The Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE) is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year, and on that occasion it is organizing an international conference entitled “Quality in Higher Education and Science: From Challenges to Opportunities – Together,” which will be held on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, at the Sheraton Hotel in Zagreb.
The conference will bring together prominent national and international experts, representatives of higher education institutions and research organizations, policymakers, students, and partners from European organizations and networks active in the field of quality assurance in higher education and science.
Key Topics
- European perspectives in quality assurance
- Students and quality in higher education
- Challenges and opportunities in Croatia and Europe
Dialogue and Cooperation
Through plenary sessions, talks, lectures, and panel discussions, participants will have the opportunity to exchange experiences, discuss current challenges, and reflect on future opportunities for developing the higher education and science system — in Croatia and beyond. The conference will serve as an opportunity to jointly shape future guidelines and emphasize the importance of cooperation in improving the quality of higher education and science.
Conference Programme
09:00 – 09:30 Registration and Welcome
09:30 – 10:00 Official Opening of the Conference
10:00 – 11:30 Plenary Presentations: European Perspectives in Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Science
- Douglas Blackstock, European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA)
- Aleksandar Šušnjar, European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR)
Discussion
Moderator: Dr. sc. Franci Demšar (NAKVIS)
11:30 – 12:00 Lecture: Students and Quality in Higher Education: Challenges, Expectations, and Future Guidelines
- Lana Par, European Students’ Union (ESU)
12:00 – 13:15 Lunch
13:15 – 14:15 Panel 1: Quality as the Common Language of European Education and Science
This panel will discuss the role of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG) as a foundation for building trust, cooperation, and mutual recognition within the European Higher Education and Research Area. Through dialogue with representatives of quality assurance agencies, the panel will explore current challenges in implementing ESG at the national and institutional level, the role of students and stakeholders, and future directions for quality assurance systems in the context of digitalization and sustainability.
Moderator: Prof. dr. Olgun Cicek (University of Ljubljana)
14:20 – 15:20 Panel 2: Challenges in Higher Education and Science in Croatia
Higher education today faces a series of complex challenges that require coordinated responses from policymakers, universities, students, and society as a whole. This panel will discuss how national and European education policies can respond to the needs of a system that aims to maintain sustainability, high quality and stability in the face of a rapidly changing world. Through dialogue with stakeholders, the panel will explore what sustainability in higher education means in the context of digital transformation, demographic trends, employability, international mobility, and the role of science and higher education in today’s society.
15:20 – 15:40 Concluding Discussion and Final Remarks
15:40 – 16:40 Refreshments and Closing of the Programme
Speakers
- Douglas Blackstock, European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), Former President
- Aleksandar Šušnjar, European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), Director
- Lana Par, European Students’ Union (ESU), President
The working language of the conference is English.
The organization of the conference is supported within the project “Quality Assurance in Higher Education,” funded by the Efficient Human Resources 2021–2027 programme of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+).
