Estonian Education and Youth Board and HAKA organised a European Higher Education Policy Seminar for Eastern Partnership Countries in Moldova
As part of the European Commission service contract “Study in Europe”, the Estonian Education and Youth Board and HAKA organised a higher education policy seminar for European higher education institutions on 4 May in Chișinău, Moldova.
The discussions addressed developments within the European Higher Education Area, the future of quality assurance, and opportunities for international cooperation. Particular attention was given to the role of European standards in strengthening the credibility of higher education and supporting student mobility.
“The strength of the European Higher Education Area is built on trust, quality, and cooperation. These are also the core messages in promoting European higher education globally,” commented Eero Loonurm, Estonian project lead for the service contract. “For Estonia, it is important to share our experience both in international higher education promotion and in fostering a culture of quality assurance, while supporting partner countries in developing high-quality and internationally open higher education systems,” Loonurm added.
According to Heli Mattisen, Director of the Estonian Quality Agency for Education (HAKA), quality assurance is an essential component of the competitiveness of European higher education. “International cooperation in developing quality assurance systems helps ensure transparency within the European Higher Education Area and creates the foundation for mutual trust,” said Mattisen.
In addition to the policy seminar, Chișinău also hosted a contact seminar aimed at networking and initiating cooperation between higher education institutions from Europe and Eastern Partnership countries, as well as an international “Study in Europe” education fair introducing European study opportunities to Moldovan students and education stakeholders.
The policy seminar was supported and co-organised by the Ministry of Education and Research of Moldova, the Delegation of the European Union to Moldova, the Erasmus+ National Offices in Moldova and Ukraine, the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), the Moldovan quality assurance agency ANACEC, the Ukrainian quality assurance agency NAQA, the Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (CEENQA), and the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR). The project managers from the Estonian Education and Youth Board were Eero Loonurm, Sabina Maidla, Piret Puuorg, Liia Lauri, and Heli Mattisen.
The “Study in Europe” service contract contributes to increasing the visibility and attractiveness of European higher education outside Europe. The project aims to strengthen the message of Europe as the world’s leading study destination through international marketing and communication platforms. In addition, the project supports the organisation of promotional events and cooperation seminars in priority regions selected by the European Commission, as well as training and development activities for European national agencies.
The partners of the Study in Europe consortium are Nuffic (Netherlands), the Education and Youth Board (Estonia), Campus France (France), DAAD (Germany), DZS (Czech Republic), and the Europe-wide think tank Academic Cooperation Association (ACA).
Additional information Estonian Quality Agency for Education Photo album of the Moldova Higher Education Policy Seminar (photos: Piret Puuorg)
Contact:
Eero Loonurm
Head of International Higher Education Marketing
Education and Youth Board
eero.loonurm@harno.ee
+372 730 0715