Call to prioritize the Law's Adoption of Accreditation Agency

The head of the State Council of Quality at the Accreditation Agency, Gazmend Luboten, said students should not be concerned about the exclusion of this agency from the ENQA, as their diplomat will be recognised, there will be exchanges under agreements that have Kosovo universities with European ones through various programmes.

“We can't say that the diplomat will not be accepted, but in a sense the student furniture is difficult. Of course diplomats released in Kosovo cannot be refused, but the furniture can be difficult and there is no reason for any panic in this regard. There are countries that are not members of the ENQA at all, but their diplomas are known and students can study outside”, Luboten said.

Luboteni said expulsion from the ENQA was not good news for Kosovo was a fair decision, as he said, reflects the Agency's structural problems and the legacy left behind continued political interference in the work of the Accreditation Agency.

The “in one of the remarks made by this institution is that we should have a broad consensus for establishing quality in Kosovo's higher education level and we cannot achieve only this as the Agency. Although we've been on this State Council of Quality for a year and a half, we're still dealing with the consequences from past”, he added.

The Accreditation Agency currently has only four workers, dealing with the process of accrediting and monitoring institutions of higher education, which cannot afford a normal functioning of it. The head of the State Council of Quality said one of the main ENQA remarks is also the lack of the Law for the Agency of Discension, which would ensure the agency's full independence.

The Accreditation Agency should be one of the most important agencies in Kosovo and be fully independent. Otherwise, there is no movement towards achieving quality and membership in these institutions. With the adoption of the new Law on Higher Education and the adoption of the Law on Accreditation Agency, I think there will be a substantial change, which will ensure a normal functioning of the Agency of Recognition and a return to ECQA and ECAR”, Luboten said.

The State Council of Quality has repeatedly made public concerns about politicising the process of accreditation and quality in higher education in the Republic of Kosovo. The SEE findings are perfectly correct and reflect the external and internal effects the agency faces for years now. Luboten stressed that it is very disturbing that the agency has consistently faced with lack of support, lack of human resources, which has been unable to strengthen and account.