Within the framework of the education reform, a presentation on the integration of higher education into the European Higher Education Area
Mikheil Batiashvili, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, and Giorgi Vashakidze, Director of the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, presented the vision for the integration of the higher education system into the European Higher Education Area and the two-year action plan for quality enhancement to journalists.
The analysis of the 2018 results revealed that the educational programs and research components of higher education institutions remain imperfect and fail to meet European standards. Furthermore, the rate of absorption of grant resources is low, as is the degree of internationalization of research and scientific productivity. Additionally, the issue of recognition of qualifications and diplomas abroad remains a challenge.
To overcome these challenges, the strategy developed by the Ministry and the Center aims to promote the implementation of the "Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area" in Georgia and to join the "European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education" (ENQA).
The relevant application to ENQA has already been submitted, and it is expected that the Center will become a member of this organization in March. Following the successful completion of this stage, plans are underway for the Center to join the "European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education" (EQAR) and the "European Consortium for Accreditation in Higher Education" (ECA), which will ensure the unconditional recognition of diplomas issued in Georgia across Europe and encourage the involvement of Georgian universities in international research.
At the same time, the action plan envisages taking specific steps to refine quality enhancement procedures and mechanisms, which will help simplify the process, remove bureaucratic barriers, and assist universities in aligning their institutional resources and educational programs with European standards.
