MoU with APQN

Creation of the Asian Alliance of Subject Specific and Professional Accreditation – Memorandum of Understanding between EASPA, ASIIN and APQN

On 27th of May 2016, an important milestone in promoting and aligning professional accreditation on the global level was reached.

The European Alliance of Subject Specific and Professional Accreditation (EASPA), represented by its president Dr. Iring Wasser, and the Asian Pacific Quality Assurance Network (APQN) , represented by its outgoing president Dr. Jonathan Patil, signed a cooperation agreement with the ultimate aim of creating an Asian Alliance of Subject Specific and Professional Accreditation (AASPA) in the presence of around 200 leading representatives of the Asian Pacific Higher Education and Quality Assurance Management Sector.

This important step constitutes a further breakthrough in the quest to foster academic and professional mobility for German and international students and graduates on the basis of agreed continental learning outcomes in the global HE sector and is a continuation of important developments which took place over the course of the past five years.

Under the leadership of ASIIN, EASPA was founded on November 29th 2011 in Düsseldorf. Today EASPA is the voice of most European disciplinary Networks in QA of HE in the European Higher Education Area, representing disciplines in practically all STEM areas as well as medicine, music, public administration and so forth. In its so called Düsseldorf Declaration, the political and educational aspirations are clearly formulated.

In 2013, EASPA and the American Alliance of Specialized Accreditors (ASPA), a network representing more than 60 professional accreditation networks in the United States reached a cooperation agreement, which in 2015 was supplemented by an M.O.U between EASPA and the Global TUNING Academy. On the basis of the present new MoU, the Asian continent will in the future join the existing agreements in and between Europe and the United States.

The MoU can be downloaded here.

For further information, contact: Dr. Iring Wasser, President EASPA (gf@www.easpa.org)

Third Global Conference for Specialized and Professional Accreditors in cooperation with ASPA

New Initiatives in Quality Assurance based on field-specific Learning Outcomes

Berlin, Germany – Monday, 2 May 2016

Target Group

  • Representatives of international Quality Assurance Agencies
  • Representatives of Recognition Authorities
  • Representatives of the national and international higher education community
  • Representatives of the professional organizations

Theme

The pre-conference workshop explored the current state of affairs in subject-specific and professional accreditation.
In some regions such as in Africa, further steps are taken towards making harmonization of higher education quality and quality assurance a reality. A new initiative financed by the European Commission is set to support these developments which will be complemented by an overview of other world regions. In Europe the next phase of external quality assurance is initiated. A new project will determine whether achieved learning outcomes can be measured and compared in a number of disciplines. This has been viewed in light of the AHELO project results. All of these developments have been analyzed against the backdrop of current developments in the US.

Presentations

Introduction to the Third Global Conference
Dr. Iring Wasser, President EASPA

Development of the Quality Assurance system for Aerospace Engineering in Europe
Prof. Franco Bernelli, Politecnico di Milano

Measuring and Comparing Achievements of Learning Outcomes in Higher Education in Europe (CALOHEE Project)
Robert Wagenaar, Director International TUNING Academy, University of Groningen

Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes – What comes after the AHELO-Project?
Hamish Coates, University of Melbourne

State of Play of Specialized and Professional Accreditation in the US
Joseph Vibert, Executive Director, Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA)

MoU with TUNING

EASPA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Tuning Academy (TUNING).

On 1 September 2015, the two Directors of the International Tuning Academy and the President of EASPA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The aim of the MoU is to promote and guarantee the quality of higher education degree programmes respecting disciplinary requirements.

EASPA and TUNING set out to work together in the implementation of a disciplinary learning outcome approach in higher education, for example by jointly organizing conferences and workshops to that regard. The two organizations also plan to support each other and contribute to projects and studies in their respective areas of expertise, with TUNING focusing on the development of disciplinary and sectoral frameworks and profilse of reference points and EASPA focusing on external quality assurance.

The full text of the MoU can be viewed here.