’s Deputy CEO, Mr Alastair Delaney commented that hosting study visits like the one organized by the ERI SEE and RCC helps to underpin trust in the quality of UK education and cements QAA and the UK’s commitment to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA); whereas Ms Šarić, the ERI SEE Director, found the enhancement-led processes that is integrated into the work of the QAA and in the higher education community and was continuously presented during the visit, a source of inspiration for further work in the region. Another important area for further reflections is the effective and all-encompassing partnership relationship between the QAA and stakeholders with their joint commitment to quality.
The focus on quality in higher education continuted further in the WB region, again jointly between the RCC and ERI SEE, where a cooperation scheme was arranged between the Croatian Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE) and WB QAAs, focusing on bilateral and targeted consultancy by ASHE offered on the basis of needs identified by each WB QAA. This measure is again aligned with the Common Regional Market Action Plan and Free Movement of People priority area, supporting bilateral exchanges with partners with mature quality assurance systems. The measure is expected to continue in 2025 and contribute to further alignment of the WB QAA with the ESG.
