Іnternational Online Forum “Higher education quality assurance in wartime” (24.05.2022, online)
On 24 May 2022, The National Agency for Higher Education Quality Assurance (NAQA) together with OSCE organised Іnternational Online Forum “Higher education quality assurance in wartime”. More than 500 people from 30 countries joined the event.
NAQA Head Andrii BUTENKO made an introductory speech, outlining the main challenges of the current situation in Ukraine, emphasising the need for cooperation of all branches of government, and thanking international partners for their support. Serhiy BABAK, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science and Innovation, in his speech highlighted that NAQA was one of the first in the world to conduct remote accreditations and is now the first agency in the world to complete accreditations during martial law. Dr. Karin ROLKE, Senior Programme Co-ordinator of the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine told participants about the OSCE’s cooperation with Ukraine and thanked NAQA for joint projects. Then spoke the Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Serhiy SHKARLET, who called on foreign partners to support NAQA. ENQA President Douglas BLACKSTOCK stressed the importance of higher education quality assurance during wartime and spoke about simplified admission programs for temporarily displaced persons from Ukraine. Karl DITTRICH, President of EQAR, expressed his support and assured that EQAR is ready to assist NAQA in its activities. CEENQA President Francesi DEMSAR also expressed solidarity with NAQA and the academic community of Ukraine.
Zhanna TALANOVA, NEO – Ukraine, participated in the event together with HERE team members and joinined discussion providing recommendations based on Erasmus+ projects’ results and EU good practice.
During the event, participants discussed issues on external and internal Quality Assurance of HE in Ukraine during the war. NAQA Vice-Head Ivan NAZAROV presented the draft National Action Plan of Ukrainian external higher education quality assurance for 2022-2023 period, outlining the key actions, vectors of work and current issues that can be overcomed only by consolidated efforts of all stakeholders.
The last stage of the forum was an open discussion, which could be joined by each participant, to express their support for Ukrainian universities, the Ukrainian people, to comment on the NAQA activities in this difficult time.