One of the Leading Figures of the European Higher Education Area, Doris Herrmann Spoke to Saygı Ünlü on Haberler.com ENQA Vice President Doris Herrmann emphasized that accreditation is the key to enhancing the quality of education, stating, “In a competitive world, it is essential for Türkiye to invest in quality assurance.”
Doris Herrmann, Vice President of ENQA and Director of AQAS—who plays a pivotal role in shaping quality assurance policies within the European Higher Education Area—was a guest on the Science Agenda program hosted by Saygı Ünlü at Haberler.com studios. Herrmann addressed a wide range of critical topics, from the mandatory accreditation process for universities in Türkiye to the future of European standards, underlining the importance of student-centered education.
“ACCREDITATION ENHANCES THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION”
Explaining the impact of accreditation on university students, Doris Herrmann said, “The common goal of all forms of accreditation—national or international—is to improve the quality of programs. External experts evaluate the education programs and provide recommendations for improvement. Graduating from an accredited program also facilitates recognition across Europe.”
“WE AIM FOR AUTOMATIC RECOGNITION”
Herrmann noted that recognition in European education is becoming increasingly streamlined, saying, “If you graduate from a recognized and accredited program, the goal is for you to be automatically recognized by other institutions across Europe.” She added that efforts to achieve automatic recognition are ongoing.
“TÜRKİYE’S INVESTMENT IS A SMART MOVE”
Commenting on Türkiye’s requirement for all universities to be accredited by 2026, Herrmann said, “I believe it’s a very smart move that the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council is directing universities toward the quality assurance process. We live in a competitive world. You have to improve yourself and enhance your education.”
“BUSINESS AND LAW LEAD THE WAY”
According to AQAS data, the majority of accreditation applications in Türkiye come from programs in business, economics, and law. Herrmann stated, “Out of 85 programs, 45 are from these fields. Humanities, engineering, and arts programs are currently less represented.”
“STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING MUST BE STRENGTHENED”
Herrmann also touched on recent updates to European standards, noting, “Strengthening student-centered learning will be a top priority in the ESG standards.” She emphasized the goal of transforming students from passive listeners into active participants in their learning processes.
