The Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE) is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year, and on that occasion it is organizing an international conference entitled “Quality in Higher Education and Science: From Challenges to Opportunities – Together,” which will be held on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, at the Sheraton Hotel in Zagreb.
The conference will bring together prominent national and international experts, representatives of higher education institutions and research organizations, policymakers, students, and partners from European organizations and networks active in the field of quality assurance in higher education and science.
Key Topics
- European perspectives in quality assurance
- Students and quality in higher education
- Challenges and opportunities in Croatia and Europe
Dialogue and Cooperation
Through plenary sessions, talks, lectures, and panel discussions, participants will have the opportunity to exchange experiences, discuss current challenges, and reflect on future opportunities for developing the higher education and science system — in Croatia and beyond. The conference will serve as an opportunity to jointly shape future guidelines and emphasize the importance of cooperation in improving the quality of higher education and science.
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
09:00 – 09:30 Registration and Welcome
09:30 – 10:00 Official Opening of the Conference
- Opening Remarks: Prof. Danijela Horvatek Tomić, PhD (Agency for Science and Higher Education, Director)
- Opening Remarks: Assist. Prof. Iva Ivanković, PhD (Envoy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament and Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, State Secretary at the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth)
Presentation of the Agency for Science and Higher Education’s anniversary promotional film marking 20 years of its work
10:00 – 11:30 Keynote Address: European Perspectives on Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Science
- Douglas Blackstock (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, ENQA, Immediate Past President)
- Aleksandar Šušnjar (European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education, EQAR, Director)
Moderator: Prof. Franci Demšar, PhD (Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, NAKVIS, Director)
11:00 – 11:30 Discussion
11:30 – 12:00 Lana Par (European Students’ Union, ESU, President)
Students and Quality in Higher Education: Challenges, Expectations, and Guidelines for the Future
12:00 – 13:15 Lunch Break
13:15 – 14:15 Panel 1: Quality as a Common Language of European Education and Science
Moderator: Prof. Olgun Cicek, PhD (University of Ljubljana)
This panel will discuss the role of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG) as a foundation for building trust, cooperation, and mutual recognition within the European Higher Education and Research Area. Through dialogue with representatives of quality assurance agencies and HEI stakeholders, the panel will explore current challenges in implementing ESG at the national and institutional level, the role of students and stakeholders, and future directions for quality assurance systems.
Panelists: Mr. Péter Levente Lakatos, PhD (Hungarian Accreditation Committee, MAB, Director General), Mr. Naim Gashi (Kosovo Accreditation Agency, KAA, Director), prof. Anita Pavić Pintarić, PhD (University of Zadar, Vice Rector), Lana Par (European Students’ Union, ESU, President)
14:20 – 15:20 Panel 2: Challenges in Higher Education and Science in Croatia
Moderator: Mrs. Irena Petrušić, PhD (Agency for Science and Higher Education, ASHE, Director Deputy)
Higher education today faces a series of complex challenges that require coordinated responses from policymakers, universities, students, and society as a whole. This panel will discuss how national and European education policies can respond to the needs of a system that aims to maintain sustainability, high quality and stability in the face of a rapidly changing world. Through dialogue with stakeholders, the panel will explore what sustainability in higher education means in the context of digital transformation, demographic trends, employability, international mobility, and the role of science and higher education in today’s society.
Panelists: Prof. Nebojša Stojčić, PhD (Vice President of the Rectors’ Conference of the Republic of Croatia and Rector of University of Dubrovnik), Dijana Mandić (Director of the Higher Education Directorate at the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth), Assoc. Prof. Damir Jugo, PhD, prof. of professional studies (President of the Board of Governors at Algebra Bernays University), David Matthew Smith, PhD (Director General of the Ruđer Bošković Institute)
15:20 – 15:40 Closing Discussion and Final Remarks
15:40 – 16:40 Light Refreshments
Speakers
- Douglas Blackstock, European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), Immediate Past President
- Aleksandar Šušnjar, European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), Director
- Lana Par, European Students’ Union (ESU), President
The working language of the conference is English.
The organization of the conference is supported within the project “Quality Assurance in Higher Education,” funded by the Efficient Human Resources 2021–2027 programme of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+).
