Zulima Fernández Director Challenges for an extended Euro- Mediterranean Area. Quality Assurance Processes: an useful tool for regional cooperation Seminar, “JISER-MED: The state of the Euro-Mediterranean Higher Education Area”. Barcelona, 17 de enero de 2011 Universitat de Barcelona Barcelona, 17 January 2011

Introduction: JISER-MED Project Objectives for the Quality Assurance Dimension of the Project ANECA’s experience in other regions: Europe and Latin America Collateral benefits of the QA Dimension Conclusions: challenges for QA in the Euro-Mediterranean Area Contents

Introduction Working lines of JISER-MED Project: Higher Education, Research and Cooperation Quality assurance and higher education management. Objectives : To improve graduate and post-graduate student mobility in between the Mediterranean and the EHEA To Promote the QA dimension in HE from a Mediterranean perspective

Agencies that collaborate in the JISER-MED Project: The Euro-Mediterranean Area ANECA coordinates the QA Dimension of JISER-MED Project Introduction AQES, Andorra ANECA AQU AQUIB AERES

Introduction: JISER-MED Project Objectives for the Quality Assurance Dimension of the Project ANECA’s experience in other regions: Europe and Latin America Collateral benefits of the QA Dimension Conclusions: challenges for QA in the Euro-Mediterranean Area Contents

Objectives for the QA Dimension of the Project To define internal and external QA structures and procedures for higher education To foster the implementation of the hiher education IQAS To adapt the international evaluation standards and guidelines to the local contexts To strengthen collaboration among QAAs existing in the Euro-Mediterranean Area

Principles Guiding QA Processes An essential tool for enhancement HEI’s responsibility Focusing on students and other stakeholders’ interests Transparency and external experts are crucial elements Compatible with HE diversity and innovation Alligned to the legal and cultural contexts of each country

Introduction: JISER-MED Project Objectives for the Quality Assurance Dimension of the Project ANECA’s experience in other regions: Europe and Latin America Collateral benefits of the QA Dimension Conclusions: challenges for QA in the Euro-Mediterranean Area Contents

In Europe Proyect TEAM II, ECA: single accreditation of master joint– programmes from the Erasmus Mundus Programme ( ). Proyect Erasmus «Joint programmes: Quality Assurance and Recognition of degrees awarded (JOQAR)», to advance in the single accreditation of joint- programmes from HIEs of all over the world 1 2 ANECA’s experience in other regions

Tempus Project «AQI-UMED» to strengthen IQAS of universities of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. ( ) Tempus Project «Accreditation - Pathway to Quality Assurance», leading to establishing quality standards in public and private universities in Syria ( ) 1 2 In the Euro-Mediterranean Area 1 ANECA’s experience in other regions

CINTAS Project. Cooperation in designing and implementing IQAS in emergin QA agencies in Latin America ( ) 1 In Latin America Memorandum of Understanding with the Central American Council for Higher Education (CSUCA). To provide technical support to the implementation of IQAS in universities of Guatemala ( ) 2 ANECA’s experience in other regions

Introduction: JISER-MED Project Objectives for the Quality Assurance Dimension of the Project ANECA’s experience in other regions: Europe and Latin America Collateral benefits of the QA Dimension Conclusions: challenges for QA in the Euro-Mediterranean Area Contents

 To develop an Euro-Mediterranean Platform with the organisations in charge of QA of in the three regions  It is not about building up one more superstructure at the regional level  It is about fostering the interregional dialogue: INQAAHE recommendations  To support capacity building in terms of building up QA agencies in those countries that made the decision Collateral benefits of the QA Dimension

How can this Platform be built up?  Thtogh pilot-projects on external evaluation of the HEIs taking part in the Project  With the expertise of the QAAs involved in the Project  Through the development of a Quality Culture based upon shared Standards  Working on a simplified evaluation procedure Collateral benefits of the QA Dimension

Towards a QA System in the Euro-Mediterranean Area  Mutual trust between agencies and institutions  Mutual recognition among agencies  Mutual trust and y recognition among universities  Mutual recognition among governments QA objective in the Euro-Medediterranean Area

Introduction: JISER-MED Project Objectives for the Quality Assurance Dimension of the Project ANECA’s experience in other regions: Europe and Latin America Collateral benefits of the QA Dimension Conclusions: challenges for QA in the Euro- Mediterranean Area Contents

1. To define standards for the IQAS of HEIs 2. To promote the implementation of internal and external QA procedures in HEIs and to give support to stable external QA structures 3. To develop mechanisms to strengthen collaboration and mutual trust to facilitate student mobility 4. To build up an Euro-Mediterranean QA area taking into account the different traditions of the three regions involved:Europe, North of Africa and Near East Conclusions: challenges for QA in the Euro-Med Area

Thank you

European Association for QA in Higher Education: ENQA European Experience AT THE INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL: AT THE INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL: Higher Education Institutions develop QA systems Impact on Quality Assurance: AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL: AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL: QA Agencies in most of the European countries AT THE EUROPEAN LEVEL: AT THE EUROPEAN LEVEL:

Universidad Sistema Interno de Calidad External procedures to verify the internal quality assurance QA Agency External procedures to verify the internal quality QA SYSTEM AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL EURO-MED Quality Assurance System Internal Quality Assurance System European Experience University Internal Quality Assurance System