Research and higher education quality assurance is important to every state. Increasing rivalry between higher education institutions, students mobility, protection of student rights impel to concern about quality assurance. To achieve this, there have been established external quality assurance agencies in many countries.
Higher education institutions have the primary responsibility for the quality of their provision and its assurance. Institutions should have a policy and associated procedures for the quality assurance and standards of their programmes and awards. It is also important to use external expertise in quality assurance processes. External quality assurance procedures should be implemented taking into account the effectiveness of the internal quality assurance processes. The link between internal and external quality assurance is established through assessment which includes internal (self-analysis) and external assessment.
Assessment of the quality of research and higher education
Ø Assessment of studies quality
· External assessment of quality of pursued study programmes with the view of accreditation
· Assessment of new study programmes with the view of registration
Ø Assessment of research
· Formal assessment of research production with the purpose to improve efficiency of research and higher education institutions and increase their international rivalry
· Formal assessment of research level with the purpose of institutions attaining the right to organize doctoral studies and give awards
Ø Institutional assessment
· Assessment of applications to establish new research and higher education institutions
· Assessment of applications to establish branches of foreign higher education institutions
· Assessment of applications to issue or amend licenses to pursue studies according to the programmes of higher education institutions of other states
· Assessment of colleges activity with the purpose to assess whether the college has accomplished the conditions fixed during the establishment
