Publications

The Union of Skills initiative, presented by the European Commission on 5 March, aims to strengthen the European workforce by enhancing skills development, fostering innovation, and ensuring a stronger connection between education and labour market needs. This position paper highlights EURASHE’s view on the initiative, stressing the pivotal role of applied universities in delivering practical, skills-based learning that directly supports employability and economic growth.

This position paper discusses policy implications of the ATHENA project, which can provide the impetus to establish the ideological foundations and actionable strategies to develop legal frameworks, financial support systems, curriculum design approaches, staff training programs and learning outcomes conducive to creating inclusive social environments.

Held in various European countries, these discussions informed a set of recommendations included in Deliverable 2.2 “Recommendations on the integration of accessibility and Universal Design in higher education curricula, including sample modules”, also published in 2024.

The aim of the consultation was to assess the feasibility of a set of recommendations included in Deliverable 2.2 “Recommendations on the integration of accessibility and Universal Design in higher education curricula, including sample modules”, identify potential challenges and gain insight into practical strategies for implementation. In total, 17 representatives from macro-level bodies in the five project countries (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czechia and Spain) provided their perspectives through an online survey conducted between November and mid-December 2024.

The document offers recommendations on implementing accessibility and universal design in HE curricula, developed by the ATHENA project consortium. These recommendations are addressed to a wide range of stakeholders including policymakers, quality agencies and accreditation bodies, educational leaders, programme creators, instructors, and user representatives. The recommendations deal with key aspects such as: legal framework, financial support, curriculum design, staff training, and learning outcomes.

EURASHE hereby announces a call for candidates for the election of all nine elected Board members at a meeting of the General Assembly on 13th May 2025 in Portalegre, Portugal. The deadline for submission of nominations is 31st March 2025.

Open letter from EURASHE President Hannes Raffaseder to European Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva, congratulating her on her appointment and pledging support to her policy agenda.

Open letter from EURASHE President Hannes Raffaseder to European Commission Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu, congratulating her on her appointment and pledging support to her policy agenda.

EURASHE’s recommendations for the EU’s next Research and Innovation Framework Programme (FP10). Our vision emphasises increasing funding, reducing administrative barriers, fostering synergies, and enhancing applied research.

EURASHE supports European Universities Alliances awarded the Erasmus+ Seal of Excellence, advocating for their inclusion in networks and equal access to funding opportunities. Despite not receiving Erasmus+ funding, these alliances demonstrate innovation and quality, and EURASHE is committed to ensuring their continued participation and success in European higher education.

The conclusive document of the Quality Assurance Fit for the Future (QA-FIT) project highlights key issues for the upcoming revision of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG), while placing this revision in the broader context of policy development in the EHEA and the EU.

The Annual Report lists the activities and achievements of EURASHE throughout the year.

On 3 July, Higher Education Strategist Peter van der Hijden gave an insightful and provocative speech at the EURASHE Summer Cocktails, discussing the European Degree, European Universities Alliances, Micro-credentials and more. His words give plenty of ideas for universities and educators on how to do more with what we have. We publish here the text in its entirety.

The newly appointed Dutch Minister for Education Eppo Bruins recently announced an upcoming wave of budget cuts to Higher Education institutions, limiting the “excessive internationalisation” that has characterised the country until now. EURASHE is concerned that this may hinder the development of higher education and have detrimental effects on the interconnected nature of the EHEA.

Applied Universities play a crucial role in the discourse surrounding open science due to their practical orientation and direct engagement with real-world challenges. These conclusions were developed by the EURASHE Task Force on Open Science.

EURASHE welcomes the Communiqué adopted in Tirana on 30 May at the Ministerial Conference of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). As a consultative member of the Bologna Follow Up Group (BFUG), a EURASHE delegation participated in the Tirana Ministerial Conference and published a statement. This was the basis for an intervention by EURASHE President Prof. Hannes Raffaseder during the Conference.

This paper draws on the data collected with the objective of identifying and analysing commonalities and divergences in the perception of the ESG by different stakeholder groups, and the key messages that can inform the future revision of the ESG.

This paper explores the state of implementation of the various quality assurance tools that support internationalisation, discuss how current quality assurance arrangements both support and inhibit international activities of higher education institutions, and reflect on how these challenges might be addressed, including through the upcoming revision of the ESG.

This report consists of three main tasks and findings: (1) Identifying higher education domains, (2) Analysing higher education syllabi that incorporated Accessibility and Universal Design, (3) Qualitative analysis of these syllabi. Overall, these findings illustrate that Accessibility and Universal Design appear in some universities’ curricula but do so in minimal ways and varied meanings.

The QA-FIT project studies the responsiveness of quality assurance to trends and innovations in higher education. This document lists findings from the first phase of the project, looking at how ESGs have been adapted to different (national and institutional) contexts.

An inspirational Policy Recommendations to European and national-level policy makers, staff of higher education institutions in leadership positions as well as students to take action, implement policies and advocate and design policies that will enable the EHEA to realize the vision outlined in the Rome Communiqué.

This deliverable was developed within the framework of the Bologna Follow-up Group by the Working Group on Learning and Teaching, Co-chaired by EURASHE together with representatives from France and Ireland and with participation of the members of the Working Group.

This policy brief is centred around the issue of human resource structures and incentives within HEIs, including permeability, assessment, recognition and career development. It aims to address prevalent challenges and identify key areas for improvement.

This paper express the position of EURASHE vis-a-vis the Erasmus+ Programme Evaluation (2021-27 and 2014-20 cycles). Specifically, it highlights the need to boost inclusivity in mobility and for better guidance and support in the field of cooperation.

EURASHE Strategic Framework 2023-2025, adopted by the General Assembly on 10 November 2022.

EURASHE Statutes as approved by the General Assembly on 17 October 2015 and modified by the General Assembly on 28 February 2023.

This report provides an inventory of existing practices and practical examples in Applied Research and Innovation carried out by vocational education and training centres. The mapping exercise covers a wide range of organisations pertaining to provide vocational education with a view to enhancing peer-learning amongst practitioners.

As part of the European Year of Skills, EURASHE launched its Skills Community of Practice (CoP) in February 2023. The Skills CoP is an initiative for institutions and professionals to exchange ideas, knowledge, and best practices in the field of skills development. This report outlines the main points of discussions and outcomes from the launch event.

This statement expresses the EURASHE position and vision concerning the European Year of Skills.

These rules of procedure govern the functioning of the Communities of Practice, as established by the EURASHE bylaws.

This report outlines the main concepts and findings of the InclusiPHE project, as well as a set of recommendations for inclusive students engagement in PHE.

The UASiMAP project has developed a framework for self-assessment and benchmarking that is presented in a Flagship Report.

The present information aims to inspire the Student Advisory Services, policymakers, institutional leaders and staff with recommendations, but also considering the already-written guidelines and overviews – to give the reader a set of resources for inspiration.

Full programme of the Conference “Skills for Europe: Mobilising Higher Education for the Green and Digital Transitions” (Bucharest, 8-9 June 2023).

A look at the activities and achievements of EURASHE throughout the year.

Report of the EURASHE 31st Annual Conference, taking place in Brussels from 23-24 May 2022.

January 2022 newsletter by the NextEducation Research Group.

The transition towards regional sustainable futures: a position paper on exploring a transdisciplinary view on the INVEST Living Lab approach.

Information about the “Legal Tech” laboratory of the Center of Legal Initiatives and Innovations of the Tashkent State University of Law.

Many of the VET policy initiatives have 2020 as a policy horizon. The European Commission is forward looking in developing both an evaluation and a new direction for VET policy at the European level. As VET providers’ associations cooperating in VET4EU2 we outline our contribution to this policy development process.

A discussion on the emergence of professional higher education.

This report is based on the survey conducted under the project European House of Entrepreneurs in collaboration with SPACE and having permission from EC (DG for Education & Culture) to use the questionnaire of the EU “Survey of Entrepreneurship in Higher Education in Europe-2008” in a shorter version.

This report presents the findings related to the barriers and drivers of university-business cooperation (UBC) that have been found to exist in Europe. These results derive from a fifteen and a half month study
on the cooperation between higher education institutions1 (HEIs) and public and private organisations in Europe.

EURASHE’s 27th Annual Conference was held on 30-31 March 2017 in Le Havre (France) in a partnership with the Assemblée des Directeurs d’Institut Universitaire de Technologie (ADIUT), the IUT of Le Havre, and the University Le Havre Normandie.

The EMREX project focuses on the exchange of student achievement records between the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) – an exchange initiated by the student. EMREX is part of a wider set of EU activities focusing on student mobility, e.g. Erasmus Without Paper, FAIR and other similar initiatives.

This publication presents the main outcomes of a partnership working towards “Harmonising Approaches to Professional Higher Education in Europe” (HAPHE) in 2012–2014.

The country review is one element of the project entitled PL4SD, which has the objective of facilitating peer learning on policies and practices to improve the social dimension of higher education in EHEA.

This paper contextualises the learning outcomes debate and presents results of a study of students’ perceptions of what they have learned after the completion of the course. It is about student self-assessment of subject-specific skills and competences, one dimension of the many learning outcomes a higher education institution gives rise to.

This case study highlights one institution‟s attempt to reduce the apparent bureaucracy of a major aspect of its quality assurance procedures whilst emphasizing the benefits of professional quality officers and
academic staff working together.

This paper shows the various types and purposes of governance arrangements, and underscores the binding nature of quality assurance guidelines while most governance arrangements are advisory in nature.

The new qualification frameworks’ stress on learning outcome indicates a ‘new paradigm’ for our way of assessing higher education. With this in mind, the presentation discusses the very concept of learning outcome, how it may be assessed and its suitability as a steering parameter.

The objective of the approach by CAF and education is obviously to create a learning school and to develop a real school culture to self-evaluation and external evaluation. But the tool is also very efficient to prepare the self-assessment and to write the self-assessment report required by the National Quality Agency for quality.

This report is the result of the assessment of the European Master of Law and Economics coordinated by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). This assessment procedure took place within the framework of the JOQAR project. The overall purpose of this project is to ensure that Erasmus Mundus programmes (and joint programmes in general) are facilitated in two specific areas: accreditation and recognition.

The aim of the AUDIT programme is to guide universities in the process of defining formal policies and processes, and to establish responsibility for external review processes and ensure that the goals of university quality are achieved.

This paper introduces a comprehensive educational quality assurance system for a university. The system takes into consideration the three main pillars of the educational process: content, delivery, and assessment.

This paper discusses preliminary results, successes and challenges related to the installation of an East African (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda) Quality Assurance framework.

Following the 2009 Bologna process, it was concluded that several aspects of quality assurance need more time for implementation an that the work will not be completed by 2010. Some proposals are made regarding the areas implementation of which could benefit from inclusion of these areas in the internal and external quality reviews.

This paper seeks to discuss the process and challenges of developing a system of quality assurance and enhancement in a post-conflict environment at the University of Prishtina, Kosovo.

This paper looks at the concepts of institutional accountability from the point of the perception of programme re-accreditation.

A new watchword has made its entry into the discussion about Germany`s higher education system: Accreditation. This is quite revolutionary a development with regard to a higher education system marked by strong governmental control. For accreditation seems to prepare what can be called a paradigm shift in the traditional ways of steering the HE sector – a development that has far-reaching implications also for the institutional management of universities.

A selection of papers from the 4th European Quality Assurance Forum, which took place on 19-21 November 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

This report forms part of a wider project currently taking place which aims to identify the challenges and implications of lifelong learning incorporation into European higher education institutions (HEIs), with special attention given to the recognition of prior learning and to different aspects within HEIs.

With the conversion of most industrialized countries to the knowledge economy, worries about the alleged brain drain of researchers to the United States are growing. We study the international mobility decisions and their determinants of a sample of foreign PhD holders who came to the US to obtain a PhD in economics.

The Executive Report of the MODERN Conference, which took place on 30 January 2012 in Brussels, Belgium.

The FLLLEX project (The Impact of LifeLong Learning Strategies on Professional Higher Education) is an EU funded project in the framework of the Transversal Programme, Key Activity 1.

The article presents the preliminary results of a survey carried out among the Romanian students of Babeş‐Bolyai University the purpose of which was to see their satisfaction as to the language teaching and the offer of languages within their university.

The purpose of this short article is to consider the concepts of social capital and of citizenship, and to identify connections with continuing education, post-school education, and lifelong learning.

The European higher education sector is already a decade into a fundamental process of reform, seeking to make universities and higher education an essential component of a competitive, sustainable and equitable Europe. The main elements of this wider reform process have involved harmonising and modernising funding, curricula and governance procedures for higher education institutions (HEIs) across Europe

The project ‘Supported Flexible Learning’ is funded jointly under the Higher Education Authority’s Strategic Innovation Fund and the Institutes themselves. It consists of two main components viz the building of capacity within the IoT’s to deliver flexible learning and the development of collaborative approaches to promoting lifelong learning.

The aim of the survey was to add value to the other project activities aiming to spread EHEA awareness in the area (networking and events organization in the Caribbean, Web communication and promotion) and provide a tangible information output.

The EQUNET project was conceived as an independent research and networking initiative, with an aim to increase access to Higher Education for all marginalised and non-traditional groups based on a principle of equity.

The purpose of the volume is to further showcase the great diversity of contexts and student mobility situations which characterise European countries

Over the past 25 years, the international dimension of higher education in Europe has become more central on the agenda of European and national governments, institutions of higher education and their representative bodies, student organisations and accreditation agencies. Internationalisation has become an indicator for quality in higher education, and at the same time there is more debate about the quality of internationalisation itself.

This is the second report in a series following the evolution of the modernisation agenda for higher education in Europe, following a 2011 report on funding and the social dimension. It examines policy and practice related to the student experience of higher education.

This report is the last in a series of six reports to be published by the MODERN project on key issues related to current priorities in higher education management: governance, regional innovation, quality assurance and internationalisation, funding, and knowledge transfer.

Responses of the Subject Area of Civil Engineering.

Flexibility in learning is an acknowledged necessity for a knowledge society. This flexibility has been developing in an incremental fashion (discrete cycles, credits, distance learning, learning outcomes).

Higher education institutions face challenges set by Bologna process, the implementation of which requires creating conditions for language learning and intercultural competence acquisition.

The paper addresses the development of a Quality Assurance (QA) policy for research at the University of Cyprus (UOC).

The paper takes a broad view of the present status of QA in Europe, as most of the structural goals of the Bologna process have been achieved and new challenges are mounted by the BFUG.

This document is developed in the framework of the EU-VIP (Enterprise-University Virtual Placements) project.

This paper examines the nature of the relationship between the creative, diversity-friendly and the predictability, standardisation-driven aspects of quality assurance when looked at through the lens of Robert Pirsig’s “Metaphysics of Quality”.

This paper considers a co-operation between a UK University and a Hungarian national public institution. The partnership developed a study programme for nurses to study for a first cycle qualification and receive a UK degree.

This paper argues that the aims of UK quality assurance (QA) within institutions should be concerned not only with the requirements to provide a profile of programmes, institutions and their accomplishment, but also to support individual student development.

This gathering of Quality Tools for Professional Higher Education Review and Improvement contains the first step of the work conducted by the PHExcel partnership, namely the outcomes of our efforts aiming at mapping quality tools, models and labels, currently in use in (professional) higher education in Europe.

This paper presents (a) the design of an evaluation model for quality assurance of teaching and learning and (b) the results of its application in a pilot study that ran in 2008/09 at the Departments of Electronics and Telecommunications, and Physics, of the UA.

Blended Learning seems a promising concept for higher education institutions (HEI). The expectations of all stakeholders are high. To meet these expectations Blended Learning should, unlike e-learning, not mainly focus on the technological component.

This paper aims to be a systematic reflection on the main concepts concerning quality assurance processes, starting with quality itself. A national quality assurance evaluation of the University of Bucharest (UB) is the reference framework of the discussion.

The notion of Quality Culture (QC) is raising growing interest. The central question of this paper concerns identifying ways of observing and monitoring this development.

This book aims to show what information can be drawn from graduate surveys which are periodically undertaken in various European countries as regards the implementation and the results of the Bologna process.

Report from the MODERN project.

The final report of the PL4SD (Peer Learning for the Social Dimension) project.

This document provides a definition of Professional Higher Education (PHE) by Stefan Delplace, former Secretary General of EURASHE.

This paper addresses internationalisation, in particular in the context of increasing globalisation of our societies and the development of a global knowledge economy.

FInal report Measuring the outcomes of University-Business cooperation in the field of education

This comparative study makes a detailed analysis of existing Short Cycle Higher Education as an intermediate level of the first level of higher education (or at level 5 of the EQF) in 32 of the Bologna signatory countries

To enhance university-business cooperation (UBC), some changes should be introduced on several levels. This report presents a brief country review in a parallel of university and business points of view.

European higher education institutions need to modernise their governance and train their leaders to operate in increasingly complex sets of interactions at the institutional, regional, national and European level. European policies call for universities to play a strong role in the Lisbon Agenda and in making Europe a strong knowledge-based economy. Although the need to train university leaders is so obvious, the supply of management support to higher education institutions, their leaders and managers is highly fragmented in Europe.

Quality assurance in higher education was until relatively recently an implicit activity. measured but could be recognized by academics when and where it existed were prevalent. However, over the last two decades, a
number of factors have combined to challenge traditional views about quality in higher education and how it is assured. These factors have been elaborated by many commentators – individuals and organizations
such as UNESCO and the World Bank – and have led to the making of quality assurance in higher education “a central objective of governmental policies and an important steering mechanism in higher education systems worldwide”

The VALERA project (VALERA = Value of ERASMUS Mobility) aims to establish the impact of mobility within the ERASMUS sub-programme of SOCRATES on the mobile students’ and teachers’ careers. For this purpose, representative surveys were undertaken of formerly mobile ERASMUS students and formerly mobile ERASMUS teachers. In addition, university leaders were asked to assess the role of student and teacher mobility at their institution, and employers were requested to report about the experience with formerly mobile students. Moreover, a broad range of actors and experts stated their perceptions of the impact of ERASMUS mobility in an expert survey and in discussions during general and field-specific seminars.

The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a tool of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) for making studies and courses more transparent and thus helping to enhance the quality of higher education.

This selection of articles provides an overview of conceptual thinking and trends, challenges and misconceptions with respect to internationalisation of higher education.

This paper reflects on the challenges and opportunities for student mobility in the new, increasingly internationalised context of higher education.

Europe is facing various socio-economic challenges. The solutions lie in the promotion of a wider concept of employability, flexibility, relevance and openness of education systems.

Pre-eminently, the development of a European knowledge area is crucial in our wish to sustain, and further develop, the welfare and prosperity of European citizens. The development of new economic powers (BRICcountries and others) in the face of diminishing natural resources, drives Europe towards its most powerful resources, which are knowledge, and the power to innovate. As the systems of production and processing of goods are moving towards other parts of the world, Europe is seeking for a new and intensified role as a technical innovator at various levels of input, performance and outcome.

During the 1990s, following the rise of international markets and informatics in the preceding decade, fundamental world-wide economic shifts occurred. These changes can be summarised in terms of globalisation, individualisation, digitalisation and the information boom. The economic and financial crisis of the 2000s has not only deepened and hastened these changes, but also set new challenges to the world, in terms of restructuring the knowledge society through creativity and innovation and specifically the formulating of new responses to climate change, issues concerning immigration as well as attempts to address the widening gap between rich and poor.

ENQA, ESU, EUA, EURASHE and EQAR were part of the stakeholder group drafting the Standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).

The degree of implementation of both the European Qualifications Framework and the National Qualifications Framework varies from one country to another, ranging from total lack of implementation to partial or full implementation.

The European Commission organised a consultation on the Modernisation Agenda for Higher Education in Europe. EURASHE, as one of the main stakeholders in higher education at the European level, took part in the consultation through its membership. Our position paper reports on the consultation exercise. It focuses on cross-validating the guiding principles for policy and action within the ET 2020 Agenda.

The present study represents a follow-up of the report published by EURASHE in January 2009, entitled “Lifelong Learning: Impediments and examples of good practice”. This previous research study focused in detail on a number of general aspects concerning the implementation of lifelong learning at European level: the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), Employability and Lifelong Learning Strategies. While the present study is based on these previous findings, it adopts, however, a new approach. It will focus less on the development of lifelong learning at policy-making level, being instead, orientated towards its implementation within professional higher education institutions.

 Microcredentials may provide opportunities for reaching better the existing target groups, attract learners from less traditional cohorts and strengthen links to alumni.

A look at the activities and achievements of EURASHE throughout the year.

A look at the activities and achievements of EURASHE throughout the year.

A look at the activities and achievements of EURASHE throughout the year.

A look at the activities and achievements of EURASHE throughout the year.

A look at the activities and achievements of EURASHE throughout the year.

A look at the activities and achievements of EURASHE throughout the year.

A look at the activities and achievements of EURASHE throughout the year.

A look at the activities and achievements of EURASHE throughout the year.

A look at the activities and achievements of EURASHE throughout the year.

A look at the activities and achievements of EURASHE throughout the year.