On October 21–23, the General Assembly of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) took place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, under the theme “Collaborate. Learn. Innovate.” The event was attended by ANQA Director Ruben Topchyan and Varduhi Gyulazyan, head of the Institutional and Programme Accreditation Division.
During the General Assembly, representatives of European QA agencies discussed priorities for the development of higher education QA systems, current challenges and opportunities for the expansion of collaboration.
One of the key discussion topics was collaboration between QA agencies and HEIs. Particular emphasis was placed on the interconnection between internal and external QA systems, a balance between institutional accountability and continuous enhancement, as well as the importance of institutional autonomy and the independence of QA agencies.
Discussions also addressed approaches to the QA in transnational education, the revision of the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes, the integration of sustainable development principles into QA processes and the role of strategic communication by QA agencies in strengthening trust and transparency.
Importance was attached to the revision of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). The final version of the revised document was introduced and is planned to be submitted to the BFUG for approval in November. The discussions also covered the upcoming priorities of the Bologna Process and future directions for European higher education.
The General Assembly also included elections for the ENQA President and members of the ENQA Board.
Following a vote by representatives of ENQA member agencies, Péter Levente Lakatos, Director General of the Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB), was elected President of ENQA. Varduhi Gyulazyan, head of ANQA’s Institutional and Programme Accreditation Division and Ronny Heintze, a representative of the German QA agency AQAS, were elected to the ENQA Board for three-year terms.
Varduhi Gyulazyan’s election ensures the continuity of Armenia’s representation on the ENQA Board. It provides an opportunity for Armenia’s representative to contribute directly to the development and adoption of strategic decisions in the European higher education QA.
ANQA has been a full member of ENQA since 2017 and remains actively engaged in European QA processes. Participation in the General Assembly provided another opportunity to gain insights into the latest developments in the field, exchange practice with international partners and expand international cooperation.