Keynote Speakers

Keynote Speech: 
Higher Education Quality Assurance: The Strategic Goals

Abstract

The Agency for Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education (A3ES) has the competences to intervene in the assessment and accreditation of activities of higher education institutions. Thus, the A3ES intervention focuses on the study programme quality assessment and the overall running of higher education institutions, regardless of the respective subsystem and the legal nature of the institutions. Within the European scope, the assessment activities related to study programmes are dependent on a set of standards defined by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA).

Higher education institutions carry out their activities in accordance with their strategic objectives, ensuring the implementation of training, research and extension functions and guaranteeing their commitments to society.
In this context, institutional evaluation should be an instrument for the continuous improvement of the national higher education system, covering all the various institutions. The institutional evaluation has as its object the quality of the performance of higher education institutions, evaluating the strategy adopted to ensure the quality management of their activities, as well as the degree of fulfillment of their mission.

The panorama of the two assessment axes (study programmes and institutional assessment) should be considered in its multiple convergences. The institutional assessment will necessarily integrate the previous route of the study programme assessment and will consider it as a sure indicator of the quality assurance of the institution. On the other hand, the results of the institutional assessment should condition the future assessments of the study programmes, eventually defining simplified procedures that should be accompanied by internal quality assurance systems.

In the conclusion, a brief discussion about the challenges for the future of higher education quality assurance will be addressed.


Biography

João António de Sampaio Rodrigues Queiroz, Full Professor of Biochemistry/Biotechnology of University of Beira Interior (since 2003).

Degree in Biochemistry, University of Coimbra, 1986; MSc in Biotechnology (Biochemical Engineering), Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University of Lisbon, 1991; PhD in Chemistry, University of Beira Interior, 1996; Aggregation in Biochemistry, University of Beira Interior, 2002. Advanced Course in Public Management, CAGEP, INA, 2017.

Former Rector of University of Beira Interior (2009-2013); member of the Executive Committee of the Foundation of Portuguese Universities; member of the Permanent Committee of the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities, having been Coordinator of the Specialized Commission «Social Action».

Former Director-General for Higher Education (2014-2020); member of the Representatives Group of National Authorities, for the Erasmus+ Programme; president of the Commission for the Recognition of Foreign Degrees and Diplomas; member of the Coordinating Council of Higher Education of Portugal; coordinator of the Portuguese representation at BFUG — Bologna Follow-Up Group; member of the General Assembly of EQAR - European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education.

Executive Member of the Management Board of A3ES – Agency for Assessment and Accreditation of Higher Education (since 2020).