Maggie Feng Discusses International Collaboration at CEENQA Event in Baku 

From 17 to 18 May, Maggie Feng, CEO of Wittenborg, participated in the annual General Assembly and workshop of the Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (CEENQA) held in the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, Baku.  

The event, organised by the Azerbaijani Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (TKTA), focused on cross-border cooperation in quality assurance in higher education. Held at the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel, it brought together education experts and stakeholders to discuss crucial issues in quality assurance and internationalisation in higher education.  

Feng actively engaged in the workshops and discussions. Her presentation on 'Best Practices for the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications & Promoting the Mobility of Students and Professionals' highlighted strategies for international collaboration and digital credentialing.  

Feng opened her workshop by expressing her happiness to be back in Baku. She highlighted Wittenborg's leadership in the Erasmus+ project aimed at helping universities in Azerbaijan improve their internal quality systems.  

This Erasmus+ project, launched in 2021, focuses on enhancing internal quality assurance in teaching, learning, and assessment in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Azerbaijan and Russia (IQAinAR). This project supports the development of internal quality assurance systems in partner countries, using international (EU) quality standards as benchmarks. It also aims to strengthen HEIs in implementing local, regional, and national policies and strategies. The project focuses on two main areas: improving teaching, learning and assessment, and recognising the crucial role of educators in quality assurance.

Apart from her presentation, one of the highlights for Feng was meeting both the Minister of Education and the Deputy Minister of Education of Azerbaijan.  

The CEENQA Programme

The CEENQA event's full programme, moderated by Ulker Sattarova, Director of the State Agency for Science and Higher Education, and Diane Freiberger, Managing Director of FIBAA, featured a range of workshops, presentations and networking opportunities. Presenters at the CEENQA event included distinguished experts in higher education. Hans de Wit, a Distinguished Fellow at the Center for International Higher Education and Senior Fellow at the International Association of Universities (IAU), presented on 'Trends in Internationalisation and Cross-border Education: Implications for Accreditation'. Elspeth Jones, Emerita Professor at Leeds Beckett University, discussed 'The Role of Cross-Border Accreditation in Enhancing Quality'. Anna Gover, Director of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), provided insights on 'Cross-Border Accreditation from the Perspective of ENQA'.  

Idris Isayev, Deputy Minister of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Franci Demšar, President of CEENQA, gave keynote speeches, while other attendees focused on how international accreditation contributes to strategic planning for higher education institutions.  

Reflecting on her experience, Feng emphasised the importance of collaboration in advancing education quality. She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to represent Wittenborg and contribute to shaping the future of higher education.  

The next CEENQA meeting will take place in Tallinn, Estonia.    

WUP 29/05/2024 
by James Wittenborg 
©WUAS Press