Staff members of the Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE) took part in a study visit to the Swedish Higher Education Authority (Universitetskanslersämbetet – UKÄ) from 19 to 21 October 2026.
Through presentations and discussions, ASHE staff were introduced to the Swedish higher education system and UKÄ’s activities in the field of external quality assurance. Participants gained an overview of institutional and thematic evaluation procedures, with particular emphasis on data collection and use.
The staff also learned about the information systems and platforms used for data collection and processing in external evaluation procedures. Part of the programme focused on the evaluation of online study programmes and research evaluations, providing an opportunity for a valuable exchange of information on similarities between the respective procedures.
A special part of the programme took the form of a seminar for UKÄ staff working in the Department of External Evaluations. ASHE representatives presented the Croatian higher education and science system, as well as the external quality assurance system. The visit concluded with a discussion on the use of artificial intelligence in external quality assurance processes, highlighting the importance of using these tools responsibly and ethically.
The exchange of professional knowledge and experience highlighted the importance of strengthening inter-institutional cooperation and its contribution to the continuous improvement of quality assurance systems.
The study visit was organised as part of the project “Quality Assurance in Higher Education”, funded by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) through the Effective Human Resources Programme 2021–2027.
