Rector of the University of Tetova Prof. Dr. Jusuf Zejneli accompanied by the Dean of the Faculty of Pedagogy, Prof. Dr. Lulzim Mehmedi, from November 23-25, 2023 participated in the European Quality Assurance Forum 2023 on the topic: “Internationalization in a changing world. New trends and challenges for Quality Assurance” organized by the Universidade de Aveiro. The European Forum on Quality Assurance (ENQA) provides a platform for discussion, professional development and exchange of experiences between key stakeholders in quality assurance. This year’s Forum combined sessions about European policies and trends, research and practical case examples related to the Forum’s topic, as well as more generally about current developments in quality assurance.
In the Forum, it was emphasized that in recent years the mobility of students and academic staff between countries has increased, the cooperation between institutions and states has intensified and, in general has increased also the transnational exchange of good practices in learning, teaching and scientific research. Both within and outside the European Higher Education Area, internationalization brings opportunities and challenges for quality assurance. These range from the urgency of developing new and flexible approaches for transnational joint degrees to the need to enable and support more intensive cooperation arrangements between the very different higher education systems, as well as addressing new forms of higher education and mobility, such as micro-credentials or different forms of virtual mobility.
Through plenary sessions, workshops and best practice presentations, the Forum explored Quality Assurance policies and practices, discussed internationalization on a global scale, as well as the introduction of the European Quality Assurance Framework which introduces the Quality Assurance framework in the European Higher Education Area.
The participants had the opportunity to take part in the parallel sessions which presented different projects or initiatives such as: “Quality assurance in the European University Alliances auditorium, new forms of student mobility and internationalization – challenges for quality assurance” and “Role central Quality Assurance in cooperation beyond Europe”.
The Forum closed the proceedings with the plenary session on the topic: “The (bright) future of European quality assurance”, where was discussed the future of the European Quality Assurance Framework, as well as its importance for European and global cooperation in higher education.
On the eve of the Forum, Rector Prof. Dr. Jusuf Zejneli also met Josep Garell – President of the European Universities Association (EUA), Maria Kelo – Director of the Unit for Institutional Development of the European Universities Association (EUA), Anna Gover – Director of ENQA, as well as the Rector of the Universidade de Aveiro, Prof. Dr. Paulo Jorge Ferreira, to whom the Rector bestowed the plaque of Mother Teresa as a sign of deepening cooperation. The next meeting of the European Quality Assurance Forum (ENQA) will be held next year.
