Belgrade, 18th December – The Agreement on cooperation in the area of quality assurance between Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assurance and Higher Education Accreditation Agency of Republika Srpska was signed on 18th December, 2013 in Belgrade.
The Agreement was grounded on the need for improvement of cooperation in the area of accreditation, quality assurance and other processes in the area of higher education pursuant to the Agreement on Special and Parallel Relations between Republic of Serbia and Republika Srpska with special reference the cooperation arising from the Memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska and the Ministry of Education of Republic of Serbia on cooperation in the area of education. The meeting was between representatives of CAQA: Prof. Endre Pap, President of the Commission, Prof. Vera Vujicic, Deputy President with associates and representatives of HEAARS: Prof. Miroslav Bobrek, Agency Director and Prof. Petar Maric, Chairman of the Accreditation Forum and the topic of the meeting were possible forms of cooperation between these two bodies in 2014. Result of the discussion was the arrangement on the permanent exchange of experts who participate in the processes of external evaluation of higher education institutions and study programs what is a good practice of agencies in the European Higher Education Area. The forthcoming process of study programs’ accreditation in Republika Srpska shall use experience and already implemented models from Serbia. Programs of professionalization of staff responsible for quality assurance in higher education institutions and experts who conduct external evaluation processes shall be subject of exchange and integration in accordance with European and national standards.