In preparation of the UNESCO global conference on Quality Assurance in Higher Education, to be held in Paris in 2019, UNESCO is currently organizing regional events in different parts of the world in partnership with quality assurance agencies and relevant regional or global organizations. Switzerland will be hosting the event for Western Europe.
The UNESCO Regional Consultation Meeting for Western Europe will take place in the International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG) on 15-16 February 2018 under the title "The role of Quality Assurance in Higher Education: challenges, developments and trends". The event is co-organized by UNESCO's Division for Policies and Lifelong Learning systems and the Swiss Agency of Accreditation and Quality Assurance (AAQ) with the support of the Swiss National Commission for UNESCO. In parallel, the National accreditation agency of the Russian Federation (NAA) and the Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Career Development (AKKORK) are co-organizing the related event for Eastern Europe, to be held in Moscow in April 2018.
Here are some of the topics that will be discussed in this event:
- Quality assurance and the diversification of provision in higher education;
- Quality assurance and higher education in a global context (socio-economic development and Lifelong learning);
- Quality assurance in higher education for sustainable developement;
- How to ensure the relevance of external quality assurance mechanisms: accountability vs. improvement?;
- The role of internal quality assurance;
- Quality assurance of internationalization;
- Internationalization of quality assurance and the mutual recognition of quality assurance outcomes;
- Financing of quality assurance in a growing massification of higher education.
The principles guiding the recently adopted Education 2030 Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action: “Towards inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all” underscore the importance of establishing robust quality assurance systems as necessary instruments for addressing the challenges and opportunities. Quality assurance agencies, higher education institutions, policy makers, governmental bodies and other stakeholders that do care about the various facets of quality in higher education will find in Geneva and Moscow an ideal platform for discussion, reflection and exchange.