The presentation of recommendations relating to the compliance of quality assurance in education with EU standards and guidelines took place on 26 February. It is the first component of the project “Strengthening Institutional Capacity for Quality Assurance”, which represents a twinning partnership between BiH and Austria, funded by the EU under (IPA 2011) with an overall budget of 1 million Euro.
The aim of the project is to increase the mobility and employability of the labour force through improving the quality of higher education institutions in line with the Bologna Process.
Prominent experts presented their recommendations for further development of external quality assurance:
Achim Hopbach, Managing Director Austrian Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation and former president of European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), Peter Findlay, Assistant Director of the UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and ENQA international reviewer, Adi Kovacevic, AQ Austria consultant for SEE, Bastian Baumann, Independent Higher Education Consultant and ENQA international reviewer, and Alexander Kohler Austrian Ministry for Science and Research, who is also the EU Twinning Project Leader.
Mr. Hopbach stated: “The Framework Law on Higher Education is in line with EU standards and guidelines in the field of quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area. It is also the case that the system of quality assurance in higher education is in line with EU principles. We believe that these shortcomings should be addressed urgently as a problem for the implementation of the accreditation of universities and study programs. Some of the diplomas issued by non-accredited institutions of higher education can be a problem”.
Mr. Koler emphasised that BiH was still a long way from putting EU standards and guidelines into practice. He promised further support to BiH, stressing responsibility for the implementation of reforms in lies with will of BiH authorities to carry them out.
Mr. Nanic stated that the aims of the Bologna Declaration will be a priority in higher education.
The project began September 2013 and will last for 24 months. The main project partner is HEA (Agency for Development of Higher Education and Quality Assurance of Bosnia and Herzegovina), while other partners include the BiH Ministry for Civil Affairs, the respective Entity and Cantonal ministries of education, the Brčko District Government Education Department, the RS Agency for Accreditation of Higher Education Institutions in BiH. The project is being implemented by the Austrian Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation.
