Site Visit to THEQC by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA)

As part of THEQC’s membership process in the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), a review panel assigned by ENQA paid a site visit to THEQC, which became an affiliate member of ENQA on February 21, 2019. 

As an umbrella organization representing quality assurance agencies and encouraging European cooperation in the field of quality assurance in higher education, ENQA was established to develop, share and improve the European dimension of quality assurance. In this direction, ENQA made a review visit to THEQC between December 9 and 12, 2019.

During the four-day site visit by the four-member ENQA Review Panel, 15 separate interviews were conducted with 64 people consisting of THEQC President, THEQC members, consultants, staff, representatives of ministries, university rectors and vice-rectors, team leaders in THEQC’s Institutional External Evaluation Program, heads of accreditation agencies, students and external stakeholders. In addition, all activities, works, studies, information systems and reports of THEQC were evaluated in detail. The review panel left the Council after issuing an exit statement as a result of a series of discussions and assessments.

THEQC President Prof. Dr. Muzaffer ELMAS said in his statement: “THEQC aims to establish a system compatible with the whole world, especially with Europe. To that end, we took the first step with the ENQA membership process. We hope that this process will be completed successfully. THEQC’s full membership to ENQA will ensure the full integration of the Turkish Higher Education System with Europe in the field of quality assurance. ENQA is a major and important communication platform that enables the sharing and dissemination of information and experiences among its members in the field of quality assurance. This function of ENQA will strengthen communication, cooperation and exchange of experiences between THEQC and other members of the higher education system in Europe. Our next goal is to become full members of the Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN) and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE)”.

ENQA is a consulting member in the Bologna Process, and quality agencies of many European countries are members of ENQA, whose responsibility is the coordination of quality assurance efforts in member countries.