Press release from QAA/
The European University of Tirana (EUT) has become the first institution in Albania to achieve global accreditation from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), the UK’s independent quality body and a global leader in quality assurance for higher education.
The global accreditation is awarded to international institutions who have passed the QAA’s rigorous International Quality Review (IQR), which measures global institutions against international quality assurance standards set out in Part 1 of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).
The review took place virtually between 24-27 May 2022 and was completed by a team of three independent reviewers. In making their conclusions, the review team confirmed that EUT meets all 10 of the internal quality assurance standards in the ESG.
The review team also identified a number of features of good practice including:
• the robust quality assurance framework, systems and processes, their effective implementation and the engagement of staff at all levels,
• the active engagement of, and extensive contribution made by, external stakeholders to the design, delivery and monitoring of academic programmes, principally but not exclusively through the Labour Market Boards,
• and the provision of individualised advice and guidance to prospective students that informs their decision making.
Prof. Dr. Tonin Gjuraj, rector of EUT said: “The award of international accreditation from the UK Quality Assurance Agency is the fulfillment of an aspiration dated 10 years ago, when the European University of Tirana confirmed its ambition to undergo an international review process for its second institutional accreditation. I am pleased to see that our efforts in enhancing quality assurance and building a quality culture in our institution received an excellent review from one of the most reputable agencies. We are thankful to the QAA team for making this the most valuable and worthwhile experience, and we are excited to be part of the QAA membership network, which provides robust support for our further quality enhancement endeavors”.
Vicki Stott, QAA’s Chief Executive said: “This is an excellent achievement by the European University of Tirana that demonstrates their commitment to following international best practice standards in quality assurance. The IQR process has supported EUT to reflect on its approach to managing the quality of the student experience and provides confidence to prospective international partners in the quality of the University’s quality assurance processes.”
The University has obtained QAA institutional accreditation for a period of five years, subject to a satisfactory mid-cycle review. This allows them to display QAA’s IQR Accreditation Badge, demonstrating that their quality assurance procedures are comparable with international best practice. Through achieving QAA global accreditation, EUT is also eligible to become a QAA International Member. International Quality Review is carried out in QAA’s capacity supporting the development of higher education quality internationally, including activity to support QAA Members and collaboration with international partners.
By securing global accreditation from QAA, international institutions can clearly spotlight their quality standards internationally, and more easily open dialogue with institutions outside their own country.
You can read the European University of Tirana’s full report on our website. You can also find out more about the IQR process. If you are interested in your institution signing up and wish to discuss this further, contact a member of the QAA Global team on accreditation@qaa.ac.uk.
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Notes to editors
1. For further information, contact Kevin McStravock, Lead Policy Officer (Nations & Europe) on k.mcstravock@qaa.ac.uk.
2. The European University of Tirana (EUT) was licensed by the Albanian Council of Ministers in September 2006. EUT’s mission is to provide students with a high-quality education based on the most updated scientific research; provide knowledge to the Albanian society through teaching, creativity, the use of best scientific achievements, as well as labour market and international partnerships.
3. The outcome of the EUT international quality review can be found at https://www.qaa.ac.uk//en/training-and-services/iqr/published-iqr-reports.
4. IQR has been specially developed to provide international institutions with an independent peer review, through which they are measured against the 10 standards for internal quality assurance of the ESG, the quality assurance framework adopted across 48 countries in the European Higher Education Area. The ESG are respected worldwide and have influenced the development of quality frameworks across Africa and the ASEAN region, and the development of a global language of quality assurance. You can find out more about International Quality Review and global accreditation at www.qaa.ac.uk/iqr.
5. The expert team that reviewed the European University of Tirana comprised Professor Jeremy Bradshaw (chair), Ms Hannah Doe (student reviewer) and Professor Anca Greere (international reviewer).
6. International Quality Review is overseen by QAA’s IQR Accreditation Panel who consider recommendations made by QAA review teams in order to determine whether an institution should be awarded institutional accreditation. You can read more about the international experts who make up the Accreditation Panel here.
7. QAA is the independent quality body for UK higher education. It is a higher education charitable company, which is limited by guarantee and whose UK and international members are representative organisations of the higher education sector. More information on QAA’s work is available on www.qaa.ac.uk.
8. QAA is a founding member of the European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), a full member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) and has observatory status with the Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN).
9. For further information on QAA’s International Membership, visit https://www.qaa.ac.uk/traini…/qaa-international-membership.