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The Quality Assurance Perspective of LINKING – MED – GULF:
International Seminar LINKING – MED – GULFThe state of Arab-Euro cooperation in Higher
EducationBarcelona, 21 January, 2013
Aula Magna – Universitat de Barcelona
Rafael van Grieken
Director, ANECA
LINKING – MED – GULF: an useful tool for regional cooperation
Introduction: Linking Gulf-Med
ContentsContents
Background of the QA Dimension
Objectives for the Quality Assurance
Perspective of the Project
Conclusions: challenges for QA in the
Euro-Med-Gulf
LINKING‐‐‐‐MED‐‐‐‐GULF: Objectives of the Project
Synergies and innovation linking the MENA region, the Gulf and Europe in HE.
Promoting a triangular dialogue between the MENA countries, the Gulf and Europe to face common challenges.
LINKING‐MED‐GULF project aims at:‐ ‐
a) Promoting the discussion between HE&R in the three regions and its links to employability.
b) Promoting discussions towards the international dimension of QA in the regions and the current trends in the area.
c) Promoting synergies between HE institutions and industry
d) Promoting employability conditions of graduates
Background of the QA Dimension: the JISER-MED Project (U. de Barcelona 2010- 2012)
• To identify internal and external QA structures and procedures for HE
• To foster the implementation of IQAS in HEIs
• To adapt the international (regional) evaluationstandards and guidelines to the local contexts
• To strengthen collaboration among QAAs existing in theEuro-Mediterranean Area
� The international dimension of QA should be a driving force to promote and recognise the international capacities of HEIs in the area in two ways:
� QA agencies produce international information for students (promoting mobility)
Objectives of the JISER-MED Quality Dimension
� Student mobility contributes to the internationalisation of the programmes at the national level
�Recognition: crucial issue and outcome. Embeddedin the project in different levels: recognition of study periods, recognition of joint-programmes and the practicalities and restrictions derived from mobility.
� To define standards for the IQAS of HEIs
� To promote the implementation of internal and external QA procedures in HEIs and to give support to stable external QA structures (not necessary in the form of an agency)
� To develop mechanisms to strengthen collaboration
Conclusions for the QA in the Euro-Med Area
� To develop mechanisms to strengthen collaboration and mutual trust to facilitate student mobility
� To build up an Euro-Mediterranean QA area taking into account the different academic and legal traditions of the three regions involved:Europe, North of Africa and Middle East
� Unique context to work out general QA criteria: The Mediterranean Basin as a natural crossroads and meeting point of Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
� To identify a small group of core criteria shared by the stakeholders involved in the project including
Conclusions for QA in the Euro-Med Area (2)
the stakeholders involved in the project including different cultural and historical backgrounds.
� JISER-MED spearheaded the QA inter-networks dialogue on general criteria at the international level (INQAAHE-ANQAHE-ENQA).
� State-of-the-art of the internal QA processes in the HEIs. To identify common trends in internal QA processes in the Euro-Mediterranean Area at the HEI level.
� To define the external processes of the national frameworks and their regional architectures. This
Conclusions for QA in the Euro-Med Area (3)
frameworks and their regional architectures. This could lead to identify generic standards at the regional level favouring the inter-regional dialogue on QA issues (ENQA-ANQAHE-INQAAHE).
� QA not an end in itself: oriented to achieve the specific goals of the programme/institution, the students and employers.
LINKING MED – GULF PROJECT
QUALITY ASSURANCE DIMENSION
Objectives
QUALITY ASSURANCE DIMENSION: Objectives
Strengthening collaboration between the 3 regions
Results in the QA dimension of JISER‐MED Project to compare both regions and share best practices within the Arab World
Collaboration in QA between the Gulf, the MENA and Europe.
ANECA will ensure the participation in the study preparation ANECA will ensure the participation in the study preparation and dissemination of the QA networks:
� Europe: ENQA and ECA (ANECA is member of the Boards of both organisations)
� Latin America: RIACES
�Global: INQAAHE (at the global level, being also member of its Board) where the QA agencies of Europe and the Arab world meets
QUALITY ASSURANCE DIMENSION: Methodology
Coordinated by ANECA: involving the regional QA networks
To identify and define the current trends in Quality Assurance.
� Is Quality Assurance important for European, MENA and Gulf relations in HE? Why?
� Are the QA methods currently in place transparent enough?
�How much confidence and level of knowledge affects the mutual understanding?
� Can collaboration contribute to confidence‐building? How?
�Which are the more adequate criteria to assess the quality of a programme?
� Admission policies
QUALITY ASSURANCE DIMENSION: Methodology (2)
� Curricula
�Different approaches to QA issues in the Gulf Region and the MENA region (based on the JISER‐MED Project)
�How students and academics from the Gulf assess the quality of a programme?of a programme?
�What is the relation between QA and employability?
The QA approach of the Gulf Region HEIs will be considered in defining the research variables and indicators for the study.
Based on the outcomes of this research, a green paper will be presented including QA strategies and policies.
QUALITY ASSURANCE DIMENSION: Agenda of the Project
- 1st Workshop – “International QA, Higher Education & Research and employability from a triangular perspective”. Oman, 2013.
- 2nd Workshop – “Future and present trends: - 2nd Workshop – “Future and present trends: Employability and HE in MENA, Europe and the Gulf”. Morocco, September 2014.
- 4th Evaluation meeting - ”Evaluation and Future opportunities”. ANECA, Madrid, November 2014
QUALITY ASSURANCE DIMENSION:
CONCLUSIONS
JISER-MED’s “humbly ambitious” objectives (R. Torrent)
� Identified the “languages”/mechanisms of internal QA processes within the HE institutions participating from Southern Europe and MENA Region
�Defined harmonised external QA criteria in Europe (ESG) and �Defined harmonised external QA criteria in Europe (ESG) and INQAAHE (GGP) to evaluate HEIs internal systems
�To favour mobility of students (in terms of recognition of short period of studies) and to identify trends in employability of graduates
Basis for further projects: EQUAM (Jordan) y LINKING MED –GULF (coordinator: Universitat de Barcelona)
QUALITY ASSURANCE DIMENSION:
CONCLUSIONS (2)
LINKING MED-GULF’s more ambitious objectives
To strengthen collaboration on harmonised QA criteria among the three regions involved: Europe, MENA and the Gulf
To use QA as a means to achieve the broad objectives of the Project in terms of employabilityProject in terms of employability
Promoting discussions towards the international dimension of QA in the regions and the current trends in the area
To set up a regular dialogue platform of QA bodies in the area to promote the international dimension of HE and to strengthen cooperation among the regions
