The Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA) successfully hosted its third annual International Conference on Higher Education on September 30, 2025, rallying over 160 participants from across Europe, the region, the United States, and Kosovo.  Operating under the timely theme “Internationalized Higher Education: Crossing Borders to Unite People,” the conference underscored Kosovo's strategic drive to integrate its academic sector into the wider European and global landscape.

The event served as a crucial platform for exploring the advantages and challenges of higher education internationalization. Key discussions focused on critical issues such as:

• The essential role of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) and the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR) in implementing European quality standards.

• The complexities of transnational education and its effect on national systems.

• The vital contribution of the diaspora in fostering cross-border cooperation.

Distinguished international speakers, including Ms. Doris Herrmann, Vice-President of the ENQA Board, Mr. Peter Levente Lakatos, Member of the ENQA Board, and Mr. Aleksandar Šušnjar, Director of EQAR, emphasized that shared quality assurance mechanisms are the foundation for international trust and mobility.

KAA's Goal to Ensure Kosovo's Higher Education is Steering Towards Europe

The Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA) is the central body responsible for quality assurance (QA) in the country’s higher education sector.  Its commitment to adherence to the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG) is crucail in Kosovo's path to enhance its higher education.  For a country like Kosovo, achieving and maintaining international standards is important in ensuring that its degrees are recognized abroad, facilitating student and staff mobility, and attracting international partnerships and investment.

Higher education in Kosovo continues to focus on modernization and aligning its programs with the demands of the European labor market.  The push for internationalization - a key policy goal - is viewed as the most effective tool for enhancing academic quality, fostering a diverse academic environment, and increasing the overall competitiveness of its institutions. 

Global Dialogue: Quality Assurance as the Engine of International Development

The focus on ENQA and EQAR at the conference reflects significant international developments in quality assurance.  These organizations are the lynchpins of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the broader Bologna Process.  Their role is to ensure that all participating countries and institutions adhere to the same high standards, effectively creating a common market for academic qualifications.

For aspiring nations and agencies like KAA, engagement with ENQA and EQAR means achieving global recognition, enabling degrees to be instantly trusted across borders.  This institutional alignment directly supports the "crossing borders" theme, transforming quality assurance into the ultimate bridge that unites diverse people and academic systems under a shared framework of excellence.  The conversations about transnational education further indicate a move beyond simple student exchange to deeper, more complex partnerships, demanding robust, internationally accepted quality control.

Recognizing Excellence and Future Steps

Reinforcing the importance of internationalization efforts, KAA used the conference opening to award Quality Certificates to institutions demonstrating excellence in international engagement and institutional profiling.  Recipients included the Faculty of Education of the University of Prishtina, the Faculty of Philology of the University of Prishtina, the University of Peja, the University of Prizren, and Tepulli College.  These awards recognize institutions that are actively leading the way in integrating global perspectives into their operations.

The success of the event was made possible through the support of the SHER Project, funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), highlighting continued international support for Kosovo's academic progress.  The conference stands as a powerful testament to Kosovo's dedication to its European future, proving that quality assurance is not just an administrative requirement, but a dynamic force for global collaboration and unity.

More about the event:

• KAA Organizes the Third International Conference on Higher Education – Agjencia e Kosovës për Akreditim