SQAA expert conference on work challenges and opportunities for the future

AT THE SQAA CONFERENCE HELD ON 12 NOVEMBER 2019, THE PARTICIPANTS DISCUSSED ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THEY ARE FACING IN THEIR WORK. THE PANEL DISCUSSION REVOLVED AROUND THE OPERATION OF THE AGENCIES SQAA, AZVO AND YÖDAK from Slovenia, Croatia and Northern Cyprus.

The conference was opened by the Director of SQAA, dr. Franci Demšar, followed by the presentation by M.Sc. Sandra Bezjak, the Assistant Director of the Agency for Science and Higher Education (AZVO) from Croatia, who presented the AZVO’s procedures, selection and training of experts and the revision of quality standards. In his presentation, Franci Demšar provided the audience with the key turning points in the operation of SQAA, the critical points in the procedures, while outlining its development plans for the future. Prof. Dr. Olgun Çiçek (YÖDAK) presented the role and development of the Cypriot Agency within their highly internationalized higher education system.

The conference continued with the panel debate on quality standards, with contributions by prof. dr. Peter Purg, President of the SQAA Council, prof. dr. Tadej Tuma, SQAA expert, prof. dr. Marinka Drobnic Košorok, SQAA expert, Jožica Kramar, Head of SQAA’s Quality Sector, and Klemen Šubic, Head of SQAA’s Sector for Analysis, International Cooperation and Computerization. The topics revolved around the role of expert reports for the Agency Council, and the issues experts face in their work, focusing primarily on the evaluation of distance learning and the implementation of the part-time studies.