1. ToTo whatwhat extentextent wewe cancan
trusttrust
Borcho Aleksov,
Deputy Head
Higher Education Department
Ministry of Education and Science
Macedonia

2. Cooperation in Higher Education
Quality Assurance − Why cooperation when:
• EHEA (Bologna) countries
• National Quality Assurance Agencies
(ENQA/EQAR), ECA
• ENIC/NARIC
• EUA
• EHEA Qualification Framework
(Self-certification)
• European Qualification Framework
(Referencing)
not enough? don’t we trust each others?

3. Western Balkans
• Western Balkans Platform on Education and
Training (European Commission)
• Regional Roadmap for the promotion of
Regional Higher Education Policy in West
Balkans (Novi Sad initiative, TEMPUS, HEA IR)
• Joint TFBHC and ERI SEE Cluster of
Knowledge: Development of National
Qualifications Frameworks
and others:
• CEENQA
• CEEPUS

4. Quality: Built on mutual trust

5. Quality Assurance

6. Protection or mutual trust?
to what extent we can trust
uniform systems?
or presenting our
achievements and
guaranty

7. Cooperation benefits
• Bonn Declaration on regional cooperation in
Quality Assurance in Higher Education, 2007
• Agreement for Co-operation ECA-CEEN 2006,
ECA-INQAAHE, 2008
• MULTRA-Mutual Agreement on Mutual
Recognition of accreditation results regarding
Joint Programmes, 2010
• Bilateral Mutual Recognition Agreements

8. Situation
• Public trust in higher education is being eroded
• Lack of Assessment of the impact of Quality
Assurance
(Effectiveness of Quality Assurance Instruments)
• Impact of University Rankings on Higher
Education Policy in Europe
• Higher Education−Society links
• Public funding is spread too thinly across too
many universities
• Automatic Recognition of Qualifications

9. • demonstrating the reliability and validity ofdemonstrating the reliability and validity of
our quality assurance instruments is essentialour quality assurance instruments is essential
for continued credibilityfor continued credibility
• empirical data for evaluation (private sector)empirical data for evaluation (private sector)
against subjective judgment (higheragainst subjective judgment (higher
education)education)
• despite criticism of global university rankingsdespite criticism of global university rankings
their influence is growingtheir influence is growing

10. EU. . .
The main responsibility for delivering
reforms in higher education rests with
member states and education institutions
themselves. However, the Bologna process,
the EU Agenda for modernisations of
universities and creation of the European
Research Area show that the challenges
and policies responses transcend national
borders.

11. Macedonia
• Supports regional cooperation and initiatives
• Bologna since 2003, ENIC/NARIC member
• Associated member of ENQA
• Automatic recognition for 500 universities on ARWU,
“Shanghai” Ranking list
• National ranking of universities
(5 public, 15 private, ~70 000 students)
• About 2500 foreign students, about 1500 foreign
diplomas yearly
(most of them from region: BG, SRB, CRO, SLO, TR,
AL, RO, GR, but also A, UK, F, S, USA, and
elsewhere

12. Macedonia
• Still weak university initiatives and poor university
management
• Mobility is obligatory as well as university agreements
for collaboration
• Doctoral studies (Salzburg I, II) since 2010
• National Qualification Framework for Higher Education
2010
• Financing higher education system reconstruction
• National Bilateral Agreements: BG, SRB, BA, SLO,
CRO, TR, A, RUS, CZ, PL, SK, USA, AZ, etc.
none: South America, Africa, Central Asia, Australia

13. Regional Cooperation Challenges
 regional cooperation with leading centre
 diversity against focus on excellence
 end of egalitarian tradition in higher
education
(funds will not be distributed evenly)
 modern and highly productive university
governance
 common research priorities: innovation,
energy, health, food, . . .

14. Quality Assurance Cooperation
• External peer review and External Examiners
• Empirical evidence of effectiveness
(quantification of quality assurance criterions, different
data sources)
• Social programme evaluation approach
study programme tuning process
• “unrecognizable” qualification recognition
• professionalization of public governance,
management, and administration of higher
education

15. Thank you for your attention
Borco.Aleksov@mon.gov.mk