Agenda EQAR Members’ Dialogue, 3/4 February 2022


Background Documents


Agenda

3 February 2022

13:30 Plenary session

  • Welcome and opening
    Karl Dittrich (President, EQAR)
  • Updates: important news for governments (esp. DEQAR-Europass interface)
    Presentation by Colin Tück,  Melinda Szabo and Aleksandra Zhivkovikj (EQAR)
  • General Reflections on the External Evaluation Report
    Introduction by Karl Dittrich
    Followed by short comments from the main stakeholders:

    • Jakub Grodecki (Vice-President, ESU)
    • Goran Dakovic (Reviews Manager, ENQA)
    • Maria Kelo (Director of Institutional Development, EUA)
    • Michal Karpíšek (former Secretary General, EURASHE)

Watch the recording of the plenary session (via YouTube)

15:00 Break
15:30 Parallel sessions on specific aspects of EQAR’s work
1.A – Managing the Register

Speakers:

  • Ivana Radonova (Ministry of Education and Science, Bulgaria)
  • Isabelle Reinhardt (Ministry of Higher Education and Research, Luxembourg)
  • Michael Lehmann (Ministry of Science, Energy, Climate Protection and Environment, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany)

Moderator: Beate Treml (Vice-Chair of the Register Committee, EQAR)

  • Does the Policy on the Use and Interpretation of the ESG give sufficient and clear guidance to understand the requirements of the ESG in practice?
  • Could standardised updates by EQAR governmental members on system-level changes in their QA system be helpful to complement the agencies’ change reports?
  • How to consider better the system-level dimension in the registration process, especially where several agencies are active in one HE system?
  • Do you have specific comments or suggestions on implementing the recommendations to enhance the efficiency of the registration process and to improve the communication between EQAR and the agency review panels?

Watch the recording of the parallel session (via YouTube)

1.B – Enabling Cross-border QA

Speakers:

  • Kevin Guillaume (Secretary General, Circle U)
  • Andreas Neuhold (Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, Austria)

Moderator: Melinda Szabó (Senior Policy Analyst, EQAR)

  • Why do some countries hesitate to live up to their commitments to recognise CBQA, and to allow the use of the European Approach?
  • How to prevent the risk that European Universities are inhibited in their ambitious cooperation by nationally-focused QA regulations?
  • How to ensure that incoming TNE is subject to robust ESG-aligned QA by the home country, in a way compatible with EU law where applicable?
  • Where can EQAR support countries in creating better conditions for cross-border cooperation? Are there specific gaps in information or expertise that countries consider EQAR could fill?

Watch the recording of the parallel session (via YouTube)

16:30 Time to move to the next parallel session room
16:45 2.A – Managing DEQAR

Speakers:

  • Marina Cvitanušić Brečić (Ministry of Science and Education, Croatia)
  • Kinga Szuly (Head of Sector – Higher Education Policy, European Commission)
  • The Ministry of Universities, Spain  (tbc)

Moderator: Aleksandra Zhivkovikj (Policy and Project Officer, EQAR)

  • Which needs of EQAR members are addressed well, which less well? How could DEQAR be better tailored in meeting members’ needs? What QA related data would you find useful for your work?
  • Which other users do you consider need most urgent attention in terms of tailoring DEQAR to their needs?
  • What do you see as the most relevant indicators of success for DEQAR?
  • How can we imagine DEQAR’s future role and link with other European systems and initiatives, for example in relation to a future European Higher Education Sector Observatory?

Watch the recording of the parallel session (via YouTube)

2.B – Informing Policy

Speakers:

  • Peter Greisler (Federal Ministry of Education and Science, Germany)
  • Kateryna Suprun (Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine)
  • David Crosier (Education System Analyst, Eurydice/European Commission, Co-Chair BFUG WG Monitoring)

Moderator: Colin Tück (Director, EQAR)

  • Where do you consider EQAR’s expertise is most useful to the EHEA and EU policy debates?
  • How could we better communicate the Register Committee’s findings to governmental members?
  • What are the topics that you would be most interested in?
  • How to further develop system-level descriptions and assessments of the extent to which the EHEA key commitment are realised?
  • Where can EQAR support countries better in creating the right conditions for ESG compliance? In which areas are do you see a potential for further data analysis or similar by EQAR?

Watch the recording of the parallel session (via YouTube)

17:45 Plenary session: main messages from the parallel sessions by the moderators

Watch the recording of the main message (via YouTube)

18:00 End of day 1

4 February 2022

09:00 Plenary session: Consultation on alternative providers of micro-credentials

(see discussion paper above)

  • Introduction by Colin Tück
  • Moderator: Karl Dittrich

Watch the recording of this plenary session (via YouTube)

10:00 Break
10:30 Plenary session: Current trends and developments in the EHEA

  • How do you imagine that they will affect EQAR’s role and work in the future?
  • How can we respond to them in our future strategy?

Topics to cover:

  • European strategy for universities
  • European Universities
  • micro-credentials
  • ILAs
  • academic values

Panelists:

  • Kinga Szuly (Head of Sector – Higher Education Policy, European Commission)
  • Jenneke Lokhoff (President, ENIC Network)
  • Mathieu Musquin (EHEA policy advisor at the French ministry for higher education, research and innovation)
  • Magalie Soenen (Department of Education and Training, Flemish Community of Belgium)

Moderator: Ligia Deca (Presidential Adviser Department of Education and Research, Romania)

Watch the recording of the plenary session (via YouTube)

12:00 Plenary session: Wrap-up and Closing words

  • Karl Dittrich (EQAR, President)
12:15 End of day 2