ENQA initiates and coordinates transnational quality assurance projects, which aim to disseminate information at the European level and promote the establishment of the quality assurance framework of the European Higher Education Area.

Transparency of European higher education through public quality assurance reports - EQArep

ENQA has recently obtained funding for a LLP/Erasmus proposal. The two-year project started on 1 October and will end on 30 September 2014. The project, entitled “Transparency of European higher education through public quality assurance reports” (EQArep), aims at developing European standards for quality assurance reports.

Enhancement of Quality Assurance Management in Jordanian Universities - EQuAM

The University of Barcelona is launching a new project entitled "Enhancement of Quality Assurance Management in Jordanian Universities" (EQuAM), in partnership with ENQA and 15 other higher education bodies.

Promoting Quality Culture in Higher Education Institutions - PQC

In the autumn of 2012, EUA is launching a new project entitled ‘Promoting quality culture in higher education institutions’ (PQC), in partnership with ENQA, the University of Duisburg-Essen, the University of Lisbon and the University of Zagreb.

Joint capacity building project in Southeast Asia

The DIES ASEAN-QA Project which promotes regional quality assurance in Southeast Asia has been sealed by signing a Memorandum of Understanding on the 4th July, 2011 in Bonn.

The ENQA Workshop to agencies undergoing an external review will take place in Paris, France, on 21-22 January. The event is co-hosted by the Commission des Titres d'Ingenieur (CTI).
The purpose of this workshop, targeted specifically to agencies undergoing a second external review, is to focus on the whole process of external reviews of agencies, from the preparation to the follow-up. Participants will be given information and insight into the purpose and objectives of the second round of reviews and the role of reviewers. They will share best practice on the self-evaluation process and discuss the impact of the external review on future planning and development of the agency.
Programme The programme for the event can be found here (pdf).
The registration for this event has reached capacity and is now closed. If you want to enter our waiting list please send an e-mail to secretariat@enqa.eu.
Monday 21 January - Day 1
15.00 Registrations and coffee
15.30 Welcome: Achim Hopbach, President of ENQA, Philippe Massé, President of CTI
16.00 The difficult art of self-reflection for constant enhancement: the purpose and objectives of the second round of reviews. Achim Hopbach.
16.45 The process of external review and the task of the reviewers Maria Kelo, ENQA Secretariat.
Tuesday 22 January - Day 2
9.00 How to prepare for external evaluation and the rationale of the self-evaluation report in the second round of reviews. Rafael Llavori, ANECA, ENQA Board.
9.45 How did we do it? – Case examples of the self evaluation process and involvement of stakeholders from AQU Catalunya and EVA, Denmark. Josep Grifoll, AQU, ENQA Board and Christian Moldt, EVA.
11.30 Split up-groups – work in three small groups on analysis of self-evaluation report models and identifying good practice. Chairs: Rafael Llavori, Josep Grifoll, Padraig Walsh, QQI, ENQA Board.
14.00 Good practice in self-evaluation – feedback from split-up groups. Chair: Maria Kelo
14.45 Impact of the external review on future planning and development. Padraig Walsh.

High officials and scholars from China and Hong Kong together with European policymakers and practitioners deeply involved in the making of Europe-China academic relations had a round of vivid discussions with the enthusiastic participants in the 35th ACA European Policy Seminar. Over 100 participants, many of whom are China experts themselves, turned up at the event on 7 December 2012 despite the disruptive first snow in Brussels. The seminar was a timely occasion for the exchange of new information, professional know-how and inspiring thoughts on higher education cooperation between the European Union and China, especially at the juncture of major changes on both ends. It was also a well-attended event, bringing together speakers and participants with a shared goal in developing academic relations between Europe, China and its Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The seminar was a one-day event, as usual. The eight hours of people-to-people contact, though short, were thoroughly enjoyed by the participants and speakers alike. As we are well aware of the fact that an event without participants is a sad event, we wish to thank all the participants and speakers for making the seminar a happy one. Additionally, we must also thank the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels for its support that enabled us to reach out to the best possible speakers in the Greater China region.
ACA organises four policy seminars each year. On 24 January 2013, the first gathering of the year will, again, be What’s News in Brussels? This seminar will discuss the latest developments in European policies and programmes including, but not limited to, the proposed Erasmus for All and Horizon 2020, the Bologna mobility strategy, and issues for the European Commission’s upcoming “internationalisation communication”. It goes without saying that ACA only brings you the best speakers who do not only have something to say, but say it very well.
Seats in this hallmark seminar go particularly fast. We highly recommend an early registration before 8 January 2013 (Tuesday).
ACA Seminar – What’s new in Brussels.

On 20 November 2012, the European Commission published a Communication entitled “Rethinking Education: Investing in skills for better socio-economic outcomes”. The document, which repeats known positions and adds new ideas, calls for a comprehensive and determined skills strategy at all levels of Europe’s education and training systems. The EU Commission argues that the days are over when Europe’s competitors provided only low-skilled services. In order to stay competitive on world markets and to sustain and revitalise the Union’s labour markets, Europe needed to reduce skills mismatches and raise skills levels.
The skills strategy behind the Communication is broad: the Commission asks for the improvement of transversal and basic skills, particularly in the entrepreneurial field, but also STEM-related skills. It insists that the basis of any meaningful skills strategy are foundation skills such as literacy, numeracy, and basic maths and science, but it also calls for increased foreign language competencies, the development of high-quality vocational education and training (VET) systems (“world-class”), including importantly work-based learning and apprenticeships, and for mobility.
The key messages to member states are the following: promote excellence in VET; improve achievement level of pupil groups with high risks of early school leaving and low basic skills; strengthen provision of employability-enhancing transversal skills (entrepreneurial initiative, digital skills and foreign languages); reduce the number of low skilled adults; increase the use of ICT-supported learning; and strengthen the professional profile of all teaching professions.
The Communication is accompanied by a number of “staff working papers” which display policy evidence and good practice, country sheets with information on EU member states’ performance and reforms in education and training, as well as the first edition of an “Education and Training Monitor”, providing information on progress (or otherwise) towards the Europe 2020 headline targets.
European Commission - Communication.
European Commission – Staff working document.

Discours de Mme Geneviève Fioraso, ministre de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche à l’occasion de la clôture du Forum Campus France - Mardi 18 décembre 2012.
I. La nécessaire internationalisation de notre système d’ESR.
Je suis heureuse d’être parmi vous, à l’occasion de la clôture du Forum des établissements de Campus France. En effet, Campus France est un instrument qui doit servir l’attractivité de notre système d’enseignement supérieur et de recherche en général, et de chacun de vos établissements en particulier. Je me réjouis de ce forum, qui a vocation à vous associer pleinement à la définition des activités de Campus France. Vous le savez, mon parcours, ma sensibilité, me disposent à mobiliser toutes nos énergies pour promouvoir l’excellence de la recherche et de l’enseignement supérieur français, en favorisant leur ouverture internationale. Je ne doute pas que nous y parviendrons, en étroite collaboration avec le MAE. Au service de cette ambition, au service de votre ouverture à l’international, Campus France est un outil qui a vocation à promouvoir notre système d’enseignement supérieur et de recherche, mais aussi à favoriser, faciliter et amplifier l’accueil des étudiants étrangers.
- La vision et la stratégie du MESR.
J’ai à coeur de soutenir et même d’amplifier l’ouverture de notre système d’ESR à l’international. Cette ambition répond à la fois à une stratégie globale et à des logiques scientifiques particulières, propres à chaque établissement. Ces deux conceptions ne sont pas contradictoires. Elles doivent, au contraire, s’alimenter mutuellement, et s’articuler harmonieusement. Cela fait aussi partie de la simplification et de la mutualisation dont nous avons besoin, pour améliorer notre visibilité. Je rappelle que nous avons plus de 3 000 intitulés de licences, et plus de 6 000 intitulés de masters. C’est trop pour être lisible...
II. les missions de campus France et la marge de progression.
Campus France a été pensé pour répondre à trois exigences:
- D’abord, la promotion des études supérieures françaises:
Notre attractivité est forte. Les 284 000 étudiants que nous attirons en témoignent. C’est 12% de nos effectifs, et vous savez que ce taux augmente à mesure que l’on progresse dans les degrés universitaires, puisque les étrangers représentent 41,3 % des doctorants formés en France. Nos atouts sont considérables, si l’on combine la qualité de la formation que nous offrons et l’attractivité de nos droits d’inscription. La modicité de nos frais d’inscription, qui fait partie de notre culture, est un atout en termes d’attractivité, alors que dans les pays anglo-saxons, l’explosion des frais d’inscription augmente l’endettement des étudiants, au risque de l’explosion d’une nouvelle bulle des crédits.
L’histoire et la géopolitique expliquent que les effectifs les plus nombreux viennent d’Afrique (46,6%, Maghreb compris, Maroc et Algérie en tête). Ces liens sont importants, compte tenu de la vocation de la France à rayonner dans ces pays amis. Mais nous devons avoir l’ambition d’attirer également les meilleurs étudiants des puissances scientifiques émergentes.
- La deuxième mission de Campus France est tout aussi essentielle. C’est de veiller à la gestion des bourses du gouvernement français et des gouvernements étrangers. Ces boursiers ne représentent qu’une petite part des étudiants étrangers (environ 10%). Mais cette part est stratégique, parce qu’elle correspond aux mobilités encadrées. Il est de notre responsabilité que cette mission soit bien remplie.
J’entends par là, non seulement bien réalisée, sur un plan technique, mais aussi bien pensée, sur le plan stratégique, et c’est là tout prix de la co-tutelle de Campus France, qui répond à une double exigence diplomatique et scientifique.
- Enfin, et ce n’est pas la moindre de vos missions, Monsieur le directeur général, vous devez veiller à réserver le meilleur accueil aux étudiants étrangers, avec l’appui des dispositifs locaux mis en place par les établissements, les CROUS, et les collectivités territoriales, si souvent oubliées lors du dernier quinquennat, ce qui explique le retard du plan Campus.
J'insiste tout particulièrement sur l'accès au logement, condition indispensable à la mobilité, alors que les retards s'étaient accumulés par rapport aux objectifs du plan Anciaux et de l'opération Campus, dont j'ai réussi à débloquer la mise en oeuvre. D'ici la fin du quinquennat, le gouvernement programmera 40 000 logements étudiants nouveaux, dont une part notable favorisera l'accueil international. Promotion de notre système, gestion des bourses, accueil des étudiants étrangers: en réunissant, ici même, tous les acteurs qui ont uni leurs forces et leurs compétences dans Campus France, j’ai veillé, dès ma prise de fonction, à ce que ces missions soient assurées pour cette rentrée.
Mon ministère veillera à ce que ces missions soient remplies, au bénéfice des établissements, des étudiants, et du rayonnement de notre pays. Pour sa part, Campus France aura à coeur de démontrer sa valeur ajoutée auprès des établissements, sans se substituer à eux sur le territoire. Mais il appartient aussi à ces derniers, il vous appartient, à vous, les Universités, les Etablissements, de jouer pleinement votre rôle dans cet opérateur, à travers ses différentes instances, CA, Conseil d’Orientation et Forum.
Au vue de vos travaux de ce matin, je vois que vous prenez résolument ce chemin, et je m’en réjouis. La
mission supplémentaire qui vous a été confiée, cher Jean-Pierre Gesson, nous aidera à progresser en ce sens.
Campus France est une structure très récente: laissons-la s’organiser, avant de le soumettre à une première
évaluation. Elle se fera à l’aune de nos ambitions pour l’ouverture internationale de notre système d’ESR. Il y aura probablement des améliorations à apporter, pour renforcer les mobilités encadrées, individualiser le suivi des étudiants, et susciter des politiques localement mieux coordonnées entre tous les acteurs concernés, établissements, CROUS, collectivités, entreprises. Je sais que vous travaillez déjà en ce sens, et je vous en remercie.

The report from Forfás and the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) sets out the skills and talent needed to drive Ireland's trade and export performance in both existing and emerging overseas markets. The study provides a detailed blueprint for changes to our education, training and professional development to align skills with the needs of exporting businesses.
The report outlines the essential skill sets that individuals should look to develop to avail of employment opportunities arising within exporting companies, in particular the need to dramatically improve our foreign language proficiency and our ability to sell into international markets.
Publication files: Key Skills for Enterprise to Trade Internationally
Related Links
Press Release: Key Skills for Enterprise to Trade Internationally
Presentation: Key Skills for Enterprise to Trade Internationally
Publication: Guidance for Higher Education Providers on Current and Future Skills Needs of Enterprise
Publication: Addressing High–Level ICT Skills Recruitment Needs: Research Findings.

Competing across borders: how cultural and communication barriers affect business is an Economist Intelligence Unit report, sponsored by EF Education First. It explores the challenges companies face when they have to operate or compete in increasingly international markets. Specifically, this paper assesses the role that cross-border communication and collaboration play in the success or failure of companies with ambitions that are not hostage to national borders. Read more...

Communication and languages are crucial to business in a globalised economy. New evidence found in two reports published in the UK and in Ireland
Enterprises operating in international markets face many challenges with communication and languages. Two reports give an overview of the situation.
The Economist published the report Competing across borders: how cultural and communication barriers affect business. The survey was conducted between February and March 2012 and was targeted at 572 executives based in Europe, Asia Pacific, North America and Latin America. Interviews with independent experts and senior executives were also carried out.
The survey found out that almost two-thirds of organisations encounter difficulties with cross-border communication. Most companies understand the impact of effective cross-border communication but are not taking sufficient action to address the causes. In particular, almost 47% of them do not offer enough language training to their staff. However, half of the companies surveyed think that their workers need to speak another language in their job.
Another study was published by Forfás (Ireland's policy advisory board for enterprise and science) and by the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN). Key Skills for Enterprise to Trade Internationally sets out the skills and talent needed to drive Ireland’s trade and export performance in both existing and emerging overseas markets.
The report outlines the essential skills that individuals should develop to take employment opportunities arising within exporting companies. In particular, they need to improve foreign language proficiency.
The report makes specific recommendations to boost the supply of foreign language skills, in particular German, French, Spanish and Italian but also Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Arabic.
Read more on the Economist report and on the study published in Ireland.

By Jane O'Brien. Online, English has become a common language for users from around the world. In the process, the language itself is changing.
When America emerged from the ashes of a bruising war with Britain in 1814, the nation was far from united. Noah Webster thought that a common language would bring people together and help create a new identity that would make the country truly independent of the British. Webster's dictionary, now in its 11th edition, adopted the Americanised spellings familiar today - er instead of re in theatre, dropping the u from colour, and losing the double l from words such as traveller. It also documented new words that were uniquely American such as skunk, opossum, hickory, squash and chowder.
An American Dictionary of the English Language took 18 years to complete and Webster learned 26 other languages in order to research the etymology of its 70,000 entries. The internet is creating a similar language evolution, but at a much faster pace. There are now thought to be some 4.5 billion web pages worldwide. And with half the population of China now on line, many of them are written in Chinese. Read more...