Speakers

Prior to this, Aleksandar was the YUFE (European Universities Alliance) Institutional Coordinator of the University of Rijeka (UNIRI), in which capacity he coordinated the involvement of UNIRI in the YUFE Alliance and worked on the European degree initiative, development of YUFE educational offer and multilateral mobility schemes.

His professional experience includes contribution to European projects, policy-making bodies and expert groups dealing with inter-institutional cooperation, quality of higher education, social dimension, student engagement, and qualification frameworks. Between 2021 and 2024, he was a member of the EQAR Register Committee.

Aleksandar Šušnjar is a Master of Arts (Philosophy and English language and literature – teaching track) at the University of Rijeka and is currently following a PhD programme in Philosophy at the same university.

Sandra holds a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University “SS. Cyril and Methodius”-Skopje and a master’s degree in educational policies and development from the University of Oslo, the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the University of Malta.

She worked in the civil society sector in North Macedonia for a few years, participating in several research projects about higher education, exploring topics such as malpractices in academia, disadvantaged groups in higher education, student services and guidance, student activism and organising. Before joining the Secretariat, Aleksandra worked as a consultant at the OECD’s Directorate for Education and Skills.

Alessandra Ricci Ascoli works as a programme manager at the Education Department of the Council of Europe.
She has always enjoyed working in multicultural settings and has worked as a lawyer and a programme coordinator in different organisations and countries, like the European Court of Human Rights, the Dutch Section of Amnesty International and the Clingendael Institute of International Relations. She has been an advisor to the European Commissioner for Human Rights and has developed programmes for Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP).

Anna Gover is the Director of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). In this role she manages the work of the ENQA Secretariat, works with the ENQA Board to translate the strategic plan into activities for the benefit of the ENQA membership, and represents ENQA in events and meetings across Europe and beyond. In addition she coordinates ENQA’s input to quality assurance policy developments within the Bologna Process and internationally.

Anna has almost 10 years of experience working in quality assurance of higher education, and previously worked for the European University Association (EUA).

Arno Schrooyen is currently serving as Vice-President of the European Students’ Union. Ha has been a student representative for the past 7 years, and he is specialised in Internationalisation & Mobility and the Social dimension of Higher Education. He is also currently co-chairing TPG-D on behalf of ESU.

Works as Deputy Director at SKVC (Lithuanian quality assurance agency and ENIC-NARIC centre) since 2004. Her areas of expertise include external quality assurance of higher education, academic recognition of foreign qualifications, and internationalization of higher education.

Currently is involved in the Bologna Process thematic peer support group on academic recognition of foreign qualifications (including automatic recognition) and the thematic working group on quality assurance. Contributed expert insights towards the European Degree label initiative (2022-2024). Served as member of European Commission‘s expert group on micro-credentials.

During the last 14 years, has gained extensive experience of external reviews of quality assurance agencies, to date conducted 11 procedures in 9 countries, also 3 times lead self-evaluation teams towards external reviews of SKVC. Serves as expert for external quality assurance agency reviews coordinated by ENQA (European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies) from 2011, and an occasional trainer of reviewers (from 2016). In 2013-2014, served on ENQA Board. From 2014 to 2017 was involved in several ENQA working groups, including on staff development, linking quality assurance and recognition of qualifications, internal quality assurance, and knowledge of Standards and Guidelines for European Higher Education Area (ESG) Part 2 and Part 3. Contributed towards revision of ENQA methodology for external reviews of quality assurance agencies in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) (2016). In 2021-2023, worked as member of the Agency Review Committee, an internal advisory body at ENQA, providing internal quality assurance to the ENQA Board, including performing scrutiny of expert reports regarding external agency reviews against the ESG and appointing of review panels. Currently, since end of 2023 is member on ENQA’s Appeals and Complaints Committee.

In 2013-2015 was Lithuanian delegate to the pan-European working group on structural reforms (encompassing quality assurance, qualification frameworks, recognition of qualifications, transparency instruments) in the European Higher Education Area, supported by Bologna Secretariat and Council of Europe.

Served as Honorary Treasury (2006-2007), then was elected President of the Network of Central and East European Accreditation in Higher Education Agencies (CEENQA) in 2010-2011.

Has worked as expert locally and internationally on various projects (including in coordinator’s capacity) and in events, upon invitations from the European Commission, Council of Europe, European Training Foundation, the World Bank, Europe-Asia Foundation, INQAAHE etc. On missions, visited 44 countries in Europe, North America, Middle East, and Asia.

Prior to SKVC, work experience included administrative positions at Vilnius University, Lithuania.

Aurelija Valeikienė graduated from Vilnius University (Lithuania) with Bachelor of Philosophy and obtained Master of Science degree in management of non-profit organizations from New York University (USA). She is fluent in English and Russian, her native language is Lithuanian.

Blazhe holds a master degree in corporate law (LLM) from Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. Before joining EQAR he worked as a Review Officer at MusiQuE – Music Quality Enhancement, quality assurance agency for higher music education. Blazhe also served as Vice President of the European Students’ Union (2015-2017).

Colin Tück is a senior expert for innovation and digitalisation at the Knowledge Innovation Centre (KIC). Colin has 15 years of experience in European higher education policy and cooperation. He works in collaboration with different European projects and initiatives related to quality assurance, recognition, interoperability and data exchange, amongst others.

Colin was the Director of the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR). He managed the founding of EQAR as Project Manager on behalf of its founding members (ENQA, ESU, EUA and EURASHE) from July 2007 and later served as its first Director until April 2023. In that capacity, Colin also led the conception, implementation and management of the Database of External Quality Assurance Results (DEQAR).

Colin contributed to shaping the European Higher Education Area’s (EHEA) quality assurance framework, for example as a member of the Steering Group for the 2015 revision of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG), as a co-author of the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes and a member of the EU Micro-Credentials Higher Education Consultation Group.
Colin initially got involved in European higher education policy as a member of the Executive Board of the National Union of Students in Germany (fzs) and later of the European Students’ Union’s (ESU, formerly ESIB) Bologna Process Committee, following the topics quality assurance, qualifications frameworks, recognition and social dimension.

Daniele Livon has been the Director of ANVUR since June 2019.

He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Udine and a second level Master’s degree in Public Management from Bocconi University. He coordinates offices, management activities, and organisational processes supporting the evaluation procedures for teaching and research quality. He’s also responsible for coordinating the drafting of the Biennial Report on Higher Education and Research in Italy. Before assuming the directorship of ANVUR, he served for eight years as Director General at the Ministry of Education, University, and Research, where he oversaw the implementation of Law 240/2010, which reformed the university system, and managed the planning and funding of both the university system and the AFAM system. Previously, he served for seven years as Administrative Director at the University of Udine.

Elena Cirlan is a Senior Policy and Project Coordinator at ENQA. Her main tasks include representation of the Association externally, coordination of projects, and management of the Association’s statutory activities. Before joining ENQA in April 2022, Elena worked for the European University Association (EUA) where she managed EUA’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP), coordinated the annual European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF) and worked on the implementation of projects related to quality assurance and micro-credentials.

Eva Fernández de Labastida is the Internationalisation and projects manager of Unibasq – the Agency for Quality of the Basque University System (since 2009), overseeing the coordination, organization and implementation of the accreditation procedures and institutional audits in the universities of the Basque University System, including training of peers. In addition, she runs the international activities of Unibasq in different networks, as INQAAHE, ENQA, and ECA. Since June 2017, she chairs the working group on Mutual recognition and joint programmes of ECA and since June 2018, she has been a member of the Board of ECA, being appointed as chair in June 2023. She is an ECA trainer on the assessment of Joint programmes following the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes and have coordinated and participated in several panels following this approach.

Jernej Širok is a secretary at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation where he held the position of Director General of the Directorate for Higher Education in 2023. He is representing Slovenia in the High Council of the European University Institute, the Bologna Follow-up Group and in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education. His decade long previous professional experience is from the field of external quality assurance in higher education. He holds a PhD in Sociology of Culture and an M.Sc. in German language and literature, both from the University of Ljubljana.

Kinga Szuly is Head of Sector, Higher Education Policy at the European Commission Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) since November 2017.

The sector provides, among other tasks, policy support to member states; ensures Commission representation in the Bologna Process; cooperates with international organization like OECD to provide evidence-based research on the field of higher education.

Before joining DG EAC, Kinga was working at various fields at the Commission, including Political Adviser at the Representation of the European Commission in Budapest, media analysis and internal audit.

Lana has been active in the student movement for the last five years. She started as president of the student council at the University of Rijeka and, as a member of the Croatian Students’ Council, she was active in advocacy on both national and European levels.

Through her work in ESU she focuses on Quality of Education, Learning and Teaching and Student-centered Learning, Micro-credentials, Digitalisation, Recognition and the developments of the European Education Area.

Lana is finishing her degree in Biotechnology and Drug Research.

Dr. Marie-Anne Persoons is Advisor International Policy at the Department of Education and Training of the Flemish Community of Belgium.

She graduated in Oriental Languages and History (section of Indo-Iranian studies) from the Catholic University of Leuven in 1984. In 1984-1985 she continued studying Chinese language at the National Taiwan Normal University. Further studies in Leuven include a postgraduate degree in Philosophy (1988) and a Ph.D. in Oriental studies (1995). More recently she obtained a Master degree in Public Management from the University of Antwerp (2008).

Apart from sworn interpretation from/to Chinese at the Court of Antwerp, her first professional experience was connected to teaching and research at the University of Leuven and the Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts, as well as the Antwerp Institute of Art History. With the latter she still remains affiliated. In 1996 she joined the Flemish Department of Education and Training and has been working in international education policy ever since, initially mostly in relation to the EU Education Committee and the Bologna Follow-up Group, chairing both bodies in 2001. From 2007 to 2009 she was general coordinator of the Benelux Bologna Secretariat before joining the European Commission as national expert (2009-2011). Since 2012 she has co-ordinated her Department’s multilateral and bilateral dossiers and participated in several UNESCO, OECD, COE and BENELUX policy forums, such as the UN’s SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee (2016-2021) and as Chair of the OECD’s Education Policy Committee (2018-2021). Since 2024 she serves as chair of the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Education, which administrates a work programme with focus on education for human rights, democracy and rule of law.

Scientific publications include articles related to the field of Asian culture and to international (higher) education policy, as well as course materials connected to her teaching experience.

Ninoslav Šćukanec Schmidt is the founder and Executive Director of the Institute for the Development of Education in Zagreb, Croatia. With over two decades of experience, he has dedicated his career to shaping higher education policies across Europe and beyond.

Ninoslav has played an influential role in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) as co-chair of the Bologna Follow-up Group’s (BFUG) Working Group on Social Dimension from 2018 to 2024. During this time, he led two key initiatives: the adoption of the ‘Principles and Guidelines for Social Dimension’ within the 2020 Rome Ministerial Communiqué and the development of the first ‘EHEA Framework for the Social Dimension’, endorsed by the 47 EHEA member states at the 2024 Tirana Ministerial Conference. These milestones, featuring principles, guidelines, indicators, and descriptors for the social dimension, are shaping public policies on equity and inclusion in higher education across the EHEA.

Beyond the EHEA, Ninoslav serves as an expert for the Council of Europe, contributing to the development of its Higher Education Policy portfolio and participating in the Working Group on the Democratic Mission of Higher Education. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the World Access to Higher Education Network (WAHEN), where he advises policymakers and governments worldwide on equity and inclusion in higher education.

In Croatia, he has significantly influenced the national higher education landscape. He was a member of the Accreditation Council of the Croatian Agency for Science and Higher Education (2010–2018) and the Governing Board of the National Center for External Evaluation of Education (2013–2021). He also served on the National Council for Human Resources Development (2014–2019) and the National Committee for Enhancing the Social Dimension of Higher Education (2015–2021).

Peter Ondreička is a director of the Higher education department at Ministry of education, science, research and sport of Slovakia. Before he worked in the ministry as a policy officer between 2019 and 2022. His primary focus of work is on quality assurance, but also works on topcis like micro-credentials, digitalisation, internationalisation of HE and brain drain measures.

Peter worked Worked with EU structural funds (preparation of open calls) and Recovery and Resilience plan (scholarship scheme fort talented students, calls for internationalisation of HEIs). Other activities he’s been involved to includes being Slovak representative in BFUG, EQAR general assembly and register committee (observer), OECD and EC group of national experts for HE.

Robin Schormans serves as Policy Advisor Quality Assurance for the Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE) alliance and is a member of its Quality Assurance Board. At University College Maastricht, he is a Lecturer with a background in Science & Technology Studies. His career in quality assurance began at Maastricht University, where he led educational development and accreditation for interdisciplinary programmes bridging engineering, biotechnology, and data science as part of the university’s expansion into technical education. His work increasingly focuses on cross-border quality assurance, having recently co-led the European Approach accreditation of YUFE’s Joint Bachelor’s in Urban Sustainability Studies.

Ronny Heintze is the Deputy Director for International Development at AQAS, the largest German accreditation agency. In his 15 years of service, he coordinated more than 150 accreditation procedures in and outside of Germany with a special focus on Joint Programmes, particularly under the European Approach. His international experiences cover projects across Europe, the ASEAN region, GCC states and South America. He served as an expert in different projects of the European Union. He is a Board Member of the European Consortium for Accreditation (ECA) where he also provides trainings for reviewers and consortia on the European Approach. Ronny also served as a member in the Boards of HCERES (France), is and an international consultant to YÖKAK (Turkey) as well as a member of the strategic planning Board of MAB in Hungary. For ENQA he reviewed numerous agencies on their alignment with the ESG besides his two term service in ENQAs Agency Review Committee assuring the quality of all reviews coordinated by ENQA. Ronny also holds continuous experience as a reviewer for the global network INQAAHE.

He currently teaches about the United Nations at the University of Trier. Before joining the Quality Assurance community, he held executive positions at NMUN in New York. He holds a M.A. degree of the University of Bonn in Political Science, Psychology and Media Science.

Stéphane has extensive experience not only in the French higher education sector, at the University Institute of Technology (IUT) in Le Havre, but also at a European level, as former President of EURASHE.

He was also, until very recently Secretary-General of the French network of University Institutes of Technology, ADIUT. In this capacity, he promoted the French Institutes of Technology, mainly outside Europe and worked with a variety of stakeholders.

Stéphane started his university career at the University of Le Havre Normandy (FR) where he was head of the Electrical Engineering department.

He was also for several years (2007-2011) the Director of the Life Long Learning Centre and Apprenticeship Training Centre at IUT Le Havre and also (2011-2014) reviewer at the HCERES (then AERES), the French Higher Education Quality Assurance agency.

Ulrike Krawagna is an expert in the development and implementation of joint programmes, with extensive experience in international higher education. A graduate in History and French Studies from the University of Graz, Ulrike Krawagna served as Bologna Coordinator for the University of Graz during the Bologna Process implementation phase (2003–2007), focusing on curriculum development and the implementation of ECTS. Since 2007, she has developed and coordinated the University of Graz’s Joint Programmes and led several international projects such as Tempus and Erasmus Mundus, overseeing their development, implementation, and financial management.

She contributed to shaping Austria’s legal framework for joint programme implementation as part of the National Higher Education Mobility and Internationalisation Strategy and is a member of the national advisory group (Begleitgruppe) “European Degree.” As a SPHERE expert, she has supported technical assistance missions on joint programme implementation in regions including Kosovo, Algeria, Central Asia, Armenia, Georgia, and Jordan.

Since 2021, Ulrike Krawagna has represented the University of Graz in the Arqus European University Alliance’s Working Group “Innovative Learning Pathways,” where she has played a key role in advancing Joint Programmes and developing training modules.

Yann-Maël Bideau is policy officer in the Higher Education Unit of the Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, in the European Commission. His portfolio includes quality assurance and the joint European degree. Before joining the European Commission in 2019, he worked as a lecturer and in the field of university cooperation.