The European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) has published a summary report to facilitate understanding of the procedures and criteria for inclusion in the Register. The document provides an overview of the applications received to date; scenarios for acceptance and rejection are also made transparent. The report concludes with recommendations for “good practice” to guide potential applicants in the preparation of applications for external review. In all such cases, applications should make clear reference to the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG), as these provide the basis for inclusion in the EQAR.   

EQAR was established in 2007 as a “white list” of quality assurance agencies which can demonstrate substantial compliance with the ESG through an external review. Applications for inclusion come mainly from within the EHEA, but increasing interest from outside the EHEA has been noted.

Colin Tück, Director of EQAR, explains that the non-EHEA agencies are mainly from the US and Asia. As some countries in Europe have already made direct reference to EQAR in their national legislation and automatically recognise the work of all EQAR-registered agencies, Colin expects that this will become a compelling incentive for non-EHEA agencies to apply for inclusion in the Register. According to Tück, among the interested non-EHEA agencies, some “see registration with EQAR as a means to enhance recognition of qualifications from their home country in Europe.”
 
EQAR Summary Report of the 1st Register Committee