A three-day workshop (10-12 July 2023) supported by our project took place. The aim of the event was to support the Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA) in finalizing the revision of the accreditation standards, a process that has started time-ago. The event was chaired by the KAA Board president Ms. Hasnije Ilazi, whereas the HERAS Plus has engaged international and local expertise to provide contextual inputs during the entire process of the finalization.

It is important to mention that the process of revising accreditation standards is based on the relevant feedback received from accreditation cycles. As such, it aims to shape a more transparent and user-friendly accreditation standards both for institutional and programme accreditation and based on the lesson learnt from the implementation of the current standards.

During the event, our team leader Mr. Aqim Emurli stated that HERAS Plus will remain committed until the standards are fully finalized and adopted by the KAA and emphasized that the new standards will have positive impact on KAAs future membership in ENQA and EQAR.

On 17 June 2022, we had the pleasure of supporting a valuable exchange between Ms. Gudrun Feucht, HERAS Plus International expert, and the Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA) staff and board members. Best practices and comparative perspectives were provided on different topics, including developing and approving policies (evaluation standards, etc.), decision-making procedures, stakeholder involvement, and composition of the board and its responsibilities.

KAA representatives received practical examples and advice on different processes and instruments the Agency could adopt in the future. The substantial exchange also revolved around the best practice of ensuring the labor market relevance of the study programs and enhancing the third mission of the Universities for community involvement and sustainability. Insights from this meeting will inform and shape the project’s support and contribution to the KAA and quality assurance in higher education.

We were pleased to support the first public hearing for the Kosovo Accreditation Agency Law (KAA), with the request of and in close cooperation with the Committee on Education, Science, Technology, Innovation, Culture Youth and Sport of the Kosovo Assembly.

This event targeted the higher education institutions’ representatives and academia to enable a forum of discussion about the last version of the Law. Participants commented and discussed different provisions of the Law, such as the roles and responsibilities of the KAA bodies, accreditation timeline and accreditation validity, the external evaluation issues, and the broader vision for the Higher Education sector.

Ms. Arbërie Nagavci, Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) Minister, and Mr. Ardian Gola, chairman of the respective committee, addressed the event. Both Ms. Nagavci and Mr. Gola thanked HERAS Plus for their continued support for the KAA in enhancing the quality of higher education. They welcomed participants’ inputs to ensure inclusion and address relevant gaps and higher education needs in the KAA Law. Ms. Nagavci elaborated on drafting and finalizing the Law on KAA, stressed the importance of the Law in ensuring quality in higher education through a solid legal basis and the commitment of MESTI in this regard, and expressed her gratitude for all stakeholder’s involvement.

This activity is within the scope of continuous support provided by the HERAS Plus Project to the Kosovo Accreditation Agency, Higher Education Institutions, and MESTI to enhance higher education in line with the European Frameworks and requirements of the respective agencies, such as ENQA.

On 25 February 2022, the HERAS Plus in cooperation with the Assembly of Kosovo (AoK), Committee on Education, Science, Technology, Innovation, Culture, Youth and Sport, organized a public hearing event with regard to the draft law on Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA).

The main aim of the event was to provide international expertise in reviewing the law, based on good practices from other countries of EU as well as enable suitable legal base to ensure that KAA can work as expected from an independent quality assurance agency. The specific interventions of the review were related to the framework conditions that the law shall create in order Kosovo ensures regulatory clarity, responds to the past experience with European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies (ENQA) as well as ensures ESG compliance with the European Standard Guidelines (ESG) for quality assurance (https://www.enqa.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ESG_2015.pdf ).

With the support from HERAS Plus, Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA) held a two-day workshop on November 15th-16th  on the Revision of Accreditation Standards, under the guidance of international and national expertise. The first draft of the Revised Accreditation Standards was presented and discussed for additional inputs. Working members reflected upon the revised standards about the proven need for a substantial review of the Accreditation Standards/Manual and the annexes and templates in use and their Institutions vision for the Higher Education.

The 1st Draft of the Revised Accreditation Standards presented during the 3rd Workshop is built upon a process involving surveying of Institutions, International Accreditation Experts, and other stakeholders, and contributions from the  SWOT analysis and discussion of the needs of the Kosovo Higher Education System and the lessons learned by administering the existing Standards.

Revision of Accreditation Standards is one of the activities supported by HERAS Plus for KAA in reviewing their current policies and practices to make them more appropriate for the national context and enable more comparable, user-friendly, and transparent evaluations for all stakeholders.

This process is being conducted with substantial involvement of the respective Working Group, established by KAA, composed of senior HE institutions leadership, representatives of all relevant institutions, beneficiaries of the accreditation process, and KAA representatives. Local expertise is engaged in providing contextual inputs in the process of drafting the Revised Accreditation Standards.

On 23 September 2021, with the support of HERAS Plus, the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) and the Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA) held the concluding Workshop towards finalizing the KAA Law.

The Workshop was attended by the respective Working Group Members, the State Council of Quality (SCQ), MESTI, and KAA officials. During this Workshop, comments received from the public consultation stage were reviewed and addressed towards finalizing the KAA Law and follow-up proceedings.

The new KAA Law is designed to be in full accordance with the ESGs for quality assurance and addressing all ENQA recommendations. In particular, the law addresses the ESG standard 3.3 concerning Independence that clearly states that “Agencies should be independent and act autonomously and have full responsibility for their operations and the outcomes of those operations without third party influence”.

On 07 September 2021 Kosovo Higher Education Conference 2021 took place today. A unique event gathering all Higher Education (HE) sector stakeholders including representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), rectors and vice-rectors of public universities, donor funded projects, HE experts, representatives of students, etc. The event is opened by the Deputy Minister of MESTI, Ms. Edona Maloku-Bërdyna, the First Secretary of the Austrian Embassy in Prishtina, Mr. Martin Schaller, the President of Rector’s Conference, Mr. Alush Musaj, and the Team Leader of HERAS+ Project Mr. Aqim Emurli.

The Conference aimed at discussing the most relevant matters in the framework of developments and reforms in the HE sector Kosovo. In this context, the event provided a platform for discussion on current capacities and future prospects of Kosovo Higher Education sector. The need for a better policy dialogue and evidence-based policy making are identified as the underlining themes of discussions and the proposed line of action.

To facilitate and streamline discussions during the Conference, the Project has drafted a working paper, which was presented and discussed with the participants. Mr. Bastian Baumann and Mr. Jeton Mehmeti, an international and a local expert respectively, were engaged by the Project to specifically handle this task.

The draft working paper examines topics such as: legal framework, governance and strategic planning, international affairs and academic mobility, research development and innovation, teaching capacities and learning outcomes, labour market relevance of the programmes, quality assurance, students affairs, etc. Recommendations for future action and development was outlined and discussed too. In this regard, the draft working paper is synthesis of baseline assessments of public universities conducted by international and local experts within the HERAS Plus Project.

The Project Team collected inputs and feedback from the discussion during the Conference and based on these input and feedback the draft working paper will be further streamlined into a Policy Brief that will be shared with all participants.

On 03 September 2021 HERAS Plus organized a constitutive meeting for establishment of the Association of Kosovar-Austrian Alumni (AKAA). The Association is expected to further promote the internationalization and academic mobility between Kosovo and Austria, share lesson learnt and act as a catalyst for generating new ideas. During the event the main bodies of the AKAA such as Founders and Board members were selected/nominated in accordance with the Statute of the Association which was also presented at the event.

The AKAA will be a non-profit foundation, according to the legislation of Kosovo. The constitutive meeting mainly marked a ceremonial event of establishing the Association of Alumni as a legal entity, whereas the Project will seek ways to provide specific support and assistance with the aim of functionalizing the Association and helping to fulfill its mission.

HERAS Plus Project is entrusted to support the establishment of the Association of Kosovar-Austrian Alumni which will bring together all Kosovan scholars that have graduated in Austrian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the last 20 years.

Kosovo Accreditation Agency, with the support from HERAS Plus, organized on the 21st of July the 2nd Workshop with the Working Group on the Revision of Accreditation Standards, under the guidance of international expertise. Revision of Accreditation Standards for Institutional, bachelor, and master level follows the feedback from the accreditation cycles and the proven need for a substantial review of the Accreditation Standards/Manual and the annexes and templates in use.

This activity supports KAA in reviewing its current policies and practices to make them more appropriate for the national context and enable evaluations that are more comparable, user-friendly, and transparent for all stakeholders.

During the 2nd Workshop, participants worked jointly in groups to perform SWOT analysis and discuss the needs of the Kosovo Higher Education System and the lessons learned by administering the existing Standards.

During the 3rd Workshop, envisaged taking place in November 2021, the first draft of the Revised Accreditation Standards will be presented and discussed. This process is being conducted with substantial involvement of the respective Working Group, established by KAA, composed of senior HE institutions leadership, representatives of all relevant institutions, beneficiaries of the accreditation process, and KAA representatives. Local expertise will be engaged to provide contextual inputs in the process of drafting the Revised Accreditation Standards.

On 10 March 2021, HERAS Plus and Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA) organized a kick-off meeting for a vital activity of HERAS Plus support regarding the Revision of Accreditation Standards Manual which is based in the principles and standard of the Standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). As such, the revised Accreditation Standards Manual will reflect the expected quality assurance by European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA )as well as the needs and suggestions addressed by all the relevant stakeholders in Kosovo.

The revision derives from the need to contextualize and adapt the existing standard formulations by considering many factors and developments,  all of which are expected to be explored during the revision work process through different research tools in the frame of ESG’s and ENQA’s recommendations, with multilevel stakeholder involvement, substantial discussions and consideration of the best practices.

Noteworthy, this activity is part of the signed Memorandum of Understanding between KAA and HERAS Plus as of November 2020, where it is agreed that HERAS Plus engages a lead International Expert to Revise the Manual of Standards, a manual based on the standards and principles of ESG.