European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF 2025) “QA in Times of Crises – Ensuring Stability, Autonomy and International Cooperation in Higher Education” (12-14.11.2025, Budapest)
On November 12–14, 2025, the European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF 2025) took place in Budapest, Hungary, bringing together key stakeholders involved in quality assurance in higher education from across Europe and beyond.
EQAF traditionally serves as a platform for professional dialogue, capacity building, and exchange of experience among rectors and vice-rectors responsible for quality assurance, QA officers in higher education institutions, students, quality assurance agency staff, researchers, and policymakers. The 2025 Forum was held under the theme “QA in Times of Crises – Ensuring Stability, Autonomy and International Cooperation in Higher Education.”
The Forum focused on the role of quality assurance in supporting higher education systems amid rapid political, economic, technological, and societal changes. Particular emphasis was placed on quality assurance as a stabilising force that helps ensure continuity of high-quality education and research during periods of uncertainty, while at the same time enabling innovation and long-term development.
The programme combined plenary sessions, parallel thematic sessions, workshops, research paper presentations, and practical case studies. Discussions addressed flexible and adaptive quality assurance approaches capable of responding to crises and emerging challenges, institutional autonomy and effective governance under external pressure, knowledge security, and the resilience of higher education institutions.
EQAF 2025 also explored how quality assurance can uphold higher education as a public good and promote core academic values. Participants reflected on new policies, methodologies, and tools that allow quality assurance to support international academic cooperation within and beyond the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), even in contexts marked by restrictions, disruptions, or limited mobility.
The Forum reaffirmed the importance of international dialogue and collaboration in strengthening trust, stability, and resilience in higher education systems and highlighted the critical role of quality assurance in enabling universities to continue educating, innovating, and contributing to society in a rapidly changing world.
More details about the event and presentations can be found on the organisers’ website.