ESG and the European dimension of QA application of ESG transnational QA

1. Quality assurance in Higher Education: News from EuropeToisen auditointikierroksen suunnittelun työseminaariby FINHEEC, Helsinki, 13 April 2010Achim HopbachPresident of ENQA

2. ESG and the European dimension of QA • application of ESG • transnational QA Quality Assurance and Transparency

3. “The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area” (ESG) are a major achievement of European co-operation in quality assurance. The five-year experience in the implementation of the ESG has provided clear evidence of their usefulness and applicability in various national contexts and within differing organistational missions and setups. This is a challenge due to diversity in terms of educational traditions, legal frameworks, cultural traditions, languages, aspirations and expectations. The ESG make us share the same values and principles, make us share a common understanding by respecting the diversity in European higher education

4. The European dimension of quality assurance The lesson from 10 years of cooperation in quality assurance indicates that, although approaches and methodology converge to a certain extent this will not lead to a uniform pan European quality assurance system. One-size-fits-all approaches are inadequate for Europe and for the Bologna Process; they tend to turn into strait jackets. European dimension of quality assurance should not be mixed up with such a uniform approach. Instead the approach of mutual trust on basis of common principles should be strenghtened.

5. The European dimension of quality assurance • HEIs bear the prime responsibility for quality in higher education • Consequently: Internal quality assurance is the core element of quality assurance • Internal and external quality assurance processes are interrelated • All kinds of quality assurance processes shall be enhancement oriented • Stakeholders and especially students are involved in the processes and bodies of quality assurance • Quality assurance agencies are independent • respecting the principles of diversity and subsidiarity; compatibility and comparability of quality assurance processes, based on common principles.

6. Quality Assurance and transparency tools/rankings Growing interest in accessing detailed and reliable information on the quality of individual study programmes, faculties and higher education institutions. Requested information serve comparison purposes, rather than description of quality of single programmes or institutions. Alternative tools: Rankings (also EU classification project). Quality assurance and transparency tools serve different purposes and have to be designed accordingly in order to be fit for these purposes

7. Quality Assurance an transparency tools Core challenges for the future: Strengthen the enhancement dimension of quality assurance Clarify purpose of qualiaty assurance and design the processes accordingly

8. Thank your for your attentionAchim Hopbachwww.enqa.euhopbach@akkreditierungsrat.de