LIREQA: Linking Academic Recognition and Quality Assurance

Description

The project aimed at contributing to fair recognition of qualifications by developing recommendations to relate academic recognition and both internal and external quality assurance. The outcomes of this project are related to the implementation of the revised Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European of Higher Education Area (ESG) endorsed by Ministers of Education in Yerevan in May 2015 , which contains a clear expectation to align institutional recognition with principles of the LRC, and to foster cooperation with other institutions, quality assurance agencies, national ENIC/NARIC centres.

The project was implemented under Erasmus+ programme (Key action 3: Support for Policy Reform) initiative for policy innovation giving support to forward-looking cooperation projects on policy developments and European policy experimentations led by high-level organisations and public authorities to stimulate innovate policies and prepare their implementation.

The project activities included desk research and surveys of ENIC/NARIC centers, Quality Agencies, Higher Education Institutions on the status quo and future expectations; developing recommendations for ensuring fair recognition via quality assurance mechanisms; validation and dissemination within ENIC/NARIC centres, Quality agencies, Higher Education Institutions.

The project was devoted to enhance the European dimension in recognition and to contribute to policy development of recognition on the European agenda, to establish benchmarking, best practices, to promote cooperation between members of the network partners in the field of recognition, to ensure coherence and interactivity with other partners and networks in related fields.

Objectives:

• Mapping the present situation and learning of expectations and possibilities for improvement from the main stakeholders (ENIC/NARIC centres, Quality Agencies, Higher Education Institutions);
• Creating a set of recommendations to address fair recognition of qualifications via external and internal quality assurance;
• Capacity building of ENIC/NARIC centres, Quality Agencies and Higher Education Institutions.

The project partnership consisted of:

• NARIC centers: SKVC (coordinator, LT), AIC (LV), EP-Nuffic (NL), NOKUT (NO);
• Quality Agencies: CTI (FR), ANECA (ES), AQU Catalunya (ES), Unibasq (ES);
• Networks: European Association for Quality Assurance of Higher Education (ENQA);
• Advisory Board: President of Intergovernmental Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee (LRC); representative of ESU (European Student Union); representative of higher education institutions, coming from EUA; External expert, former member of NARIC Advisory Board.

Project results: 

• An overview of project activities;
• Survey of HEIs;
• Survey of ENIC/NARIC centres;
• Survey of QA agencies;
• LIREQA Recommendations for HEIs, QA agencies and ENIC/NARIC centres.

International final conference of LIREQA project in Vilnius on 22 May 2019

• Conference agenda
• Conference speakers
• Conference moderators
• Presentations by speakers:
  • Recognition as a key to quality, access, and internationalization for students
    Adam Gajek, President of European Student Union
  • Is development of quality assurance and quality culture panacea for everything?
    Tia Loukkola, European University Association
  • Monitoring of implementation of the principles of the LRC as a tool to improve recognition
    Gunnar Vaht, President of Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee
  • External review of QA agencies: addressing effectiveness of internal quality assurance by external quality assurance
    Caty Duykaerts, Vice-President of ENQA
  • Peer review of ENIC/NARIC centres and tools for HEIs to improve recognition practices
    Bas Wegewijs, Nuffic (Dutch ENIC/NARIC), The Netherlands
  • Recognition and Quality Assurance in Higher Education Institutions: Connecting the Dots
    Aurelija Valeikienė, Deputy Director of SKVC
• Photos from the conference – on SKVC Facebook page

Project Duration

1 December 2016 – 30 May 2019.