A bimonthly publication of AQU Catalunya

52

January 2011

A workshop on student participation in quality assurance processes abroad was held at the Rovira i Virgili University (URV). Organised by AQU Catalunya, the objectives of the workshop were the discussion of student involvement in quality assurance processes abroad, promotion of the experience of international participation and the acquisition of good practices applicable to the enhancement of local participation.

Students from different subject areas and disciplines participated in the workshop. The participants were made familiar with how student organisations at the international level are organised, what they do and how they are run, as well as other organisations that may sometimes appear distant and removed from the students, including supranational bodies (ESU, BEST, ESTIEM, etc.) and sectoral associations (AECS, IPSF, etc.).

The Chairperson of the European Students' Union (ESU), Bert Vandenkendelaere, encouraged discussion regarding student involvement in the associations and their role in institutional quality assurance. Vandenkendelaere is quoted as saying any "democratic, inclusive, representative and independent" student organisation can form part of the ESU.

Derfel Owen, the development officer for students and enhancement with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) (United Kingdom), also took part. "The students become more responsible about their studies when they realise that they really can change the educational model that they receive", explained Owen on the basis of his own experience with the QAA. Owen also spoke with the UK National Union of Students (NUS) to explain the differences with the Catalan model.

Jordi Sànchez, a UAB exchange student in Seoul, spoke via videoconference on his experience as a member of the International Student Organization at the Korean university. Sànchez also gave a positive assessment of the association’s work in bringing together students from different cultures. He also made special mention of the separation of competences in South Korea between student cultural associations and those that more specifically watch over academic quality.