Last week’s 7th European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF) brought together around 400 higher education stakeholders from approximately 50 countries to discuss the latest developments and trends in quality assurance (QA).
This year’s edition, held at Tallinn University in Estonia, focused on the theme ‘How does quality assurance make a difference?’. Over three days, the majority of the plenary and parallel sessions discussed the impact of external and internal QA on higher education policies and institutional realities. While participants provided a wide range of evidence on this topic, many also called for more research to be carried out on the impact of QA. They also acknowledged, however, the challenges of delivering precise studies on this topic.
The sessions also explored new developments (in QA) such as the increased international dimension of external QA (e.g. cross-border accreditation and recognition of joint programmes). New approaches to quality assurance in various countries and institutions were also presented and participants were given an opportunity to update their knowledge on recent European policy developments.
One of the conclusions of the final plenary was that QA as a whole is a highly politicised field, and by no means an exact science, but perhaps this is part of its appeal to those involved in QA. The discussions will continue in next year’s EQAF, which will be hosted by the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, from 21 to 23 November 2013. 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).
More information on last week’s EQAF is available on the event website, where presentations will also be posted shortly.

The Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) Board of Directors has appointed 19 individuals to the Advisory Council of the CHEA International Quality Group (CIQG).
“This is a group of respected leaders in higher education, accreditation and quality assurance internationally,” said CHEA President Judith Eaton. “We are fortunate to have these outstanding colleagues to help guide the CIQG and its work.”
The advisory council will provide guidance with regard to strategic direction, membership development and projects that the CIQG will undertake, as well as identifying key trends and issues in international quality assurance.
The advisory council is made up of individuals from the academic and accreditation/quality assurance communities in a number of countries, reflecting geographic diversity and expertise in international quality assurance, as well as individuals from major multinational organizations that focus on higher education or quality assurance.
Members appointed to the CIQG Advisory Council are:

• Nadia Badrawi, President, Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (Egypt)
• Barbara Brittingham, President, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges (USA)
• Sir John Daniel, Education Master, Beijing DeTao Masters Academy (China)
• Mark Darby, Counselor, Australian Education International (Australia)
• A. Lee Fritschler, Professor, School of Public Policy, George Mason University (United States)
• Allan Goodman, President, Institute for International Education (USA)
• Madlyn L. Hanes, Vice President, Commonwealth Campuses, Pennsylvania State University (United States)
• Maria Jose Lemaitre, Director, Centro Interuniversitario de Desarrollo and President, International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (Chile)
• Michael Milligan, Executive Director, ABET (United States)
• Judy C. Miner, President, Foothill College (United States)
• Deane Neubauer, Senior Fellow, Globalization Research Center, University of Hawaii – Manoa (United States)
• Michal Neumann, Deputy Director General for Quality Assessment, Council for Higher Education (Israel)
• Peter Okebukola, President, Global University Network for Innovation – Africa (Nigeria)
• Ved Prakash, Vice Chairman, University Grants Commission, New Delhi (India)
• Jamil Salmi, Consultant, Global Tertiary Education Expert, Global View on Tertiary Education (United States)
• Craig Swenson, Chancellor, Argosy University (United States)
• Lesley Wilson, Secretary General, European University Association (Belgium)
• Richard Yelland, Head of Division, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (France)
• Jianxin Zhang, Director, Research Institute of Higher Education, Yunnan University (China)

In addition, David G. Carter, Chair of the CHEA Board of Directors, Judith Eaton, CHEA’s President and Stamenka Uvalić-Trumbić, CHEA’s Senior Advisor on International Affairs, will serve as Ex Officio members of the advisory council. Launched in September, 2012, the CIQG provides an important forum for colleges, universities, accrediting and quality assurance organizations and others worldwide to address issues and challenges focused on quality and quality assurance in an international setting.

Quality assurance agencies in higher education exist for many purposes. One area of their responsibility is checking that institutions or programs meet certain criteria, requirements or standards, or achieve certain levels of performance. This task is commonly called accreditation, but other terms exist, such as assessment, licensure, recognition, authorisation, etc. Accreditation checks can be mandated by government or required by other organisations, and can be for the purpose, inter alia, of

• triggering funding of an institution or program or
• enabling students to receive grants and loans
• recognising degrees and diplomas by the government
• authorising employment of graduates or
• preventing or closing an institution                             

The accreditation process is intended to prevent the creation or continuation of poor quality programs or institutions, and hence it is a consumer protection mechanism. Some institutions are genuine but of poor quality, and some institutions (often called degree mills or diploma mills) purport to provide qualifications, at a price, but the qualification is worthless because the ‘institution’ requires insufficient – perhaps no – work to achieve it.
The accreditation process is intended to weed out these inadequate institutions. Therefore, in a country where such gatekeeping, policing or quality control exists, potential students or would-be employers of graduates are advised to check that an institution is in good standing with the relevant accreditor.
To assist the consumer of higher education, UNESCO has developed a Portal that provides reference to accredited institutions in many countries.
Unfortunately, some unscrupulous operators have recognised that the basic consumer check is to ask whether an institution is accredited, and so there has been an emergence of bogus or spurious accrediting bodies, often, by analogy, called ‘accreditation mills’. These enable an institution to claim to be accredited, hence circumventing the consumer’s first line of defence. The existence of accreditation mills therefore means that a consumer (student, employer, etc.) must go one step further and investigate whether the claimed accreditation is itself valid and meaningful.
The US Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) has suggested the following tests that can be applied to a purported accrediting body. If the answers to many of the following questions are ‘yes’, the accrediting organization under consideration may be bogus:

• Does the operation allow accredited status to be purchased?
• Does the operation publish lists of institutions or programs they claim to have accredited without those institutions and programs knowing that they are listed or have been accredited?
• Does the operation claim that it is recognized (by some other body) when it is not?
• Are few if any standards for quality published by the operation?
• Is a very short period of time required to achieve accredited status?
• Are accreditation reviews routinely confined to submitting documents and do not include site visits or interviews of key personnel by the accrediting organization?
• Is ‘permanent’ accreditation granted without any requirement for subsequent periodic review, either by an external body or by the organization itself?
• Does the operation use organizational names similar to recognized accrediting organizations?
• Does the operation make claims in its publications for which there is no evidence?
• Does the operation claim that its accreditations would have international status?
• Does the operation claim recognition by international bodies or associations that in themselves are not in to the field of accreditation? (Examples would include UNESCO, NAFSA, AACRAO, EAIE.)

To further assist in the identification of valid agencies and, by contrast, detect whether an agency might be bogus, INQAAHE offers the following pointers to some lists of recognised and valid accrediting/quality assurance/recognition bodies. INQAAHE members are invited to suggest other lists of bona fide quality agencies. Accredibase provides a related service for a fee.

• INQAAHE’s full members
• The Council for HE Accreditation (CHEA) 
• The European QA Register (EQAR) 
• ENQA full members
• APQN full and associate members
• Dutch Diploma Mill website.

(Almaty, 25 October 2012) Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, a leading higher education institution organized, under auspices of the Ministry of Education and Science and in collaboration with IREG Observatory the Regional Forum on Development of Higher Education in Central Asia: The Role of Quality Assurance, Relevant Information and Rankings. Several international experts on academic rankings and quality assurance in higher education met at the Forum with rectors and officers of universities in Kazakhstan and other universities in Central Asia. With the region’s growing economic strength, universities there show ambition to improve their position locally and internationally. More...
Resolution of the Regional Forum Development of Higher Education in Central Asia: The Role of Quality Assurance, Relevant Information and Rankings. Al-Farabi KazNU, 25 October 2012, Almaty
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in collaboration with IREG Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence held the Regional Forum Development of Higher Education in Central Asia: The Role of Quality Assurance, Relevant Information and Rankings on 25th Octobers, 2012.
During the Forum the participants had a great opportunity to share the presentations of keynote speakers, the leading foreign experts and scholars engaged in university rankings and accreditation such as Jan Sadlak, President of IREG International Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence (France), Gero Federkeil, Vice-President of IREG Observatory, the Director of the Centre for Higher Education CHE (Germany), Zoya Zaitseva, the Regional Director of Central Europe & Central Asia QS (UK), Waldemar Siwinski, the Vice-President of IREG-Observatory, President of Perspektywy Education Foundation (Poland), Angela Yung-Chi Hou, the Director of Center for Faculty Development & Instructional Resources, Fu Jen Catholic University (Taiwan), and Maxim Khomyakov, the Vice-Rector for International Policy of Ural Federal University (Russian Federation). In addition, presentation was made by Ashraf Darwish, Cultural and Educational Attaché, Embassy of Egypt in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Forum was attended by the rectors and other academic leaders, researchers and students of Kazakhstan and Central Asian universities.
The Forum served as the platform for the heads of Kazakhstan and other universities of Central Asia region for the constructive exchange of views and relevant information on involvement of institutions of higher education in university rankings process and provided the opportunity for building partnerships between the Central Asian universities and ranking agencies. The participants of the Forum have agreed on the need for further enhancement and intensification of multilateral partnerships in quality assurance.
After considering the results of the Forum the participants have come up with the following recommendations:
- The need for the development of quality assurance in higher education with special attention to university rankings as information and transparency tools.
- The need for the promotion of Kazakhstan and Central Asian universities in the system of the world university rankings.
- The importance of national rankings as an integral part of the world university rankings.
The Resolution has been approved by the participants of the Forum held on 25 October, 2012.

ENQA produces publications dealing with the developments in the European quality assurance. This page contains the latest publications of ENQA in PDF Format. Paper copies can be ordered from the ENQA Secretariat: ESG | Occasional Papers | Workshop and Seminar Reports | Associated Reports | Review Reports & Decisions.
Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area - 3rd edition.
ENQA has produced, in co-operation and consultation with its member agencies and the E4 Group (ENQA, EUA, EURASHE and ESIB), this important report that was submitted to the European Ministers of Education meeting in Bergen in May 2005. The report was also presented to the Bologna Follow-Up Group on 1 March 2005.
The 3rd edition's Table of Contents numbering system has been restored for practical reasons; however, the text remains identical to the 2nd edition.
The ESG have been translated into 14 languages, as follows (in alphabetical order):
- Albanian (doc) by the Albanian Accreditation Agency for Higher Education
- Albanian (doc) by the Kosovo Accreditation Agency
- Bosnian (pdf) by the European Commission and Council of Europe
- Catalan (pdf) by the Agency for Quality Assurance in the Catalan University System (AQU)
- French (pdf) by the Comité National d'Évaluation of France (now AERES)
- Galician (pdf) by the Agency for Quality Assurance in the Galician University System (ACSUG)
- German (pdf) by the German Rectors' Conference
- Greek (pdf) by the Hellenic Assurance Agency for Higher Education (HQAA)
- Hungarian (pdf) by the Hungarian Accreditation Committee (HAC)
- Italian (pdf) by the Agenzia Nazionale Programma LLP/Erasmus
- Romanian (pdf) by the National Alliance of Student Organisations in Romania.
- Russian (pdf) by the National Accreditation Agency of the Russian Federation (NAA)
- Slovak (pdf) by the Slovak Rector's Conference
- Spanish (pdf) by the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation of Spain (ANECA)
- Ukrainian (pdf) by the British Council in Ukraine.
Please note that the translations have not been verified by ENQA and that the translating parties bear the responsibility of inaccuracies.

Occasional Papers |
Quality Procedures in the European Higher Education Area and Beyond – Visions for the Future (02. Apr. 2012)
The present publication is the result of the third ENQA survey on quality procedures of quality assurance agencies across Europe and beyond. This report presents a collection of current features of good practice in external quality assurance within the new priorities formulated by ENQA and following the ministerial Communiqués, highlighting the connection between the practices and the expected benefits for higher education institutions and stakeholders. In addition, the present report identifies practices that are expected to be implemented by quality assurance agencies, as well as areas where progress needs to be made, thus proposing a vision of the future of quality assurance procedures.

Workshop and Seminar Reports |
Quality Assurance and Qualifications Frameworks: Exchanging Good Practice (pdf) (20. Aug. 2012)
This report is based on the ENQA workshop “Quality Assurance and Qualifications Frameworks: exchanging good practice”, which took place in Dublin, Ireland, on 9-10 February 2012 and presents articles on themes such as the state of development of qualifications frameworks, the role of agencies in the self-certification process, and the meaning of qualifications frameworks in external quality assurance.
Internal Quality Assurance and Benchmarking (pdf) (23. May. 2012)
This report is based on the annual ENQA Internal Quality Assurance seminar on the theme of Learning from each other – using benchmarking to develop IQA that was held on 16-17 June 2011 in Helsinki, Finland. It presents a general overview of the benchmarking theme and discusses common features and differences of the benchmarked agencies’ IQA activities in terms of the selected three themes: performance indicators, follow-up on feedback and staff competence/development. The report also puts forward the benchmarking partners’ views on strengths, weaknesses and recommendations for development of each other’s activities, as well as the good practice they have identified on the selected theme.
Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes (pdf) (08. Mar. 2012)
This Report is based on the ENQA seminar on "Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes" that was held on 19 September 2011 in Vienna, Austria. The purpose of this seminar was to analyse the experience already gaind in quality assurance of joint programmes as regards specific issues and methodological approaches, and to make recommendations to the ministers responsible for higher education in the Euopean Higher Education Area.
Quality Assurance in Lifelong Learning (pdf) (14. Feb. 2012)
This report is based on the ENQA workshop on the theme “Quality Assurance in Lifelong Learning” that was held from the 16-17th of May 2011 in Bonn, Germany. The workshop provided a platform for discussion and exchange of experiences among the main stakeholders in quality assurance. The workshop aimed to contribute to joint understanding of the quality assurance in lifelong learning (LLL) between stakeholders, to disseminate information on good practice of external quality assirance in LLL, and to discuss standards and procedures for external quality ssurance in LLL.
ENQA Secretariat
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Learn about the principles of external reviews of ENQA members. View a list of externally reviewed agencies, and read the review reports and decisions.
The principles of external reviews of ENQA
In order to become member of ENQA (and to be granted admission in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education), QA agencies are required to successfully undergo an external review and thereby to show that they comply sufficiently with the ESG...
For more information, please consult the Guidelines for external reviews of quality assurance agencies in the EHEA. Please note that this version of the Guidelines does not contain the new policy for agency reviews and is in the process of being revised. Please also consult the Code of Conduct, which describes rules of good behaviour relating to the agencies' external review procedure, and more particularly to the conduct of the site visit. To view the Information note on ENQA Board decisions document, please follow this link here.

Externally reviewed agencies: Austria • Belgium • Bulgaria • Croatia • The Czech Republic • Denmark • Finland • France • Germany • Hungary • Lithuania • The Netherlands • Norway • Poland • Romania • Russia • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • UK

AERES - Evaluation Agency for Research and Higher Education (France)
Founding Date: CNÉ 1985 (AERES 2006)
ENQA Full Membership: CNÉ 2000 (AERES 2007)
Ownership: Independent body.
Scope of Authority: All institutions of higher education and research bodies in France.
Agency's Role: Evaluation of HEIs and research bodies, research activities of research units, education and degrees of HEIs. Review and evaluation of quality of the main "missions of public service" of HEIs and research bodies and of the strategies they developed to carry out their teaching/research tasks and results.

CTI - Commission des Titres d'Ingénieur (France)
Founding Date: 1934
ENQA Full Membership: 2005

AQA - Austrian Agency for Quality Assurance (Austria)
Founding Date: 2003
Ownership: Independent non-governmental organisation (on initiative of universities, union of students, Ministry for education and science).
Scope of Authority: Institutional, programme and thematic evaluation and monitoring for all kinds of higher education (Austria and abroad).
Agency's Role: Evaluation, monitoring, support in follow-up, development of methods and procedures.

AEQES - Agence pour l’Evaluation de la Qualité de l’Enseignement Supérieur organisé ou subventionné par la Communauté française (Belgium)
Founding Date: 2002
Ownership: AEQES has new legislation since February 2008. AEQES is funded by the Ministry of the French Community of Belgium. It is independent of both the institutions of higher education and the government of the French Community.
Scope of Authority: AEQES is responsible for the external evaluation of the quality of higher education in the French Community in Belgium. The agency evaluates universities, “hautes écoles” (non-university HEIs), art academies and conservatoires, higher institutes of architecture and adult learning institutions.
Agency's Role: AEQES is the only agency officially recognised in the French Community. It aims at stimulating co-operation among HEIs, developing quality culture and disseminating good practices. It is in charge of the policies and guidelines concerning the external evaluation of HEIs and their programmes in the area.

EUA - Institutional Evaluation Programme (Belgium)
Founding Date: 1994
ENQA Full Membership: 2000
Ownership: Independent, non-governmental organisation, self-funded activity.
Scope of Authority: Higher education.
Agency's Role: Institutional evaluation.

NVAO - Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium)
Founding Date: 2002
ENQA Full Membership: 2003
Ownership: NVAO is created by treaty between the Netherlands and Flanders as an independant quality assurance agency. There is no influence of universities, university colleges or the Dutch or Flemish Ministry of Education.
Scope of Authority: Accreditation of all programmes in Dutch and Flemish Higher Education, i.e. universities, university colleges and other institutes of higher education.
Agency's Role: The organisation is responsible for accreditation of existing degree courses and the assessment of new degree courses.

VLHORA - Council of Flemish Institutions of Higher Education (Belgium)

VLIR - QAU - Flemish Interuniversity Council Quality Assurance Unit (Belgium)
Founding Date: 1976
ENQA Full Membership: 2000
Ownership: Independent organisation financed by the Flemish universities
Scope of Authority: VLIR is a consultative body representing the 6 Flemish universities.
Agency's Role: Stimulate co-operation among the universities and between the universities and the public authorities. Act as a common voice on university management, development, legislation, research, quality assessment and evaluation etc.

NEAA - National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (Bulgaria)
Founding Date: 1996
ENQA Full Membership: 2008
Ownership: NEAA was established in 1996 by ordinance of the Council of Ministers as a specialised state body of the Council of Ministers for quality assurance in higher education.
Scope of Authority: NEAA itself establishes and approves criteria and procedures for evaluation, accreditation and post-accreditation monitoring in compliance with the HEA and the state standards.
Agency's Role: NEAA’s mission is to assist the HEIs to maintain and improve the quality of education in the Republic of Bulgaria. The agency aims at stimulating and improving the quality of the educational and research services as well as at raising their competitiveness.

ASHE - Agency for Science and Higher Education (Croatia)
Founding Date: 2005
ENQA Full Membership: 2011
Ownership: Independent public institution
Scope of Authority: Higher education institutions and research organisations in the Republic of Croatia
Agency's Role: Quality improvement of higher education and research through evaluation procedures and dissemination of information and best practices.

Accreditation Commission Czech Republic (The Czech Republic)
Founding Date: 1990
ENQA Full Membership: 2002
Ownership: Independent body taking care of quality in higher education.
Scope of Authority: Evaluation and accreditation of all existing study programmes.
Agency's Role: Accreditation of study programmes, complex institutional accreditation.

EVA - Danish Evaluation Institute (Denmark)
Founding Date: 1992
ENQA Full Membership: 2000
Ownership: Independent, but funded by the Ministry of Education.
Scope of Authority: All levels of education.
Agency's Role: Quality assessment of education. Systematic evaluation of education. Accreditation. Development of relevant methods and techniques for evaluation and quality assurance.

The Accreditation Institution (Denmark)
Founding Date: 2007
ENQA Full Membership: 2010
Ownership: Independent public institution. Duties are regulated by the Accreditation Act of 27th of March 2007.
Scope of Authority: Pre-accreditation, accreditation and approval of programmes at higher educational level.
Agency's Role: The Accreditation Institution is composed of two entities: the Accreditation Council, which is tasked with the accreditation and approval of university study programmes; and the agency, ACE Denmark, which is responsible for the analysis and preliminary assessment of programmes. The institution is inter alia working on developing methods and techniques for quality assurance, gathering and disseminating of relevant national and international accreditation experiences, and contributions to the further development of the accreditation concept.

FINHEEC - Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (Finland)
Founding Date: 1996
ENQA Full Membership: 2000
Ownership: Funded by the Ministry of Education, but independent of the Ministry and the HEIs.
Scope of Authority: A co-ordinating and implementing expert organisation independent of both educational administration and institutions of higher education. Does not make administrative decisions.
Agency's Role: The Council organises evaluations of quality work and institutional, programme and thematic evaluations. It provides advisory and consultancy services in the implementation of the evaluations, develops evaluation methodology and disseminates good Finnish and international practices to HEIs and the Ministry of Education.

ACQUIN - Accreditation, Certification and Quality Assurance Institute (Germany)
Founding Date: 2001
ENQA Full Membership: 2003
Ownership: Registered organisation governed by HEIs.
Scope of Authority: Quality assurance accreditation in higher education teaching and studying.
Agency's Role: Evaluation of the reasons for the introduction of the new programme, its objective and relevance, contents and curricular design, examination procedures and standards, quality assurance measures, teaching and learning methods, successfulness and institutional support, infrastructure and resources.

AHPGS - Accreditation Agency for Study Programmes in Health and Social Sciences (Germany)
Founding Date: 2001
ENQA Full Membership: 2009
Ownership: AHPGS is a legally recognised, independent and non-profit accreditation agency.
Scope of Authority: Accreditation of study programmes in health and social sciences.
Agency's Role: The aim of the accreditation is to evaluate subject-specific concepts on which the programmes are based and to judge the quality of the programmes and of teaching. Additional goals are to ensure the quality of the study programmes, to promote flexibility and coherence within them, and to improve the transparency of the German HE system.

AQAS - Agentur für Qualitätssicherung durch Akkreditierung von Studiengängen (Germany)
Founding Date: 2002
ENQA Full Membership: 2008
Ownership: AQAS is a non-profit organisation that is independent of HEIs and functions outside of HEIs.
Scope of Authority: AQAS provides accreditation for study programmes from all academic disciplines and throughout Germany. Programmes are accredited for a limited period of time and then need to be re-accredited.
Agency's Role: AQAS is one of currently six accreditation agencies in Germany. It received its accreditation from the German Accreditation Council (Akkreditierungsrat) on February 14th, 2002 for the duration of five years.

ASIIN e.V. - Accreditation Agency Specialised in Accrediting Degree Programmes in Engineering, Informatics, the Natural Sciences and Mathematics (Germany)
Founding Date: 1999
ENQA Full Membership: 2007
Ownership: Non-profit, registered association.
Scope of Authority: Organised as a membership-based not-for-profit association under German law, ASIIN e. V. is carried by a broad coalition of academic and professional associations and higher education institutions. All activities of ASIIN e. V. are aimed at securing and further expanding high standards and the quality of higher education - within Germany and internationally. ASIIN operates internationally on a private-law base but is located in Germany and authorized as agency under the respective national public law in Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands.
Agency's Role: In the field of programme accreditation, ASIIN e. V. is specialised in reviewing degree programmes in engineering, informatics, mathematics and the natural sciences and all interdisciplinary combinations to these subject. At the institutional level, ASIIN e. V. undertakes reviews of quality management systems at higher education institutions. The areas of expertise are reflected in the composition of its boards and committees which consist of national and international experts in the respective fields.

EVALAG - Stiftung Evaluationsagentur Baden-Wuerttemberg (Germany)
Founding Date: 2000
ENQA Full Membership: 2001
Ownership: Foundation under the terms of Public Law, non-governmental body, partly endowed by the Government.
Scope of Authority: Quality assurance agency for higher education in Germany and outside Germany.
Agency's Role: EVALAG is a centre of excellence for quality assurance and enhancement. It has supported higher education institutions and other scientific institutions with their commitment for good quality in teaching and learning, research and services since October 2009. EVALAG is accreditated as an accreditation agency.

FIBAA - Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (Germany)
Founding Date: 1994
ENQA Full Membership: 2001
Ownership: Swiss-German non-profit foundation for quality assurance with managing office in Bonn, Germany. Board and commission representatives from universities and HEIs, business and student associations and industry.
Scope of Authority: Accreditation and quality assurance agency for universities and HEIs. Certified by the German accreditation council since 2000 (re-accreditation in 2007), Nederlands-Vlaamse Accredita-tieorganisatie (NVAO) in the Netherlands (2006 re-accreditation in 2008) and the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology (BBT) in Switzerland (2008). FIBAA mainly operates in Germany, Austria and Switzerland but also in other European Countries as well as in Africa, Asia and the USA.
Agency's Role: FIBAA accreditation processes are aiming to assure required quality of study programmes in line with national and international standards and guidelines. It supports the validity of the final qualification with employability requirements, ensures the diversity and transparency of study programmes for students, and promotes international mobility. Furthermore FIBAA consults and supports universities and HEIs in their efforts to develop and improve in their quality security management.

GAC - German Accreditation Council (Germany)
Founding Date: 1999
ENQA Full Membership: 2000
Ownership: Established by Kultusministerkonferenz (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany) and Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (Association of Universities and Other Higher Education Institutions in Germany). Financed by the Länder of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Scope of Authority: Accrediting Accreditation Agencies.
Agency's Role: The GAC has been set up in accordance with the resolution of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (Kultusministerkonferenz - KMK) adopted on 3 December 1998. The main purpose of the GAC is to contribute to the development in the quality of teaching and learning in Germany and, with this in mind, to cooperate in the realisation of the European Higher Education Area. To this end, on behalf of the German Federal States, the Foundation takes care that the agencies certified to carry out processes of accreditation of study programmes demonstrate that they do this to the highest degree of quality, comparability and transparency. Before any agency is given the authority to award the quality seal of the Foundation for study programmes that have successfully accomplished an accreditation process, it must itself be subject to an accreditation process. On application from the agency, the accreditation process is carried out by the Accreditation Council which, as the central decision-making body of the Foundation, decides on the accreditation or reaccreditation of agencies. The accreditation of agencies is carried out on the basis of the Criteria for the Accreditation of Accreditation Agencies that have been developed by the Accreditation Council. In accordance with a total of twenty individual test areas for such criteria, the agencies are required, for example, to furnish proof of the legitimacy and function of its institutions, to formulate their understanding of quality based on an evaluation of Learning Outcomes, to explain their personnel structure and other resources or to prove the managerial independence of the agency or its accreditative Institutions. Furthermore, the agencies commit themselves to the deployment of the Criteria for the Accreditation of Study Programmes not just during the accreditation process but also on a contractual basis. This part of the criteria applies equally to agencies and Higher Education Institutions, in that it names the quality elements of the accreditation programme to be checked by the agency where documents have to be presented by the Higher Education establishments as part of the accreditation process. With a view to the realisation of the European Higher Education Area, the recognition of the German Quality Seal, and thus also guaranteeing the recognition and study achievements and degrees awarded from German Higher Education Institutions and promoting their reputation outside Germany, also falls within the remit of the Foundation. By taking the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (the ENQA) wholly into account in their own relevant regulations, the Accreditation Council has made an important contribution to the development of the European Higher Education Area.

ZEvA - Central Evaluation and Accreditation Agency Hannover(Germany)
Founding Date: 1995
ENQA Full Membership: 2000
Ownership: Common foundation of all Lower Saxon HEIs. Boards comprise members of HEIs in Germany and abroad as well as members of professional practice.
Scope of Authority: All universities and HEIs in the Federal Republic of Germany. All subjects and scientific fields. The first German agency accredited by the Accreditation Council in Bonn.
Agency's Role: To assure and improve quality in higher education, to advice HEIs and governments on evaluation and accreditation procedures. Evaluation: Recommendations to HEIs concerning the improvement of teaching and learning as well as performance, publication of evaluation reports. Accreditation: Recommendations to ministries of science and education regarding the approval of Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes, awarding accreditation certificates, discussion and definition of minimum standards.

HAC - Hungarian Accreditation Committee (Hungary)
Founding Date: 1993
ENQA Full Membership: 2002
Ownership: Independent professional body, financed through Parliament.
Scope of Authority: Evaluation of universities and colleges, new degree programmes, national qualification requirements, doctoral schools, specialised postgraduate programmes, accredited two-year postsecondary vocational programmes, new universities and colleges applying for operating licences, new faculties applied for by colleges and universities, licence applications of foreign HEIs, credit system regulations. Also, drafting of international agreements on diploma recognition and equivalence and stating opinions regarding the appointment of university and college professors.
Agency's Role: Responsibility for the supervision of the quality of Hungarian higher education.

SKVC - Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (Lithuania)
Founding Date: 1995
ENQA Full Membership: 2012
Ownership: Operationally independent public authority, established and funded mainly by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania.
Scope of Authority: Higher education system in Lithuania
Agency's Role: To increase awareness of the quality of higher education and promote its improvement. Evaluation of the quality of higher education (by institutions and by programs), credential evaluation (of foreign HE qualifications and qualifications giving access to HE); provision of information on HE systems and qualifications recognition; information provision to mobile researchers; other functions in accordance with legal acts.

NVAO - Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders(The Netherlands)
Founding Date: 2002
ENQA Full Membership: 2003
Ownership: NVAO is created by treaty between the Netherlands and Flanders as an independant quality assurance agency. There is no influence of universities, university colleges or the Dutch or Flemish Ministry of Education.
Scope of Authority: Accreditation of all programmes in Dutch and Flemish Higher Education, i.e. universities, university colleges and other institutes of higher education.
Agency's Role: The organisation is responsible for accreditation of existing degree courses and the assessment of new degree courses.

QANU - Quality Assurance Netherlands Universities (The Netherlands)
Founding Date: 2004
ENQA Full Membership: 2005
Ownership: Private, non-profit organisation.
Scope of Authority: Universities
Agency's Role: External quality assessment.

NOKUT - Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (Norway)
Founding Date: 1998
ENQA Full Membership: 2000
Ownership: Ministry of Education and Research.
Scope of Authority: Professional and independent governmental agency.
Agency's Role: NOKUT is an internationally recognised quality assurance agency. The agency serves to create public trust in the quality of Norwegian higher education, tertiary vocational education and recognised foreign education qualifications. NOKUT's responsibility also covers general recognition of foreign higher education qualifications.

PKA - The Polish Accreditation Committee (Poland)
Founding Date: 2002
ENQA Full Membership: 2009
Ownership: Independent statutory body established by the Higher Education Act.
Scope of Authority: To assess the quality of education in individual fields of study; and to give opinions on applications for the establishment of new higher education institutions, the extension of permits for the establishment of non-public institutions, and for the authorisation for higher education institutions to establish new degree programmes.
Agency's Role: Support Polish public and non-public higher education institutions in the development of educational standards matching the best models adopted in the European and global academic space. Act as a platform for co-operation and dialogue between all parties interested to work with a view to ensuring high quality of higher education.

ARACIS - Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (Romania)
Founding Date: 2005
ENQA Full Membership: 2009
Ownership: According to the Romanian law, ARACIS is a legal, financially independent and autonomous public institution of national interest. It continues to perform the functions of the former Romanian National Council for Academic Assessment and Accreditation (NCAAA).
Scope of Authority: ARACIS is an autonomous public institution, with the task of assuring and improving the quality of the higher education system in Romania.
Agency's Role: ARACIS is responsible for both accreditation and quality assurance in higher education.

NAA - National Accreditation Agency of the Russian Federation (Russia)
Founding Date: 1995
ENQA Full Membership: 2009
Ownership: NAA operates under the authority of the Federal Service of Supervision in Education and Science.
Scope of Authority: NAA is recognised as the organisation in Russia responsible for dissemination of knowledge and information on procedures of the state accreditation of HEIs.
Agency's Role: Develops materials and methodological recommendations for conducting self-evaluations and external reviews, trains experts, conducts research into the development of QA of higher education in Russia, prepares the final reports on the quality of the HEI.

AAC - Agencia Andaluza del Conocimiento (Spain)
Founding Date: 2001
ENQA Full Membership: 2000
Ownership: Independent from regional government.
Scope of Authority: Regional university and R&D systems.
Agency's Role: Assessment of teaching and management activities in universities. Assessment of R&D activities (competitive projects, research groups, professors and researchers).

ACSUCYL - Quality Assurance Agency for the University System in Castilla y León (Spain)
Founding Date: 2001
ENQA Full Membership: 2010
Ownership: Independent from the regional government, directed by a Board of Directors.
Scope of Authority: University System in Castilla y León.
Agency's Role: Evaluation, certification and accreditation of the activities related to the quality of the university system, and specifically the evaluation of teaching staff, degrees, research, as well as institutional quality. The agency also carries out cooperation and coordination activities.

ACSUG - Agency for Quality Assurance in the Galician University System (Spain)
Founding Date: 2001
ENQA Full Membership: 2009
Ownership: The agency is independent and has its own full legal personality. ACSUG has established a clear difference in the structure and functions between the governing bodies (Director, President and Board of Directors), the assessment organs (Galician Committee for Reports, Assessment, Certification and Accreditation (CGIACA)) and the consultative organs (Advisory Board).
Scope of Authority: Galician University System.
Agency's Role: Assessment, certification and accreditation of institutions (programmes, services, teaching activity evaluation, Internal Quality Assurance Systems of the centres and other processes). Labour market insertion analysis and surveys. Evaluation of teaching staff prior to hiring in the Galician universities and evaluation of the teaching staff for the assignment of complementary compensation.

ANECA - National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation of Spain (Spain)
Founding Date: 2002
ENQA Full Membership: 2003
Ownership: Independent from government, directed by a board of trustees.
Scope of Authority: National.
Agency's Role: Independent, non-profit body.

AQU - Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (Spain)
Founding Date: 1996
ENQA Full Membership: 2000
Ownership: The agency is independent, but funded by the Ministry of Education and Universities of the Catalan Government. The Board of the agency is comprised of representatives from different institutions, government and independent members.
Scope of Authority: All universities in Catalonia.
Agency's Role: Evaluation, certification and accreditation of institutions (programmes, centres, services, processes) and teaching staff.

HSV - National Agency for Higher Education (Sweden)
Founding Date: 1993
ENQA Full Membership: 2000
Ownership: Government organisation.
Scope of Authority: Universities and university colleges and nursing colleges.
Agency's Role: Support and follow-up of quality assurance systems in HEIs. National evaluations. Accreditation of degree-level courses at university colleges and of private initiatives of higher education courses.

OAQ - Swiss Center of Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education (Switzerland)
Founding Date: 2001
ENQA Full Membership: 2006
Ownership: OAQ operates independently, and bases its work on international practices and research findings.
Scope of Authority: OAQ is the only national agency active in the field of quality assurance and accreditation in higher education.
Agency's Role: OAQ accredits institutions and study courses and carries out evaluation procedures and institutional audits. It defines the quality standards and develops guidelines for assessing the quality. OAQ’s focus is on quality evaluations and on quality improvement. The agency provides services and carries out mandates for the Swiss University Conference and other Federal partners. It also provides information about quality assurance and accreditation.

ECCE - The European Council on Chiropractic Education (UK)
Founding Date: 1981
ENQA Full Membership: 2010
Ownership: Independent, non-governmental organisation.
Scope of Authority: Chiropractic education and training in Europe.
Agency's Role: Accreditation of Higher Education institutions delivering chiropractic training.

QAA - Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (UK)
Founding Date: 1997
ENQA Full Membership: 2000
Ownership: Independent organisation. Board comprises representatives of institutions, representatives of government funding agencies, and independent members.
Scope of Authority: All universities and HEIs in the UK. Collaborative provision between UK HEIs and overseas partners and between HEIs and further education establishments.
Agency's Role: To promote public confidence that quality of provision and standards of awards are being safeguard and enhanced.

Les 18 et 19 octobre 2012, s’est tenue l’Assemblée générale de l’ ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education), organisée en partenariat avec l’ OAQ (Organ für Akkreditierung und Qualitätssicherung der Schweizerischen Hochschulen), à Bâle, en Suisse.
Laurence Pinson, secrétaire générale de l’AERES et Patricia Pol, responsable des affaires européennes et internationales de l’AERES, ont participé aux principaux débats de ces deux journées:

• Le communiqué de Bucarest et ses conséquences sur les législations nationales en matière d’assurance qualité;
• L’internationalisation des agences;
• La préparation de la révision des European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG).

A cette occasion, Didier Houssin, président de l’AERES, est intervenu sur ce dernier thème. Son propos s’est articulé en quatre grandes parties:

• La mise en œuvre des ESG;
• Les impacts stratégiques et opérationnels des ESG;
• L'évolution, au niveau mondial, de l'assurance qualité dans l'enseignement supérieur;
• La vision de l’AERES sur l’évolution des ESG: sur ce point, Didier Houssin propose trois pistes: l’élargissement du périmètre des ESG permettant d’assurer une articulation entre enseignement supérieur et recherche, la clarification de la terminologie des ESG, le développement d’études et d’analyses autour de l’assurance qualité.

En savoir plus sur les ESG :
En 2003, le processus de Bologne, dans lequel la France est engagée, lance la mise en place d’un système d’assurance de la qualité de l’espace européen de l’enseignement supérieur. Celui-ci est fondé sur un ensemble de références et lignes directrices (ESG) que les acteurs de l’enseignement supérieur des différents Etats, signataires du processus, se doivent d’appliquer.

• Télécharger le “Mapping the implementation and application of the ESG” (ENQA- 2011).
• Télécharger les “Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area” (ENQA- 3ème édition 2009).

EQAR allows quality assurance agencies to demonstrate their reliability and accountability at European level.
Inclusion on the register is decided based on an external review by independent experts that evidences a quality assurance agency's substantial compliance with the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Higher Education that were agreed by European ministers of higher education in 2005.
Such a review can be organised nationally or coordinated by another organisation independent of the reviewed quality assurance agency.
The next EQAR Register Committee meeting will take place on 1/2 December 2012. Applications by quality assurance agencies for inclusion on the Register have to reach the Secretariat by Sunday 7 October 2012 at the latest to be considered at that meeting.
Further information
Guide for Applicants
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
General information on EQAR
Information on applications for inclusion.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) within the frame of its DIES Programme (Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Dakar Office and the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) of the UNESCO are jointly organising two conferences between November 14th and 17th 2012.
The DAAD/ UNESCO Conference on Regional Cooperation in Quality Assurance aims at discussing among national and regional decision makers and actors in the field of higher education and quality assurance (QA) how a shared vision for QA can be developed for the whole Central and West African region. The event provides a platform to exchange experiences with high level experts and QA practitioners from other African regions as well as from Europe. The presentation of best practice examples and joint Europe-African initiatives should pave the way for joint actions to strengthen harmonisation and improve quality in higher education in Central and West Africa.
Furthermore, the DAAD/ UNESCO Conference identifies specific demands for capacity development in QA and intends to develop a shared vision for future steps. The conference is targeted at regional and international QA-experts and QA-relevant stakeholders and decision-makers (ministries, QA-Agencies, universities, students, employers) from Central and Western Africa. A total of 100 participants are expected. The conference language will be English – simultaneous translation to French will be available.
On 14th November 2012 there will be a Pre-Conference organised by IIEP-UNESCO in cooperation with UNESCO-BREDA, the DAAD and the Ministry of Higher Education, Senegal.  The results of a recent research study on governance reforms in higher education carried out in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Morocco and Senegal will be presented and discussed. Participants will also examine available options in governance reform, the most appropriate reform process and the results to be expected.