The QA-FIT project (Quality Assurance Fit for the Future) recently concluded two and a half years of work with a final conference in Brussels. The event brought together over seventy participants, including policymakers, representatives from quality assurance agencies, higher education institutions, and students. They discussed the current context for quality assurance of higher education and reflected on how the EHEA framework can evolve to remain responsive and relevant.
The project has mapped the state of play of quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) to explore how the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA (ESG) are used by actors at different levels – European, national, regional, institutional – and to reflect on how the ESG may need to change in the future.
The project consortium has produced a series of eight papers: four papers to present mapping and the views of each stakeholder group, two papers to analyse perspectives in the sector about future of the ESG and internationalisation; a policy brief and a final paper.
In the final paper the project consortium outlined five key considerations to guide the revision of the ESG in order support the continued acceptance and success and to help avoid unintended consequences that could arise from new or updated elements:
- Recognise the existing purposes of the ESG as relevant and valid
- Maximise the added value of EHEA standards
- Celebrate the diverse contexts and cultures in higher education
- Situate the quality assurance of learning and teaching in its broader context
- Balance current issues with long term relevance.
The QA-FIT project outcomes provide a sound evidence base to inform the revision of the ESG, to ensure they remain relevant and responsive to ongoing changes within the sector. Following the mandate given to the authors of the ESG in the Tirana Communiqué, the revision process began in September 2024 and will involve extensive consultation with stakeholders across the EHEA.
It is expected that the final text of the ESG 2027 will be approved by the Bologna Follow-up Group at their meeting in autumn 2026 ahead of adoption by EHEA Ministers at the Ministerial Conference in Romania/Moldova in spring 2027.