The 20th Anniversary of the Agency for Science and Higher Education Marked with an International Conference

This important anniversary brought together leading international and domestic experts, policymakers, representatives of the academic and scientific community, as well as students.

The conference was opened with an introductory address by Prof. Danijela Horvatek Tomić, PhD, Director of the Agency for Science and Higher Education (ASHE). On behalf of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, the audience was welcomed by Assistant Professor Iva Ivanković, PhD, State Secretary at the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth (MSEY), who emphasized the importance of ASHE’s role in building a strong and internationally recognized higher education and research system in Croatia.

In her opening address, Prof. Danijela Horvatek Tomić, PhD highlighted that the 20th anniversary comes at a key moment for reflecting on the future of higher education and science.

“In a time marked by accelerated digital transformation, global mobility, the development of artificial intelligence, and growing societal expectations, questions of quality assurance are gaining a new dimension. The system must continuously adapt – be open, agile, and built on trust,” emphasized Prof. Horvatek Tomić, adding that quality is not only a goal, but a process – an ongoing dialogue between institutions, stakeholders, and the society we serve.

The ceremonial opening program was enriched by the screening of a promotional film created to mark ASHE’s twentieth anniversary.

The plenary session gathered prominent European experts in the field of quality assurance. Douglas Blackstock, former President of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), and Aleksandar Šušnjar, Director of the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), spoke about current challenges and European policies shaping the future of the European Higher Education Area. The plenary block was moderated by Prof. Franci Demšar, PhD, long-time Director of the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (NAKVIS). The discussion addressed topics such as the revision of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG), challenges in their national implementation, the independence of higher education agencies, the impact of digital transformation and artificial intelligence on quality systems, and the global relevance of the ESG in the context of increasing international cooperation.

Particularly noteworthy was the presentation by Lana Par, President of the European Students’ Union (ESU), which opened a discussion on expectations, responsibilities, and the role of students in the further development of the quality assurance system.

The conference’s first panel, titled “Quality as a Common Language of European Education and Science”, was moderated by Prof. Olgun Cicek, PhD, an international quality assurance expert from the University of Ljubljana, and brought together both international and domestic experts: Dr. Péter Levente Lakatos, PhD, Director of the Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB), Naim Gashi, Director of the Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA), Prof. Anita Pavić Pintarić, PhD, Vice-Rector of the University of Zadar, and Lana Par, President of the ESU. The panellists discussed the role of the ESG as the foundation of trust, cooperation, and mutual recognition within the European Higher Education Area, as well as the challenges faced by higher education institutions in their implementation and student expectations.

The second panel, “Challenges in Higher Education and Science in Croatia”, was moderated by Irena Petrušić PhD, Deputy Director of ASHE, and brought together key stakeholders of the Croatian higher education and research system: Prof. Nebojša Stojčić, PhD, Rector of the University of Dubrovnik and Deputy Chair of the Croatian Rectors’ Conference, Dijana Mandić, Director of the Directorate for Higher Education at the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, Associate Professor Damir Jugo, PhD, President of the Governing Board of Algebra Bernays University and David Matthew Smith, PhD, Director of the Ruđer Bošković Institute. The panel examined the challenges of system sustainability in the context of demographic trends, internationalization, employability, digitalization, and the societal role of higher education and research institutions.

It was emphasized that synergy between national and European policies, along with the active involvement of the academic community and students, is essential for further enhancing the quality of higher education and science in Croatia.

Participants expressed a strong commitment to the continued development of a system based on transparency and trust.

The conference is organized within the project “Quality Assurance in Higher Education”, funded by the Effective Human Resources 2021–2027Programme of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+).