A bimonthly publication of AQU Catalunya

45

November 2009

Over one hundred heads of the main European university quality assurance agencies are meeting in Catalonia in the context of the Sixth ENQA General Assembly (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education), organised by AQU Catalunya with the collaboration of the Technical University of Catalonia (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya).

The assembly, which is being held on 28-29 September, will deal with methods for the quality assurance of university degree programmes to be introduced over the next ten years. Specific reference will be made to the evaluation of learning outcomes and the acquisition of academic, professional and personal competences by graduates in the future.

The opening ceremony was presided over by the Minister for Innovation, Universities and enterprise, Josep Huguet, the ENQA President, Bruno Curvale, and the acting Rector of the Technical University of Catalonia, Josep Casanovas.

In his speech, the Minister underlined the importance of the Catalan agency’s role as an "instrument for the promotion and evaluation of quality in the Catalan higher education system". He also pointed out that AQU Catalunya is one of the first three European agencies to be entered in the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR).

The Minister took the opportunity to announce that "the Catalan Government is working on new legislation for the Agency, following the recommendations made by ENQA, which, amongst other things, will enhance the participation of stakeholders in the institution’s governing bodies and review processes".

He also challenged the European agencies to "work towards the transparency of and [providing] information on their work to society". The Minister considers that there is the need for civil society to be aware of the level of quality of the higher education institutions operating within their area or region.

 
 Keynote address by Josep Huguet, Minister for Innovation, Universities and Enterprise to the Sixth ENQA General Assembly

 Programme of the ENQA General Assembly, 28 and 29 September