The Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE) has successfully passed the international external evaluation procedure, which for the third time since its establishment (2005) confirmed the credibility and quality of its work, i.e. external quality assurance procedures in higher education.
The international evaluation aimed at renewing the full membership of ASHE in the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education – ENQA and the status in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education – EQAR. ASHE has been a full member of these associations since 2011, and, like other European agencies for quality assurance in higher education, is obliged to undergo this procedure every five years for the purpose of renewing membership.
Agencies are evaluated according to European Standards and Guidelines (ESG), where four assessments of compliance with the standards are possible: not implemented, partially implemented, substantially implemented and fully implemented. ASHE was rated fully compliant with 13 standards out of 14 and substantially compliant with one standard, which ranked it among the best rated agencies in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).
The comprehensive process of external evaluation of ASHE – The ENQA Agency Review Process, coordinated by ENQA began in November 2020 and lasted until March 2022 and included several steps: preparation of the Agency’s self-assessment report, visit of an international review panel to the Agency, the final evaluation report of the review panel, the analysis and approval of the report by the ENQA body, the Agency Review Committee, and the final decision of the ENQA Board on the outcome of the procedure with instructions for follow-up.
At its regular session held in March 2022, the ENQA Board passed a positive decision on external review of ASHE, i.e. the renewal of its full membership in ENQA.
