THEQC Marks First Cross-Border Evaluation with the International University of Sarajevo

The Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THEQC) conducted its first site visit to the International University of Sarajevo (IUS), the first foundation HEI in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as part of the International Institutional Accreditation Program (IIAP). The university stands out with 21 dual diploma programs with Turkish universities in various fields.

During the site visit conducted between December 15-18, 2025, the THEQC evaluation team assessed the QA system in IUS in the scope of main headings, “Governance and Quality”, “Learning and Teaching”, “Research and Development” and “Service to Society”, which cover the IIAP evaluation criteria.

“IIAP attracts HEIs in our cultural heartland”

Commenting on THEQC’s first cross-border experience, President Prof. Dr Kocabıçak stated that THEQC was excited to introduce a new international instrument of key importance to Turkish higher education diplomacy and said, “With this program, our agency aims to respond to the increasing interest and need of HEIs abroad, especially in the cultural heartland of Türkiye.”

President Kocabıçak emphasised that quality assurance in Europe was critical for the visibility, trust and mobility targeted by the Bologna Process and the Lisbon Recognition Convention, noting that the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) constituted the basic framework that strengthened trust, mobility and recognition among higher education systems.

Pointing out that the higher education system is an important tool of ‘soft power’ that contributes to Türkiye’s foreign policy, President Kocabıçak noted that IIAP would provide added value to Türkiye’s education policies through international visibility and mutual trust.

Stating that the IIAP process represents a first for IUS and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kocabıçak said, “IUS’ accreditation report to be written as a result of the evaluation will be the first cross-border evaluation report to be published on DEQAR among all public, private and foundation HEIs in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

“THEQC carries its experience to the international arena”

Recalling that THEQC has completed more than 300 institutional external evaluation and accreditation processes since its establishment, Kocabıçak stated that THEQC aimed to spread the culture of quality assurance by carrying this experience to the international arena.

Stating that HEIs outside Türkiye can apply to IIAP voluntarily, President Kocabıçak expressed that the process was designed in line with the principles of student-centred approach, international recognition, independence and transparent reporting.

IIAP is a cross-border institutional external evaluation and accreditation activity conducted by THEQC for HEIs abroad. Having been recognised as Türkiye’s cross-border evaluation and accreditation activity by the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) and the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) in February 2025, the IIAP is implemented as a quality assurance process based on independent and transparent procedures, comprising self-assessment, site visit, reporting, and decision stages. In this respect, IIAP is an important milestone for the Turkish higher education system.