The document discusses efforts to achieve automatic recognition of higher education qualifications across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) by 2020. It outlines the role of quality assurance in building trust between countries' higher education systems based on common standards and guidelines. The European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR) aims to contribute by registering quality assurance agencies that substantially comply with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA (ESG). EQAR is exploring options to provide better access to quality assurance results and accredited programs to facilitate recognition of qualifications across countries. The goal is for EQAR registration and quality assurance results to help map and recognize qualifications between countries' qualifications frameworks and support automatic recognition by 2020.

1. European Quality Assurance
Register for Higher Education
QA and Recognition of Qualifications –
the Contribution of the European Quality
Assurance Register
ASIIN International QM Conference
Berlin, 4 May 2016
Colin Tück

2. Yerevan Communiqué
 European ministers responsible for higher education,
May 2015:
“By 2020 we are determined to achieve an EHEA
[European Higher Education Area] where our
common goals are implemented in all member
countries to ensure trust in each other’s higher
education systems; where automatic recognition
of qualifications has become a reality so that
students and graduates can move easily
throughout it [...]”

3. Automatic Recognition
 Ambitious goal, or obvious goal?
 Challenges for EHEA tools:
 Need to work better together
 From non-binding transparency tools to real and
direct consequences
 Non-implementation issues
 Role for QA:
 Common standards
 Basis for systematic trust

4. ESG 2015
 Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in
the EHEA (ESG): common framework
 Developed first in 2005, revised in 2015
 Adapted to changes and new developments
 Changes relevant for recognition:
 Part 1 (internal QA): more attention to student experience
and qualifications
 1.2: qualifications frameworks (NQF + QF EHEA)
 1.4: recognition procedures of HEIs

5. Consequences for EQAR
 Official register of QAAs
that substantially comply
with ESG
 Governed jointly by
stakeholders and
governments
 Registration:
 based on external
review against ESG
 periodic renewal
every 5 years
 42 registered QAAs
 Governmental members
without registered agency

6. Consequences for EQAR
(2)
Annual updates on reviews and countries
Substantive change reports
Third-party complaints
Focus on monitoring/interaction with registered QAAs
during 5-year cycle:

7. Consequences for EQAR
(3)
 Quality assurance results (decisions + reports):
 ESG 2.6: reports published by the agency
 … but on which agency's website to look for them?
 Database, portal or list of HEIs and programmes
accredited/evaluated by EQAR-reg. QAAs?
 Possible users: HEIs (recognition offices), ENIC-
NARICs, government authorities, students
 Idea raised in EQAR self-evaluation
 Exploring possible options and proposals

8. Vision:
Building a Chain of Trust
QA NQF
A
QF-
EHEA
NQF
B
ESG & EQAR self-certification
Qualification
in country A
Level in
country B
map & recognise

9. Thank you for your attention!
Contact:
colin.tueck@eqar.eu
+32 2 234 39 11
@ColinTueck / @EQAR_he