RS HEAA has just undergone a three-day long on-site visit of ENQA Panel of experts within the course of the external evaluation.
At the beginning of 2016, RS HEAA has submitted the application for full membership in the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) as well as application for registration in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR).
Panel of experts was appointed in order to establish whether RS HEAA acts and conducts its activities in accordance with European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015). With reference to this, RS HEAA was obliged to prepare the self-evaluation report in accordance with ENQA guidelines and present its entire operations over the past five years.
Appointed members of the Panel are: Bernard Coulie, Panel Chairman (University of Leuven, Belgium), Stephen Jackson, Panel Secretary (Quality Assurance Agency, UK), Durdica Dragojevic, Panel member (Agency for Science and Higher Education, Croatia), Paula Ranne (ENQA Coordinator) and Oana Onicas, student (Romania).
On site visit to the Agency took place from Monday, 20th February 2017 to Wednesday, 22nd February 2017. The first day of the on-site visit comprised meetings and interviews with Agency employees, members of the Steering Board, Agency director and team for self-evaluation.
Interviews with representatives of stakeholders took place on the second day of the on-site visit. Minister, Dane Malesevic, PhD, Radmila Pejic, PhD, Assistant Minister for higher education and Head of Higher Education Department, Sanela Dojcinovic represented the Ministry of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska. Representatives of higher education institutions' management who took place at interviews were: Aleksandar Bogdanic, PhD (College Kapha Phi, Banja Luka), Prof. Dejan Bokonjic, PhD (University of East Sarajevo), Prof. Strain Posavljak (University of Banja Luka) and Prof. Marijana Ziravac, PhD (University of Business Engineering and Management, Banja Luka). Representatives of HEIs' management have been selected so to represent both, public and private HEIs, universities and colleges. The interview that followed was the one with quality assurance coordinators at HEIs: Jelena Curguz, MA (College Kappa Phi), Ozren Trisic, MA (University of Banja Luka) and Nenad Markovic, MA (University of East Sarajevo). Experts, members of Panels from our country were represented by Prof. Zdravko Todorovic, PhD and Prof. Dejan Bokonjic, PhD as representatives of the academic community, Bosko Borojevic, MS as an expert representative of the labour market and Gordana Visekruna, representative of students in expert panels. Representatives of students were Predrag Govedarica (University of East Sarajevo), Goran Vucic and Borislav Mandic (University of Banja Luka). Representatives of other stakeholders who took part in interviews were also Olivera Radic, representative of Republika Srpska Chamber of Commerce, Milenko Malinovic, representative of City of Banja Luka Administration, Miroslav Savija, representative of MAHLE Letrika company, Laktasi and Prof. Enver Halilovic, PhD, representative of Agency for Development of Higher Education and Quality Assurance of BiH.
Last day of the visit comprised another interview with the Agency director, Prof. Miroslav Bobrek, PhD, internal Panel meeting and final address to all Agency representatives.
The Panel emphasized that the final decision on Agency membership in ENQA is passed by the ENQA Steering Board, but surely based on the report to be made by the Panel.
Bernard Coulie, Panel Chairman has thanked all Agency employees, as well as all representatives of stakeholders for their openness and stressed that the dedication towards the quality improvement of higher education is reflected through the work of the Agency as well as with other participants in the system what is a result of Agency activities.
He has also stressed that the on-site visit represents the most significant part of the external evaluation since it is the opportunity to have an overview of the whole situation in the Agency, meet people who work in the Agency, gain an insight in the implementation of procedures and, through interviews with stakeholders, comprehend the manner in which the Agency contributes to the development and improvement of the higher education in the country.
The report of the Panel should be submitted to the Agency for comments by the end of April, this year whereas the scrutiny of the report and the final decision of the ENQA Steering Board should be made known on the 13th September, 2017.
Membership in ENQA and EQAR, besides representing recognition of the higher education system in Republika Srpska in the European Higher Education Area, Panel report and recommendations shall be an important guide to the Agency in the further development of procedures and planned activities.
