INSPIRE Study Visit in Heidelberg: Exploring German and European Quality Assurance Systems in Higher Education

From 30 September to 2 October 2026, the INSPIRE project partners will meet in Heidelberg, Germany, for a three-day study visit dedicated to the German and European systems of quality assurance in higher education. The event is hosted by EVALAG – Evaluation Agency Baden-Württemberg at its premises in Heidelberg.

The study visit is designed as a combination of expert presentations, discussions, practical workshops and collaborative sessions. Its main objective is to deepen participants’ understanding of European quality assurance mechanisms and to support the development of a future institutional accreditation framework for Ukraine.

The first day, entitled “Understanding”, will focus on the structure of the German quality assurance system and the broader European framework. Participants will discuss the roles of state authorities, the German Accreditation Council and quality assurance agencies, as well as the legal foundations of accreditation and the principle of institutional autonomy. Particular attention will be paid to the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG), including standards for internal and external quality assurance and for quality assurance agencies.

An important part of the first day will be an exchange with representatives of internal quality assurance units from German higher education institutions, including Heidelberg University and Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. The discussions will address internal QA structures, monitoring, data use, reporting and the development of institutional quality cultures. The programme will also include a comparative workshop examining similarities, differences and strategic gaps between Ukrainian and European quality assurance systems.

The second day, “Experiencing”, will concentrate on external quality assurance and accreditation procedures in practice. Participants will examine different accreditation pathways in Germany, with particular emphasis on the transition from programme accreditation to system accreditation and on the development of effective internal quality assurance systems. The agenda also includes a meeting with the German Accreditation Council, offering participants an opportunity to discuss decision-making, current trends and future developments in system accreditation.

A practical accreditation case study will allow participants to analyse an accreditation procedure from the perspectives of an institution, an expert panel and student representatives. The day will conclude with a panel discussion on “Quality Assurance in Times of Transformation”, covering topics such as academic freedom, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, governance and the modernisation of quality assurance processes. The panel will bring together representatives of EVALAG, the German Accreditation Council, Ukrainian higher education institutions, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and NAQA.

The final day, “Transferring”, will be devoted to translating European experience into the Ukrainian context. Sessions will address student participation in quality assurance, institutional quality culture and diversity. Participants will then work together on components of a prospective Ukrainian institutional accreditation model, including accreditation criteria, process mapping and stakeholder engagement mechanisms.

The outcomes of the study visit will directly contribute to the next stages of the INSPIRE project, particularly the preparation of Work Package 3 deliverables, including procedural guidelines, a self-assessment report template, evaluation protocols and guidance for on-site visits. The programme also includes the sixth meeting of the INSPIRE Project Management Board and a concluding session devoted to follow-up activities, expert review and validation of future project outputs.

Beyond the formal programme, the study visit will provide opportunities for networking and informal exchange among project partners, including a guided tour of Heidelberg Old Town, a welcome dinner and a networking walk along the River Neckar.

The Heidelberg study visit represents an important step in the INSPIRE project’s effort to combine European experience with the needs and realities of Ukrainian higher education and to support the development of transparent, robust and internationally aligned approaches to institutional quality assurance and accreditation.