The INSPIRE kick-off meeting was successfully held on 19–20 January 2026 in Wrocław, at the premises of the project coordinator, Wrocław University of Science and Technology. The meeting officially marked the launch of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building project dedicated to strengthening institutional quality assurance and accreditation reform in Ukraine.

Despite the challenging circumstances faced by Ukrainian higher education institutions, all consortium partners were represented either on-site or remotely, ensuring full participation in a hybrid format. The event provided an opportunity to formally confirm governance structures, clarify roles and responsibilities, and align expectations regarding the project’s objectives, timeline and deliverables.

During the two-day meeting, partners discussed the methodological foundations of institutional accreditation, the alignment with the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG 2015), and the structure of upcoming work packages. Special attention was given to coordination mechanisms, quality assurance procedures within the project, and the role of expert facilitators in supporting capacity building and pilot implementation.

The kick-off meeting also reinforced the strong cooperation between European universities, Ukrainian higher education institutions, national authorities and stakeholder organisations. The consortium confirmed its shared commitment to supporting Ukraine’s systemic higher education reform and long-term integration into the European Higher Education Area.

The meeting concluded with agreement on the first milestones and a clear roadmap for the initial phase of implementation. INSPIRE has now officially entered its operational stage, with coordinated activities underway across all partner institutions.