The National Entity for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education (NEAQA) participated in the ENQA Members’ Forum 2026, held from 22 to 24 April 2026 in Budapest, organised by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), in cooperation with the Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB).
This year’s Forum was dedicated to the theme Strengthening trust in an evolving higher education landscape, with a focus on the role of quality assurance agencies in building trust through transparency, accountability and the enhancement of procedures.
NEAQA was represented at the event by Janko Balšić, Coordinator for International Cooperation Affairs. As part of the thematic poster session, Janko Balšić presented, on behalf of NEAQA, the poster titled Strengthening Trust through Transparent Complaint Procedures: The NEAQA Framework for Accountability and Quality Enhancement, which focused on the recently established procedure for submitting and processing complaints in the field of accreditation and quality assurance.
NEAQA’s presentation focused on the introduction of a structured mechanism for handling complaints, including clearly defined procedures, deadlines and responsibilities, as well as on the distinction between complaints related to accreditation procedures and complaints concerning the work of accredited medical faculties, in the context of NEAQA’s recognition by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME). Particular emphasis was placed on the role of this mechanism in strengthening trust in the quality assurance system, by ensuring procedural fairness, institutional accountability and system-level learning based on the analysis of complaints.
The ENQA Forum brought together representatives of quality assurance agencies from the European Higher Education Area, and the programme focused on various aspects of building trust in higher education. The plenary sessions addressed topics related to building societal trust in higher education and student qualifications, the importance of communication, transparency and a robust quality assurance system, as well as the role of European policies in further developing trust within the European Higher Education Area. Special attention was also given to the ongoing revision of the ESG standards, the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes, and issues of integrity in higher education, including the fight against abuse and so-called “degree mills” practices.
In addition to plenary sessions, the programme included several thematic sessions dedicated to trust, transparency and good conduct in cross-border quality assurance, the application of the ESG in the work of ENQA and EQAR, as well as the exchange of experience on the development of European policies in the field of quality assurance. The programme also included two thematic poster sessions, during which agencies presented concrete examples from their practice. NEAQA presented its poster during the second thematic poster session, held on 24 April 2026.
NEAQA’s participation in this event contributed to the visibility of its work within the ENQA community and enabled the exchange of experience with other European agencies. At the same time, it represents an important contribution to the further development of NEAQA’s international cooperation, as well as to the alignment of the national quality assurance system with European standards.