Transcript Folie 1 - Europa

DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
IN
MOLDOVA
Enhancing Quality Assurance of
Studies – A National Priority for
Moldovan Higher Education
Victoria Reinhardt - PhD, QUAEM Project Manager,
Curricular Manager at the University of Leipzig; Todos
Petru - prof., First Vice-rector of the Technical University of
Moldova (TUM); Chiciuc Andrei – PhD eng., assoc.prof.,
Head of Quality Management Department, TUM; Guvir
Stela – Deputy-head of Quality Management Department,
TUM
DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
IN
MOLDOVA
Republic of Moldova
Located in the South-Eastern part of
Europe
Capital: Chisinau
Inhabitants:
(2012)
3,56
million
people
Number
of
higher
education
institutions:
State – 19
Private – 15
Total nr. of students in the academic
year 2012/2013 – 102,5 thousand
(including foreign students)
Didactic staff – 6 thousand
DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
IN
MOLDOVA
QA Challenges at National Level
1. Long delay in launching the National Agency for External Evaluation
and Accreditation
Consequences:
- difficult harmonization with the European higher education area
- non accredited HEI, non accredited study programmes
- lack of trainings for QA structures at HEI
2. Lack of external mechanisms for quality assurance convergent with
European standards (ESG)
Consequences:
- low reliability of studies,
- blockages in the academic and professional mobility
3. Lack of a common understanding concerning quality culture in HEI
Consequences:
- Low level of involvement of various stakeholders
- No networking within and between HEI in the filed of QA
- Low impact of internal QA structures in force.
DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
IN
MOLDOVA
Tempus Projects on QA in RM
• Tempus JEP-26091-2005 “The implementation
of the Institutional System of Internal Quality
Assurance in Higher Education of the Republic
of Moldova” (duration: 2006 - 2008) – finished
• 530537-TEMPUS-1-2012-1-DE-TEMPUS
SMGR “Development of Quality Assurance in
Higher Education in Moldova - QUAEM”
(duration: 2012 -2015) - ongoing
DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
IN
MOLDOVA
Why QUAEM?
A study on the needs analysis conducted in January 2011 has
demonstrated that the newly established quality management
structures at the Moldovan universities (within the previous TEMPUS
project) have a low impact because of :
•the lack of training of the staff involved,
•the low profile of students in QA,
•the low level of communication between the QA structures and the
academic staff involved,
•the missing link between quality assurance and HE institutions’
strategy development and
•the lack of a body that brings QA activities together and helps to
implement common standards in the Republic of Moldova.
DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
IN
MOLDOVA
QUAEM goals
1. To make the existing QA structures
Moldovan HE institutions functional;
at
1. To integrate QA into the strategic development
of the universities;
2. To support Moldova to develop its own QA
system on all levels up to the international
accreditation of pilot study programs in
accordance with EU standards.
DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
IN
MOLDOVA
How does QUAEM Address the
Challenges?
•
a series of trainings for all the actors involved in the quality cycle (quality
management officers, deans, professors, students, universities’ central
administration) that are tailored to the specific needs in Moldova
•
the creation of peer networks for all the actors’ groups
•
the internal evaluation and the international accreditation of three pilot
study programs
•
the creation of a pool of experts (professors and students trained and
actively involved in the process of international accreditation of the
selected study programs) for the future accreditation body of Moldova
•
the link between quality assurance, internationalization and strategy
development of HE institutions.
DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
IN
MOLDOVA
QUAEM Impact on Quality Teaching and
Institutional Strategies for Training of Staff
• Substantial contribution to the structural framework
for quality teaching through:
- knowledge on various approaches to quality teaching,
such as research oriented teaching, competences based
teaching, student centered teaching;
- Modernization of study documentation, such as module
handbooks with clear definitions of learning outcomes,
competences, workload etc.
• Involvement of teaching staff in accreditation of pilot
study programs, which implies familiarization with
quality assurance tools at various levels of
implementation of study programs.
DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
IN
MOLDOVA
QUAEM Impact on Quality Teaching and
Institutional Strategies for Training of Staff
• The project does not cover implicitly institutional
strategies for further training of staff. However this
could become an important aspect to be covered
within the work package „From Quality Assurance to
Strategy Development“.
The respective recommendations could be drawn on the
basis of experiences with the international accreditation of
pilot study programs and serve as basis for a follow up
project with a special focus on innovative high school
didactics.
DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
IN
MOLDOVA
QUAEM Impact on Quality of Research Activities
and Excellence
Political Tensions in the higher education system in the
field of research
This is a very critical aspect since the quality of research is not
in the competence of universities, but of the Academy of
Sciences. Thus the project covers only randomly the quality of
teaching through its contribution to the documentation of the
national agency on quality assurance.
The quality of teaching is ensured by the quality of
research.
This is an important principle shared by the teaching staff at all
Moldovan universities of the Consortium. However, under the
current political situation it is difficult to reach an impact through
projects.
DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
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HIGHER EDUCATION
IN
MOLDOVA
QUAEM Impact on Employability of Graduates
Good practices in the field of monitoring the employability of
graduates
The project does not contain specific activities aiming at improving the
employability of graduates. However, it provided good practices in the
field of monitoring the employability of graduates on the national level.
A follow up project which would aim at developing the methodology for
the monitoring of employability on the national scale would be very
beneficial for the country.
Labour market as stakeholder in QA
Another contribution is related to the link to the labor market in the
process of establishing of new study programs and the active
involvement of these stakeholders in the process of curriculum
development. Good practices have been provided by the University of
Girona and the University of Roskilde. In Moldova, the Technical
University is very advanced in this process.
DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
IN
MOLDOVA
QUAEM Impact on Internationalization
Internationalization of HEI as key element of HEI strategy development
QUAEM foresees a special workshop on internationalization as part of
strategy development of HEI within its work package „From Quality Assurance
to Strategy Development“.
Internationalization of study programmes through international
accreditation
The international accreditation of study programs will be conducive to the
creation of first joint and/or double degrees in cooperation with European
partners.
Follow up project for capacity building at the national level is required
Study programs’ accreditation is crucial for the internationalization of study
programs. The delay in launching the activities of the National Agency on
Quality Assurance is a serious obstacle in this process. QUAEM contributes to
capacity building for the Agency, but a follow up project aiming at the
consolidation of the Agency would be required.
DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
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MOLDOVA
Conclusion
Quality assurance is one of the priorities in the Bologna Process because only
mutual trust will create the conditions needed for a wide-spread recognition of
qualifications and study periods abroad, which is at the heart of European
Higher Education Area.
Apart from European dimension, enhancing the quality of higher education is
an absolutely development priority for countries aspiring to EU integration as
is the case with the Republic of Moldova. Quality assessment and
accreditation procedures are thus seen as a way to improve the quality of
education and enhance academic mobility in the region.
Currently, there is a need for Moldovan HEIs to have a more functional
management system and there is an increase in motivation to consider
developing QA as a national priority for higher education in Moldova itself.
DEVELOPMENT OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN
HIGHER EDUCATION
IN
MOLDOVA
Thank you for your
attention!