News

As part of the Agency's regular activities, a workshop on the initial accreditation of higher education institutions and study programs was held on December 29 at the University of Banja Luka. Given that this is a new competence of the Agency, a set of documents establishing a new type of external evaluation in higher education was presented, starting with the legal framework, standards for initial accreditation, implementing regulations and instructions for preparing documentation and forms. The workshop was attended by representatives of all faculties, members of the University of Banja Luka, and the main goal was to achieve a common understanding in the application of standards and the relationship of all actors in the initial accreditation.

The Center for Information and Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CIP) organized a round table conference "Higher Education Reform - Impact on Recognition and Mobility" on November 24, 2021 in Mostar. The round table was attended by representatives of higher education institutions and institutions responsible for the recognition of foreign higher education qualifications from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Representatives of the Agency for Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska also took part in the event.
The activities regarding the implementation of international projects of the CIP were presented at the conference as well as the Recommendation on the assessment of foreign higher education qualifications in the recognition process and the Recommendation on the recognition of qualifications for access to higher education. Ilir Deda, an employee of the Regional Cooperation Council, presented the proposal of the Western Balkan Agreement on Recognition of Academic Qualifications, which should be signed by the six economies of the Western Balkans in the coming period. Representatives of the University of Mostar and the University of Herzegovina had presentations on student mobility and reform of priorities for the development of higher education which were followed by an interesting panel discussion.

Assistant Director for Accreditation and International Cooperation Duska Radmanovic participated in the second meeting of the working group for higher education, which specifically discussed the methodology for collecting data on employment of people with higher education, held on December 7 in Banja Luka.
The working group operates within the project "Education and Employment" funded by the European Union, and deals with issues within the second component of the project "Quality Assurance in Higher Education" which aims to develop qualification standards and occupational standards, as well as improving mechanisms recognition of non-formal and informal education.
Expert consultant Sanja Crnkovic-Pozaic presented the methodology for estimating the demand for higher education knowledge and skills in the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, focusing on the importance of analyzing employment data, where the unemployment rate is only one indicator, while it is equally important to take into account employment of individuals with different profiles of higher education, since a significant part of workers is not employed in their profession.
The plan for mapping selected study programs for which qualification standards and occupational standards will be developed was also presented at the meeting.

Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (CEENQA) held on November 17, 2021. the eighth two-month online meeting of representatives of network member agencies, which, in addition to the report of the president and board members, was dedicated to the presentation of the work of network member agencies.
The work of the Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (AQAE) from Azerbaijan was presented by Ilham Humbatov, director of the Department for quality assurance, while the work of the Agency for Control and Quality Assurance in Higher Education (AKOKVO) from Montenegro was presented by Milica Kavedzic, independent advisor for international cooperation.