KSC says any illegal interference from politics will be denounced in justice

State Council of Quality ( KSC) has been declared regarding the decisions of this council of July 15, 2019, saying that the IAL Higher Education Institutions, which have not received a positive assessment of accreditation, cannot register students in the 2019-20 academic year.

The State Quality Council's State Council declaration for Accreditation in Kosovo comes after the decision not to accredit 2019/2020 public universities in Prizren, Peja and Mitrovica.

The “they will not be closed, but will again submit to the process of institutional re-accreditation as current students continue their studies in accredited” programmes, the statement said.

The KSC expresses concern about manipulation of public opinion and the use of KSC's decisions for political play, and says it will resist any interference in AKA independence and KSC's decision making, where any illegal interference by politics will be denounced to justice institutions.

Moreover, the KSC commemorates that there are a set of standards based on standards and guidelines for ensuring quality in European Higher Education Space 2015, aimed at ensuring quality in higher education in Kosovo, meeting European standards.

“These standards include institutional discreditment of the IALs and study programmes. The first are 11 standards (public commission and institutional objectives; strategic planning, governance and management; planning and financial management; academic integrity, responsibility and public responsibility; quality management; learning and teaching; research; staff, employment processes and professional development; student management and support services; teaching resources and objects; institutional co-operation; and the second are 7 (public and institutional objectives; quality management; academic staff; the content of the education process; students; research and infrastructure). These standards are jointly defined with AKA, The IALs and international experts, through a comprehensive process”, the statement said.

K The SC recalls that the assessment based on these standards is made by international experts and that the IALs are informed of every step in the institutional and/or programmes on these standards, and participate in each phase of the assessment by international experts.

“The KSC makes decisions on expert recommendations according to its mandate and legislation in effect. Experts are from the ENQA, approved by the KSEC, while selecting experts for IAL evaluation and research programmes is the responsibility of the director and staff of the AKA. Experts' selection for The IALs and programs have made AKA”, further said in the statement.

Otherwise, the KSC is the only organ for decision-making and policy-making in the matter of accrediting higher education institutions ( IALs) and studies programmes in the Republic of Kosovo -- a mandate given by the Law on Higher Education.

The KSC was voted in by the Kosovo Parliament in April 2018 and has taken an active role following the Kosovo government's decision that it illegally dismissed the preliminary KSC, which resulted in exemption from the ECAR.