Overview of QA Bodies

As determined with the Article 41 of the Law on Higher Education (Official Gazette 82/2018,), the system of “assurance, assessment, development and enhancement of higher education” is consisted of 1) accreditation of higher education institutions (HEIs) and study programs; 2) evaluation of higher education, and 3) other activities on quality assurance. The latter entails the university activities related to introduction of an (internal) system of assurance and control of quality, as well the university ranking and ranking of independent scientific /research institutions that provide higher education.

QA system is accomplished through the National Council for Higher Education and Research (Nacionalen sovet za visokoto obrazovanie i naucno istrazuvackata dejnost) and the Agency for Quality in Higher Education (Agencija za kvalitet vo visokoto obrazovanie). A set of bylaws is to be enacted after their commencement.

The National Council for Higher Education and Research (hereinafter the National Council) is the highest autonomous expert body in the country on higher education and research policies. Besides of setting the (new) national standards and criteria for funding of the higher education, the National Council has a mandate to monitor the development of HE and its compliance with European and international standards, to develop and propose to the Parliament the National Programs for Higher Education and Research and to enact a set of Rulebooks which regulate the work of the Agency (Rulebook on the norms and Standards for establishing higher education institution (HEI) and higher education provision; Rulebook for the Content of the Study Programs, Rulebook on the Methodology, Standards and Procedures for Accreditation of HEIs and study programs, on the Standards and Procedures for External evaluation and self-evaluation of institutions). It is expected that these by-laws will be compliant with the ENQA Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). The National Council is consisted of 15 members elected by the Parliament (six members from the professors proposed by the Interuniversity conference on secret ballot, six members from the professors proposed by the Government, one member from the Macedonian Academy of Science and Arts (MANU), one member of the business community and one member of the students proposed by the Interuniversity conference. The elected members of the National Council have a 4 year mandate, except the student who has a two years mandate.

The Agency for Quality of Higher Education (hereinafter the Agency) consists of 2 separate bodies (the Accreditation and the Evaluation Boards). Alike the composition of the National Council, each of these bodies are consisted of 15 members with 4 years mandate and no right to re-election. Six members of the Accreditation Board (AB) and of the Evaluation Board (EB) are elected from the professors proposed by the Interuniversity conference on secret ballot, six members from the professors proposed by the Government, one member from the Macedonian Academy of Science and Arts (MANU), one member from the most representative organization of employers and one member of the students proposed by the Interuniversity conference on secret ballot. The university professors that are members of the AB and EB must represent all scientific fields and should have published at least 10 scientific papers in referent scientific publications. If there are no experts on specific fields among the AB and EB members, they can engage external experts.

In order to ensure a clear division and separation of the accreditation and evaluation processes as well as the  operational independence of both bodies, the members of the university/faculty management structures, Rectors, Vice-rectors, Directors of Research Institutes as well as the members of the National Council and/or the members of the Evaluation Board cannot be elected and serve as member(s) of the Accreditation Board, while the members of the National Council and/or the members of the Accreditation Board cannot be elected and serve as member(s) of the Evaluation Board. The Agency has a Director that is selected on open call by the Parliament and a professional service office for the administrative technical issues.

The Accreditation Board has the following responsibilities (Article 48 of the Law on HE):

• Determines whether the project(s) for the establishing of HEI and the documentation presented meets the prescribed criteria for higher education provision and determines the capacity for studying at the HEI;
• Adopts a decision for accreditation of the project  for establishing  independent private and private-public HEI and for establishing of unit of independent private and private-public HEI;
• Adopts a decision for accreditation of scientific institution for provision of higher education studies at the second and third cycle;
• Determines eligibility for organizing of studies in new study programs and capacity for studying at the HEIs;
• Decides on accreditation of study program for a period of 5 years;
• Decides on accreditation of mentors of doctoral studies;
• Based on external evaluation, monitors the fulfillment of conditions at HEIs and decides to revoke accreditation;
• Keep records on accredited HEIs and has obligation to publish report on its work at the web site of the Agency;
• Informs biannually the Ministry of Education and the National Council for the provided accreditations;
• Decides on revocation of accreditation before the expiry of the period for which the accreditation is awarded, upon the proposal of the Accreditation Board;
• Gives recommendations for improvement of norms and standards for higher education provision and proposes to the National Council a Rulebook on the Methodology, Standards and Procedures for Accreditation of HEIs and study programs.

The Evaluation Board has the following responsibilities (Article 53 of the Law on HE):

• Follows the work of the accredited HEIs through the evaluation commissions of the HEIs;
• Assesses the quality of higher education provision and research, of the academic staff and of the study programs on every 5 years based on which  propose to the Accreditation Board the extension or revocation of accreditation;
• Gives recommendations for improvement of norms and standards  for higher education provision and proposes to the National Council a Rulebook on the Standards and Procedures for External evaluation and self-evaluation of institutions;
• Reports on its work biannually to the Ministry of Education and to the National Council;

(Source: Eurydice, page updated 31 March, 2021)