ESU hosts seminar “Quality assurance – the ultimate tool?”

Quality Assurance has been revered as one of the most successful actions incorporated into the Bologna Process that set to transform higher education in Europe. Work on quality assurance lies in the need to build trust between different educational systems and units so as to ultimately foster mobility and mutual recognition.

“We have seen a major change in attitudes. Institutions are being put into the centre as those taking responsibility for quality, and external actors check if the measures being taken are adequate and fit for purpose”, says ESU Vice-Chairperson Allan Päll.

The European Standards and Guidelines is a common framework understanding that has been hailed for its role in nurturing student participation. Päll still does not consider the guidelines to be followed completely neither in letter nor in spirit.
“Five years after the adoption of these guidelines, it is still evident that adequate trust is yet to surface. Recognition is still a mess and a major obstacle for mobility”, he says.

Some of the questions that will be asked: Does QA provide useful information for making study choices, does it incentivise mobility and lead to rightful recognition of credits? Do we witness actual enhancement taking place in the institutions and whether the current frameworks support that? Or could students incorporate new points of view such as mainstreaming the attention to the provision of social support services?

The seminar, co-hosted in Tel Aviv by ESU and the National Union of Israeli Students. The seminar precedes ESU’s 59th Board Meeting, where members will adopt a plan of work and a budget for 2011. Doctoral studies and student support services are among the policies that will be debated. The members will also elect new committees Internal Development (CID) Social Affairs (SAC) and Student Union Development (SUDC).Published 29 October, 2010