PAN-EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY „APEIRON“ IN THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS

By submitting an application for accreditation at the Agency for Accreditation of Higher Education Institutions of the Republic of Srpska (No. 148/15 from 17/6/2015), Pan-European University has started the process of institutional accreditation.

Before the submission of the application for accreditation an extensive and comprehensive internal self-evaluation of quality (i.e. six regular annual self-evaluations in the period from 2010 to 2015) has been made, in accordance with the Standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European higher education area and the Criteria for accreditation of higher education institutions in B&H, as well as in accordance with the Procedure for accreditation of higher education institutions (HEAA PR114:September 2011).

The procedures of internal and external quality assurance, standardized and set by quality objectives and policies of the Pan-European University, are fully compliant with national and international standards in the field of higher education. As far as higher education in the Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina is concerned, the following is relevant: “Standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European higher education area” adopted in 2005 by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education – ENQA.

The University has a work permit/license for the execution of all study programs, issued by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Srpska, which also represents the initial accreditation, according to the Law on Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska (Official Gazette of the Republic of Srpska, No. 73/10, Article 26, paragraph 4).

Pan-European University “APEIRON” has been entered in the Register of higher education institutions under the number 11/I by the decision of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Srpska. All higher education institutions entered in the Register of higher education institutions have an initial accreditation (Official Gazette of the Republic of Srpska, No. 73/10, Article 26, paragraph 5).

The realization of the quality policy in higher education is a priority of the overall business policy of the institution and aims to achieve lasting progress, meet the requirements and the needs of students, academic and business partners, employees, and society as a whole.

For five years, the University has been applying the international standard of quality management ISO 9001: 2008 for higher education, adult education, scientific research, and experimental development, in accordance with the Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001:2008 in education IWA:2, the European standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European higher education area (ESG), and the Criteria for accreditation of higher education institutions. The University is certified by the accreditation body TÜV Rheinland InterCert Kft. on 8 August 2011 under the number 75 100 50210. External assessments of the quality system ISO 9001:2008 are done once a year. Last external assessment of the quality system ISO 9001:2008 was carried out in June 2015.

On the influential international ranking list “Webometrics Ranking” (www.webometrics.info), created according to the extent of Internet activities of universities and colleges, including more

than 20 thousand higher education institutions, Pan-European University “APEIRON” Banja Luka is ranked among the best higher education institutions in B&H and neighboring countries. The ranking list included all the information on higher education institutions published on the Internet, the number of published papers of teachers and students on the Internet, students’ Internet activities, dynamics of information displaying, etc. The goal of the ranking list is to evaluate to what extent universities and colleges are active participants in the information society of the 21st century.

By prioritizing the quality in its business policies, the University can provide educational and scientific services of the highest quality, in accordance with the needs and expectations of its students and society in general, a safe and healthy environment for all employees, as well as a continuous improvement of business processes and the entire system.