Post by AQAS e.V.

Last week, AQAS contributed to the ENQA: European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education Members’ Forum, hosted by the Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB)  in Budapest. The forum was framed around the overarching theme of building trust in higher education, bringing together agencies from across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) to reflect on how trust is shaped through policy frameworks, transparency, and robust quality assurance practices. Plenary discussions addressed the role of European policies currently under revision—including the ESG, the European Approach, and developments such as the joint European Degree Label—as well as emerging challenges related to integrity, fraud, and degree mills. AQAS was actively engaged in these discussions. In a dedicated session on the revision of the ESG and the European Approach, our Managing Director Doris Herrmann, who is part of the ESG drafting group, together with ENQA president Cristina Ghitulica provided insights from the drafting process. The session enabled a direct exchange with member agencies on key issues emerging from the consultation on the future ESG (2027) and the implications for quality assurance practice across the EHEA. AQAS also contributed to the thematic work on cross-border quality assurance. In the breakout session on trust, transparency and good conduct in CBQA, Ronny Heintze presented together with Varduhi Gyulazyan from the Armenian National Centre for Professional Education Quality Assurance. The session, led by Anna Govery, forms part of the ongoing work of the ENQA working group under the Bologna Process thematic peer group on quality assurance. The joint presentation introduced a cooperative accreditation model between agencies, outlining practical approaches to shared procedures, coordination of responsibilities, and alignment of standards across different systems. The model was met with strong interest and discussed as a concrete example of emerging good practice in cross-border QA. The exchange will feed directly into the development of updated Key Considerations for Cross-Border Quality Assurance and a future Code of Conduct for agencies operating internationally. The Members’ Forum once again underlined the importance of combining strategic policy discussions with operational experience. For AQAS, these exchanges are central to contributing to the further development of quality assurance in Europe and strengthening trust across borders. #AQAS #ENQA #QualityAssurance #EHEA #ESG #CrossBorderQA #TrustInHigherEducation