Report from 8th European Quality Assurance Forum: ‘Working together to take quality forward’ November 28, 2013 Last week’s 8th European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF) brought together more than 400 higher education stakeholders from 50 countries to discuss the latest developments and trends in quality assurance (QA). Photo: © Dick GillbergThis year’s edition, held at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, focused on the theme “Working together to take quality forward”. Therefore, over the three days, the majority of the plenary and parallel sessions discussed how both individuals and organisations can better understand the role that quality assurance plays in their daily lives, get involved and work together. The opening keynote on quality in higher education by Mats Alvesson from Lund University, and the panel discussion on working together in QA with representatives from different QA stakeholders (including teachers, employers, students and governments) both provoked lively discussions. Meanwhile, parallel sessions explored new European developments (in QA) such as the ongoing revision of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) and the increasing internationalisation of external QA through cross-border reviews by EQAR-registered agencies. Participants were also given detailed reports on QA developments in doctoral education and the role of QA in the social dimension of higher education. During the paper sessions, which included case studies from different countries and institutions, there was a particular emphasis on the concept of “quality culture” and the importance of attitudes and values. The final plenary meanwhile was dedicated to the topic of internationalisation as a vehicle for quality. Sijbolt Noorda, President of the Academic Cooperation Association highlighted the challenge posed by the fact that while higher education was becoming increasingly international, many issues such as QA, academic calendars and financing were largely determined at the national level. His presentation underlined the need for inter/supra-national values and highlighted the potential of joint degrees. The presentations and more information from last week’s event are now available on the event website. Discussions will now continue in next year’s EQAF, which will be hosted by the University of Barcelona in Spain, from 13 to 15 November 2014. More information on next year’s event will be published through the EUA newsletter and website. The Forum is organised by the E4 Group consisting of EUA, the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), the European Students’ Union (ESU) and the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE).
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 07:23:12 +0000
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