SMEQA Project: International Conference in Banja Luka

On December 2nd and 3rd, the University of Banja Luka hosted an international conference on quality assurance in higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The event was organized as part of the project Strengthening Capacities and Mechanisms for Enhancement of Quality Assurance System in Higher Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SMEQA). It brought together project partners from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia, who participated in discussions on quality assurance in higher education.

The first day of the conference featured opening remarks from representatives of the universities of Banja Luka and Zenica, followed by the introduction of the new EQAR president, Aleksandar Šušnjara. Peter Levante Lakatos, a member of the ENQA board, presented the challenges and dilemmas regarding the upcoming reform of standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area.

Sandra Bezjak and Emita Blagdan, representatives of the Croatian Agency for Science and Higher Education (AZVO), provided insights into external and internal quality assurance processes in Croatia. Klemen Šubic, a representative of NAKVIS, presented the role and impact of the external quality assurance system in the Republic of Slovenia.

The presentations were followed by a panel discussion that highlighted key challenges in harmonizing external quality assurance systems and offered proposals for appropriate solutions.

The event marked an important step in fostering a culture of quality in higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina and aligning national quality assurance trends with international standards and guidelines. The conference was attended by three representatives of the agency, the next event of this kind is scheduled for April.