Today, RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan received Daniela Cristina Gîțulică, President of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA).
Director of the National Centre for Professional Education Quality Assurance (ANQA) Ruben Topchyan and Chair of the ANQA Board Kristina Tsaturyan participated in the meeting.
The Minister highlighted the importance of cooperation with ENQA, emphasizing its significance in advancing the higher education quality assurance system and its alignment with European standards.
She presented the reforms being implemented in the education sector, noting that under the new Government Program of the Republic of Armenia, education has been designated as a ‘strategy of strategies’, with the transformation of the higher education system remaining a priority.
The meeting addressed the changes implemented following the adoption of the new ‘Law on Higher Education and Science’, the progress of the ‘Academic City’ program, the state accreditation of higher education institutions’ educational programs, and reforms to the higher education funding system.
ENQA President Daniela Cristina Gîțulică expressed her gratitude for the reception and for the close cooperation with ANQA, highlighting the importance of further developing the partnership with Armenia.
She presented ENQA’s main scope of activity, as well as current trends and challenges in the development of quality assurance systems across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). She highlighted the importance of sharing expertise among national quality assurance bodies, strengthening professional capacities, and reinforcing partnerships aimed at applying European standards.
The meeting also addressed quality assurance reforms in Armenia, with particular emphasis on the potential involvement of European experts and opportunities for joint accreditation. It was noted that Armenia is currently reviewing its national quality assurance framework with the aim of aligning it with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). ANQA has already begun applying the joint accreditation model in cooperation with European partners.
The importance of expanding the participation of students, graduates and employers in quality assurance processes was also emphasized, particularly through greater student involvement in external evaluations, feedback from graduates, and the incorporation of labor market requirements into the evaluation of educational programs.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties expressed their commitment to continue professional dialogue and cooperation aimed at further advancing Armenia’s quality assurance system and exchanging European best practices.