External reviews of SKVC

SKVC as quality assurance agency 

The external review of the Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (SKVC) must take place at least every 5 years and the results of it must be made public. This is provided for in the Law on Higher Education and Research of the Republic of Lithuania (Article 22 (5)). The purpose of the external review is to determine how SKVC complies with the ESG - provisions for quality assurance agencies within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

External reviews of SKVC's as a quality agency by international experts took place in 2012, 2017 and 2022. In 2012, following an external evaluation by an international panel, SKVC became a full member of ENQA. In 2017, following a regular external review, SKVC's membership in ENQA was extended for the next five years. Following a successful targeted external review of 2022, membership in ENQA was extended till December of 2027. The principal aim of a targeted review is to provide mature quality assurance agencies that have successfully undergone at least two full ESG reviews with an alternative way to assessing their compliance with the ESG. 

Since 2012, SKVC has also been listed in the European Register of Higher Education Quality Agencies, EQAR. In 2017, SKVC's membership in EQAR was extended following an international positive external peer review. After the external review of 2022, EQAR‘s Register Committee renewed SKVC‘s listing, it remains valid till 30 June 2027.

Membership in ENQA and EQAR means that the SKVC is recognized as a trusted quality assurance agency operating within the framework of EHEA and is a reliable international cooperation partner in higher education. This gives SKVC the right to carry out evaluations of higher education institutions and study programs not only in Lithuania, but also abroad.

ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education www.enqa.eu), Europe's largest and the most influential network of higher education quality assurance agencies, is among the main stakeholders of the EHEA. ENQA promotes international cooperation in quality assurance of higher education, as well as disseminates information and good practices among its members and partners.

EQAR (European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education www.eqar.eu) is a publicly accessible register of trustworthy quality assurance agencies operating under the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). Governments or higher education institutions may select agencies from this register for external evaluation of institutions or study programs. 

SKVC as Lithuanian ENIC/NARIC activity evaluation

Since 1999 SKVC is an authorized member of the European Network of Information Centers in the European Region (ENIC) and NARIC (National Academic Recognition Information Centers). SKVC is actively involved in ENIC / NARIC networks. SKVC, together with partners from other countries, developed and tested the SQUARE self-assessment and external evaluation methodology for ENIC / NARIC centers in 2016.

In June 2019, at a joint meeting of ENIC and NARIC networks, the SQUARE standards and guidelines for the ENIC-NARIC networks, abbreviated as "S&G", were adopted as a document to be followed by all academic information and recognition centers.

In 2016, a first international peer review of SKVC as the Lithuanian National Center for Academic Recognition and Information (ENIC / NARIC) was carried out. The second one took place in 2022.

In 2023, SKVC became a recognised quality assessment agency by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME). This means that medical studies in Lithuania meet the global requirements for medical studies and their accreditation.