QA and Enhancement Marketplace for HEIs – An Erasmus+ project

Improving European education and training system quality has been set as a key target in Europe’s strategy to become a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy by 2020 (European Commission, 2010). These objectives are more specifically defined in the so called Modernisation Agenda (European Commission, 2011). More specifically it sets a goal to improve the quality and relevance of higher education. In this process external evaluation and<br/>Proceedings of the 11th International CDIO Conference, Chengdu University of Information Technology,<br/>Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R. China, June 8-11, 2015.<br/>self-assessment are seen in a key role! In the CDIO approach the 12 CDIO standards provide a framework for continuous improvement. Each institution/institutional department are encouraged to regularly do the self-evaluation using the CDIO Standards. Eight European universities identified a need for further enhancement of the self-evaluations and creation of processes with peers to reduce the inertia of heavy accreditations/evaluations in HEIs. In September 2014 these universities started an Erasmus+ project (QAEMarketPlace4HEI) aiming at<br/>1. Developing a collaborative, comprehensive and accessible evaluation process model, methods and tools for HEIs to complement the accreditation systems.<br/>2. Promoting, increasing and exploiting further the European collaboration in the evaluation processes and the exchange of best practices.<br/>3. Disseminating the model, best practices and widen the cooperation to new HEIs in Europe through the partner networks.