Register of Quality Assurance Agencies
See which quality assurance agencies are listed on the Register.
In most European countries, higher education institutions or study programmes are subject to regular external review by a quality assurance agency. The European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) is a register of such agencies, listing those that substantially comply with a common set of principles for quality assurance in Europe. These principles are laid down in the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance. The register is web-based and freely accessible for everyone.
News
Two Agencies admitted to Register at Committee meeting in Berlin
7 May 2013: At its meeting in Berlin on 2/3 May 2013, the Register Committee renewed the registration of the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation of Spain (ANECA) and admitted the European Council on Chiropractic Education (ECCE) to the Register. Based on external reviews of the two agencies the Register Committee concluded that they operate in substantial compliance with the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG).
Having satisfied the requirements of the EQAR Merger Policy, the Flemish Council of Universities and University Colleges' Quality Assurance Unit (VLUHR QAU), established as a result of a merger between the two quality assurance agencies VLIR and VLHORA (both admitted to the Register in 2009), was granted provisional registration. During the two-year period VLUHR QAU will have to undergo an external review against the ESG.
Annual Report 2012
The EQAR Annual Report 2012 is available for download. It includes the Report by the Register Committee, as well as the Strategic Plan 2013-2017 adopted by the last EQAR General Assembly. Please note that the Annual Report will be available on-line only this year.
Optimised for screen [PDF, 2MB] - A4 version for printing [PDF, 8MB]
EQAR General Assembly adopts Strategic Plan 2013-2017
21 March 2013: At EQAR's 7th General Assembly, held at Dublin Castle on 13 March 2013, members adopted the Strategic Plan for the years 2013-2017. This marks an important step to strengthen EQAR's strategic role, as was recommended by the international expert panel that reviewed EQAR in 2011.
EQAR's two strategic goals relate to "International Trust and Recognition of Registered QAA's" and "Enhanced Transparency and Information Provision". The Strategic Plan will be published shortly as part of the Annual Report.
After the meeting a reception was held to celebrate EQAR’s fifth anniversary. The first Chair of the Register Committee, Mr Justice Bryan McMahon, addressed EQAR members and partners in a special congratulation speech, following congratulations by the Irish Department of Education and Skills as well as the European Commission.
Read more about present and past General Assemblies.
5 March 2013: Revision ESG The Steering Group for the revision of the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) has launched an open call for contributions to the revision process. The call addresses the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) as well as all others interested in contributing to the revision of the ESG.
5 March 2013: Revision ESG
At the Bucharest Ministerial Conference in April 2012, European ministers of higher education decided to revise the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG) and invited BUSINESSEUROPE, Education International, ENQA, ESU, EUA, EURASHE and EQAR to prepare an initial proposal.
The Steering Group looks forward to receiving your replies to the open call for contributions to the revision process by 26 March 2013 at the email address esg.revision@ehea.info. You can follow proceedings regarding ESG revision here: revisionesg.wordpress.com.
6 February 2013: Revised Procedures for Applications Based on its experience during the past four years since and in order to implement certain recommendations made by the external expert panel that evaluated EQAR in 2011, the Register Committee revised the Procedures for Applications in 2012.
6 February 2013: Revised Procedures for Applications
The main changes brought about by the revision are:
- The Register Committee's decisions on all eligible applications for inclusion on the Register will be published, including their reasons.
- A process has been introduced to confirm eligibility of a future
application, before the external review process and actual application. - The rules regarding duration and renewal of inclusion have been
clarified, and flexibility has been increased. - The full Curricula Vitae of the panel members that carried out the
external review have to be submitted with applications.
Applications that were prepared in line with the previous version of the
Procedures will be fully compatible also with the revised Procedures, since
there has been no change in substance of the eligibility requirements or
criteria for inclusion.
Information on the Revision of the Procedures for Applications [PDF]
Guide for Applicants [PDF]
Procedures for Applications [as of January 2013, PDF]
Information on applications for inclusion on the Register
5 December 2012: Two Agencies Admitted to the Register The Belgian Agence pour l'Evaluation de la Qualité de l'Enseignement Supérieur (AEQES) and the Lithuanian Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (SKVC) were admitted to the Register at the most recent Register Committee held in Aveiro, Portugal on 1 December 2012.
5 December 2012: Two Agencies Admitted to the Register
The Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU) and the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO) had their inclusion on the Register renewed until 2017.
The Register Committee further discussed the revision of the European Standard and Guidelines (ESG) and EQAR’s input on the revision of the ESG.
The Register Committee also finalised the first revision of its Procedures for Applications. These procedures describe the processes and criteria used in considering applications by quality assurance agencies for inclusion of the Register. The foremost amendment is the publication of the Register Committee’s decisions on all eligible applications for inclusion on the Register, one recommendation of the external evaluation panel that reviewed EQAR in 2011. The new procedures will be published and apply from early 2013.
5 June 2012: Policy on Mergers of Registered Agencies A specific policy addressing mergers of registered quality assurance agencies has been agreed by the EQAR Register Committee. They may remain on the Register for up to two years, during which the new, merged agency will have to undergo an external review against the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG).
5 June 2012: Policy on Mergers of Registered Agencies
This provisional registration is subject to strict conditions and requirements, and will only be open to cases where all agencies involved have already been registered. Details are set out in the new EQAR Merger Policy.
9 May 2012: Swiss OAQ Admitted to the Register The Swiss Center of Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education (OAQ) has been admitted to the Register at the Register Committee's meeting on 4 and 5 May 2012 in Munich. Now, 29 European quality assurance agencies feature on the Register.
9 May 2012: Swiss OAQ Admitted to the Register
Also two applications for renewal of inclusion on the Register, by AQAS and FIBAA (both based in Germany), were approved. The two agencies' registration has been renewed for a further 5 years, until early 2017.
26/27 April 2012: Ministers Reach Important QA Agreements European Ministers of Higher Education from the 47 Bologna Process countries met on 26 and 27 April 2012 in Bucharest to agree on future priorities for the EHEA. The Bucharest Communiqué, agreed by Ministers at the conference, addresses important issues for quality assurance of higher education: Ministers agreed to "allow all EQAR-registered agencies to perform their activities across the EHEA, while complying with national requirements" and particularly to recognise their decisions on joint and double degree programmes.
26/27 April 2012: Ministers Reach Important QA Agreements
Ministers agreed to revise the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG) and asked for a proposal to be prepared the E4 Group (ENQA, ESU, EUA, EURASHE) in cooperation with BUSINESSEUROPE, Education International and EQAR.
Ministers reaffirmed that "quality assurance is essential for building trust" and set automatic recognition of qualifications, based on quality assurance and other Bologna tools (learning outcomes, qualifications frameworks), as a long-term goal for the EHEA.
EQAR was represented in the conference and submitted a statement to ministers.
News archives
In the context of the Bologna Process EQAR has been founded by EURASHE, ENQA, EUA and ESU. / Copyright of the logos above is with the organisations.
