EQAR maintains a register of quality assurance agencies that comply with European standards and guidelines. Its goals are to increase transparency, enhance trust between agencies, and prevent "accreditation mills". EQAR is mandated by European governments to manage the register and make decisions through an independent committee. Several policy documents call for recognition of QA decisions by EQAR-registered agencies, especially for joint programs. EQAR monitors registered agencies and facilitates implementation of the European Approach for quality assurance of joint programs.

1. European Quality Assurance
Register for Higher Education
The Role of EQAR in Quality
Assurance of Joint Programmes
HERE-ES PLA on Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes
Salamanca, 9 November 2015
Colin Tück

2. Role of EQAR in the EHEA
Register of QA agencies that substantially
comply with the ESG
Mission: further development of the EHEA by
increasing transparency of quality assurance
 Enhance trust amongst QA agencies
 Prevent „accreditation mills“
 Recognition of QA decisions and results
 HEIs to choose suitable registered QAA
Role:
 Mandated by European governments
to manage the Register
 Governed jointly by stakeholders and
EHEA governments
 Decisions by independent Register Committee
Stakeholder
organisations
Governments
Observers
Register Committee
Independent QA experts,
nominated by stakeholders
approves

3. European Framework for
Quality Assurance in HE
Standards and Guidelines
for Quality Assurance
in the EHEA (ESG)
Common framework
Enable assurance and improvement
Support mutual trust
European Quality Assurance
Register for HE (EQAR)
Transparency of QA
Information on bona fide agencies
Mutual trust and recognition
Qualifications Framework
of the EHEA (QF EHEA)
Three levels (Ba, Ma, PhD)
Learning outcomes
ECTS ranges
European Approach for
QA of Joint Programmes
Agreed standards and procedure
for joint programmes
Criteria for
registration
Based on
ESG & QF
Applied by
EQAR-reg. Agencies
Referred in
standard 1.2

4. Policy Context
 London Communiqué (2007):
“[EQAR] will therefore [...] facilitate the mutual recognition of quality
assurance and accreditation decisions.”
 Bucharest Communiqué (2012):
“In particular, we will aim to recognise quality assurance decisions
of EQAR-registered agencies on joint and double degree
programmes.”
 European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint
Programmes (2015):
“[…] the cooperating institutions should select a suitable quality
assurance agency from the list of EQAR-registered agencies.”

5. Cross-border recognition of
quality assurance results
 Recognising EQAR-
registered agencies
as part of the
national
requirements for
external QA
 Recognising foreign
agencies with
own/specific
framework
 Discussions ongoing
 Countries not
recognising external
QA by foreign
agency

6. Follow-up and monitoring
of registered agencies
Annual updates on reviews and countries
Substantive change reports
Third-party complaints
Renewal every 5 years

7. Specific activities re.
European Approach
 Information on European Approach
 Promote amongst stakeholders
 Frequently asked questions, e.g. definition
 National implementation
 Gather information and make available on website
 Contribute to monitoring/stocktaking (BFUG WGs)
 Exchange of experiences (Members' Dialogue)
 List of programmes reviewed
 Transparency how European Approach is used
 Enable others to identify examples

8. Questions for discussion
 What are the remaining barriers to using the
European Approach?
 How could EQAR contribute to resolving them?
 Needs of governments and stakeholders?
 What support do ministries need in adjusting their legal
frameworks?
 What information do HEIs need to identify suitable QAA?
 How to make the European Approach transparent for
(potential) students?
 What do QAAs need to successfully apply the European
Approach?