ASCAL took part in the European higher education policy event “Advancing Quality Assurance and Recognition in the Western Balkans”, held in Tirana. The activity was organized by the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) as part of the European Union’s initiatives to strengthen cooperation in the field of quality assurance and the recognition of qualifications across the Western Balkans.

The event brought together representatives from the European Commission, higher education institutions, quality assurance agencies, and experts from the region and EU countries to discuss the latest developments in quality assurance and the automatic recognition of qualifications.

As part of the plenary panel titled “National developments in QA and recognition: Insights from the Nordic, Benelux and Western Balkan regions,” ASCAL presented the Albanian experience in quality assurance reforms and the challenges to aligning with European standards.
The presentation highlighted the importance of fully implementing the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG) and of enhanced cooperation between agencies and institutions to strengthen trust and transparency in higher education.

ASCAL remains committed to promoting European quality standards and strengthening regional cooperation for a more open, reliable, and integrated higher education system within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).