Applying qualitative methods, this paper examines the burgeoning of quality assurance databases, processes and networks of actors in the field of higher education in Europe. Our main argument is that there has been a move from the Bologna Process being the near singular focus for European-level coordination and harmonisation of higher education,…

In the last years, 'new' policy issues, such as sustainability, have emerged, and old ones, such as social inclusion, have resurfaced on the political and public agendas. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are increasingly expected to respond to these 'new' challenges. But how are HE systems and HEIs (namely in Europe and Asia) looking at these…

This paper critically examines the impact of neoliberalism on Quality Assurance (QA) in Higher Education (HE), employing an integrated approach that combines Foucauldian deconstruction and Freirean reconstruction. It explores the pervasive issues of accountability, standardization, and control that have increasingly dominated the field,…

Research on quality assurance in higher education has been expanding globally; however, there is still scope for exploring the depth of diffusion to evaluate its impact. To this end, collaboration structures between countries and common concepts in scientific texts were examined in this study. The bibliographic mapping method was employed to…

Microorganisms are ubiquitous in nature and are central to human, animal, environmental, and planetary health. They play a particularly important role in the food chain and the production of high-quality, safe, and health-promoting foods, especially fermented foods. This important role is not always apparent to members of the public. Here, we…

Drawing on the data collected via a European funded project with eleven higher education partners, the article proposes a five-stage working model which can be adopted in and adapted to different institutional contexts so as to shift perceptions, strengthen engagement and channel commitment with a view to developing the desired quality culture.…

Transnational joint education provision -- education jointly developed and delivered by two or more institutions in different countries -- has emerged as a desired experience for many students, a key priority of several institutions, and a site of innovation. The strategic importance of this topic on a European level is one of the reasons it was…

Microcredentials hold promise for connecting people's skillsets with labour market demand in a rapidly changing world of work. They have proliferated in recent years across economic sectors and education levels, reinforcing European and national efforts to understand and develop them better. They can increase the provision of…

The integration of Ukrainian higher education into the European educational area is a key condition for its reform and development. It provides for the activation of cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union in the field of higher education, harmonization of higher education systems, deepening of cooperation between higher education…

Building on years of joint work within the Copenhagen Process, European countries have now committed to common priorities laid down in the 2020 Council Recommendation on Vocational Education and Training (VET) for Sustainable Competitiveness, Social Fairness and Resilience and the Osnabrück Declaration of the same year. The Recommendation marked…

The article discusses the issues of forming a study program in the context of the process' compliance with the recommendations provided by Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG), which are relevant for Ukrainian higher education. The study achieved its goal: the main prerequisites for the…

Purpose: This study aims to explore ways of developing, implementing and validating a new framework and criteria for self-evaluation of programme curricula, with specific reference to the quality assurance certification process in a particular case. Design/methodology/approach: The framework is developed using a case study research methodology and…

As higher education quality assurance in many countries in Europe has become a mature activity, some agencies carrying out external quality assurance are developing beyond their core tasks and missions. The current study identifies new tasks taken up within quality assurance agencies and analyses the drivers behind such development. Based on an…

This publication has been developed under the Erasmus+ co-funded "Quality Assurance Fit for the Future"(QA-FIT) project, coordinated by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), in partnership with the European University Association (EUA), the European Students' Union (ESU), and the European Association…

Quality assurance (QA) has become an important feature in higher education governance in Europe, with policies for increased harmonization and periodic accreditations as pillars. Still, the shift to emphasize quality development and enhancement entails that QA systems can attend to a wider range of considerations than before. This article studies…