QUEST participants exchange views on a quality concept for education

VALLETTA – Students’ representatives from all over Europe, policy makers and experts in the area of higher education and quality assurance are expected to participate in a consultation conference organised as part of the Quest for Quality for Students project (QUEST) in Valletta, Malta, from 29 November to 1 December 2012.

The main objective of the event is to initiate a debate on the findings of the project’s research activities and to validate their results. The conference is organised by the European Students’ Union (ESU) in collaboration with Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU), that hosts the event, and with a support from the Lifelong Learning Programme funded by the European Commission.

A report on the QUEST project presented

Besides presenting and discussing the current stage of the research activities undertaken in the project, the event is also seen as an opportunity to raise awareness amongst participants about the most recent developments in quality assurance at local, national and European levels, including the ones on quality assurance provisions across borders and the revisions of the European Standards and Guidelines for quality assurance. The report named Quest for Quality for Students: Going back to Basics will also be presented.

The pan-European QUEST survey, that ESU is currently conducting, is considered to be a step forward to achieve a better understanding of what the quality of education means to students. It also identifies the challenges ahead and possibilities for improving the quality even further. Students will be asked for their opinion on this survey, as well as the preceding research activities, such as a paper on the status quo in improving students’ participation for quality assurance.

Keynote speakers are invited

ESU has invited keynote speakers to address the conference that will share their expertise and knowledge on the main topics, such as the link between external and internal quality assurance, how visibility makes an impact and stakeholders’ participation in the field. Additionally, representatives of Sparqs (training and support organisation and member of the QUEST consortium) will initiate discussions with the participants about different ways to develop a support system for student experts involved in quality assurance at national and institutional level.

In terms of learning objectives, the conference focuses on:

• Improving the understanding of the role of different stakeholders and the key elements for quality and quality culture in higher education;
• Increasing awareness about quality assurance systems around the European Higher Education Area by exchanging views and expectations of different stakeholders;
• Breaking down the discussions from the European level to the national and to conceptualise them in the National Union of Students (NUS) and/or in an institutional context. For example, how NUS can contribute to the ESG revision process;
• Gathering the expectations of stakeholders about quality assurance in national and institutional context for ESU to strengthen students’ awareness and participation in quality assurance. For example, how ESU’s quality assurance pool can support NUS structuring their local pool;
• Getting to know the national quality assurance system in Malta that is currently going through major reforms under the Bologna process.

Read more about the QUEST programme here.

See the agenda for the consultation conference on QUEST here.

Join the discussions on QUEST on Twitter by using #ESU_Quest

— END —

For more information, please contact:

Karina Ufert, ESU Chairperson: +32/473.669.892 // karina@esu-online.org or Robert Hlynur Baldursson, ESU Communications Manager: +32/473.669.894 // robert@esu-online.org