The Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia in partnership with the National Education Development Center, held an international seminar on the topic "Promoting the development of quality assurance in the Eastern Partnership countries". The participants of the seminar met with the Minister of Education –Mr. Aleksandre Jejelava.

The aim of the seminar was to identify the issues in the quality assurance, which require a great deal of attention, in conjunction with designing recommendations regarding these issues.

Within the scope of the seminar, a discussion was held between the Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus) regarding the quality assurance system development and its challenges. Additionally, the member countries of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) exchanged their experiences and shared their best practices.

The head of the project for the internationalization of higher education in the region of Flanders – Mr. Noel Virkus, spoke about the quality assurance in the agreed obligations of the Bologna process and its challenges. 

Austria Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agency's executive director- Mr. Achim Hopbach shared the example of Austria to the participants – how to establish a development-oriented quality assurance in the educational system.

The head of the ASIIN – International Office of the German Accreditation Agency – Ms. Iana Moren, reviewed the implementation of recognition and trust, in conjunction with discussing on how to ensure a balance between accountability and development in the external quality assurance.

The Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Georgia and the head of the National Center for Education Quality Enhancement – Mr. George Sharvashidze, spoke about the implementation of the Bologna process, and the development of quality assurance system throughout the recent years.

The acting director of Lithuania Accreditation Agency (SKVC) – Ms. Nora Skaburskiene, spoke about the development, internationalizaiton, challenges and advantages of quality assurance.

The acting head of the Analysis and Strategy department of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science of Poland –Mr. Bartholomew Bazanak addressed the challenges of the quality assurance system development.

The head of the higher and professional education Agency of Estornia – Ms. Liaa Lauri, reviewed the quality assurance system in general, the stakeholder engagement, the emembership of the ENQA and its challenges and advantages.

At the seminar, working groups discussed the challenges in the development of external quality assurance system amongst the countries of Eastern Partnership, and the future prospects for the international involvment.

The seminar was attended by the representatives of the higher educational institutions and honorary foreign guests.