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The European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes was approved by the ministers of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) in 2015. Since then, research on its implementation has primarily focused on legal barriers and challenges posed by national external quality assurance practices.
Case studies and examples of promising practice have provided valuable insights into the practical difficulties encountered by QA agencies and higher education institutions during external QA reviews conducted using the European Approach. However, comparatively little attention has been paid to the outcomes of these reviews. This paper seeks to address this gap by shifting the focus to the results of these evaluations. In the spirit of ESG 3.4 on thematic analysis, this study systematically compares reports available in English and listed as currently valid in June 2025 on the Database for External Quality Assurance Results (DEQAR). The analysis is structured around the standards of the European Approach to identify recurring challenges that joint programmes face in their design, organisation, implementation, and quality assurance. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive overview that supports higher education institutions already engaged in joint programmes or planning to launch them. Additionally, it offers insights that may inform the ongoing development of the European Degree (Label) and the revision of the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes.
This paper was presented at EQAF and reflects the views of the named authors only.
ISSN: 1375-3797
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Foreword and Acknowledgements by Norma Ryan I. Making a difference: perspectives and lessons learnt ...
Foreword In this paper, you will find a summary by the Estonian Higher Education Quality Agency (Eesti Kõrghariduse Kvaliteediagentuur; EKKA) of an atypical quality assessment in Estonian higher edu ...
In this paper we elaborate the idea of ‘dialectical reasoning’ as a way of reconciling managerial paradoxes. Two ‘mental exercises’ have been developed to encourage such dialectical reasoning ...
Abstract The idea for the study of these issues arose as a result of the current state of higher education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has not yet begun the process of accreditation of higher ed ...
Abstract The purpose of this paper is to report on a qualitative investigation to identify and explore: - the value added by quality reviews in service and support units in the UJ;- improvements to ...
Abstract The main aim of this paper is to provide examples of how quality assurance and enhancement activities have provided a clear means of integrating QA into an Irish third level institution, Dub ...
Abstract This paper presents a cooperation model between a Russian organisation aiming at fostering quality culture in higher education, the National Center of Public Accreditation (NCPA) and a Europ ...
Abstract 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 ...
Abstract The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education (the Agency), established in 1995, has the national responsibility for quality assurance of higher education through quality evaluation of fi ...
Abstract The main purpose of the paper is to present the concept for assessment of the doctoral programmes implemented by PKA as an important supplement of the institutional evaluation. The paper pre ...
Abstract The presentation is a case study of how Lund University have used the mapping of existing student and graduate tracking initiatives within its faculties and central administration to introdu ...
Abstract One of the main principles of the quality assurance procedures is to encompass the interests of all stakeholders. Among the stakeholders there is one group it is students whom very often man ...
Abstract The process of adaptation to the challenges in the European Higher Education Area, lead to the development of an Integrated Quality System at IST (SIQuIST), consolidating the quality culture ...
Abstract Although e-learning has become mainstream provision in European higher education it has not yet become integral part of the QA systems.Surveys like the E-learning Quality (ELQ) report (2008: ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Fiona Crozier I. Setting the stage ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Henrik Toft Jensen Part 1. 2010 is here: How far have we come and where are we going? ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Henrik Toft Jensen 1. Introduction ...
Foreword and Acknowledgements by Henrik Toft Jensen 1. Introduction to the Forum by Klaus Dieter Wolff ...
The 2019 European Quality Assurance Forum (EQAF) is taking place this week at Technical University Berlin in Germany. More than 500 participants are attending the event, which runs from 21-23 November ...
Can, and should, quality assurance play a greater role in ensuring that common academic values are respected? EUA’s Maria Kelo examines recent debates on the scope of QA in higher education. Qualit ...
As places of teaching and learning, how can universities tangibly create a culture of togetherness and well-being? Here, Jochen Schellinger explains Bern University of Applied Sciences’ efforts to d ...
The European University Association’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP) has outstanding experience in conducting institutional evaluations. Here, our quality assurance experts Elena Cirlan an ...
Micro-credentials are expected to widen participation in higher education by supporting inclusion and facilitating access to education. They are also expected to close the skills gaps in the labour ma ...
As learning pathways are increasingly international, the recognition of qualifications and credits obtained abroad is a key issue for countries and higher education institutions. Sebastian Bruque from ...
External quality assurance across the European Higher Education Area is highly diverse. EQAR’s Melinda Szabo maps the situation through the rich datasets of the Database of External Quality Assuranc ...
Learning outcomes are increasingly used in qualifications frameworks and quality assurance processes. As such, they aim to secure and foster public trust among education providers. Yet, against the ba ...
Micro-credentials are growing exponentially in popularity, attracting the interest of various stakeholders due to their flexibility and ability to meet the demands of a rapidly changing labour market. ...
The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) have led to major developments, however there are now proposals for revisions. EUA expert Tia Loukkola lo ...
What would be the most effective way forward for universities to promote social dimension in their respective contexts? EUA expert Tia Loukkola discusses the role that quality assurance can play and i ...
Cross-border quality assurance has been slow in the making over the past two decades. However, as EUA’s Tia Loukkola explains, a new political context in Europe and the launch of new networks and co ...
This year, EUA’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP) marks 25 years since its foundation. Tatjana Volkova, Chair of IEP Steering Committee, and EUA expert Anna Gover reflect on the benefits tha ...
Will quality assurance as we know it remain relevant amid the changing higher education landscape? What changes are needed? EUA’s Tia Loukkola gives an overview of the diverse questions to be addres ...
Numerous cases of positive change in higher education systems can be attributed to EUA’s Institutional Evaluation Programme (IEP). As IEP celebrates its 25th anniversary, Andrée Sursock looks back ...
How can universities frame their internal quality assurance and shake up the image of the bureaucratic burden? EUA’s Tia Loukkola gives us three approaches and tells us why the most effective proces ...
External quality assurance reports are publicly available, demonstrating transparency and building trust and confidence in the quality of higher education. As EQAR’s Colin Tück explains, a new data ...
Reports produced by quality assurance agencies can be used in many ways, including in policy-making. As EUA’s Tia Loukkola explains, there is much room for bettering the accessibility and use of inf ...
A recent EUA study stresses that contributing to innovation in society is a central mission of today’s higher education institutions. EUA’s Tia Loukkola examines the role of quality assurance in t ...
New approaches to quality assurance in different regions of the world are contributing to a global dimension in the field. EUA’s Tia Loukkola takes note of frameworks in Africa, Asia and Europe, exa ...
By Tia Loukkola, Director of Institutional Development and senior quality assurance expert at the European University Association. In Europe, quality assurance has made major strides since the beginn ...
EUA works to ensure that the views of the university sector are taken into account in European and national-level policy discussions on internal and external quality assurance. It also supports its me ...
