LEPL – National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement is loyal to its tradition of close cooperation with higher educational institutions (the HEIs) and accordingly, on December the 22nd and 23rd Higher Education Quality Assurance Department held training sessions for the HEIs of Georgia. The sessions are held in an online mode which allows the representatives of all the HEIs throughout Georgia to attend and expand their awareness of urgent issues in quality assurance of higher education. Over 120 participants attended and sessions and engaged in active discussions.

The training sessions covered vital issues in internal and external quality assurance processes, such as, positive practices of cooperation between the HEIs, the state and the industry, the specificity of the national qualifications framework and the prospects for the development, engagement of academic personnel and students in internal quality assurance mechanisms, trends for development of assessment-evaluation of doctoral programs and best international practices, international trends for quality assurance in higher education and the concept of academic freedom.

At the beginning of the training sessions, the Director of LEPL – National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, Tamar Makharashvili highlighted the importance of and urgency for close cooperation between the Center and the HEIs. Tamar Makharashvili stated that one of the major mandates of the Center is to support the formation and enhancement of internal quality culture through external quality assurance mechanisms. Colleagues from Higher Education Quality Assurance Department and Qualifications Development Department highlighted important aspects of and trends in external quality assurance of higher education. The participants of the training sessions were also informed on the format and content of the annual conference which will be organized by the Center in 2023.

The sessions were followed by lively discussions and the representatives of the HEIs had an opportunity to present their perspectives how they view the future prospects for the development of quality assurance mechanisms in higher education of Georgia. The participants also had a chance to share their own experience and practices at the HEIs they represent. Throughout the sessions and discussions urgent issues were identified and one more series of training sessions were agreed as a follow-up activity to be held in 2023. This initiative will allow the HEI representatives to engage in the sessions, present their own pieces of experience and share their best practices with their colleagues from other HEIs.