News

On 7 May 2025, the Agency for Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska had the honour of chairing the meeting of the Global Academic Integrity Network (GAIN). Representative of the Agency opened the meeting, welcomed attendees, and expressed gratitude to the outgoing co-chairs, Gráinne Mooney (QQI) and Helen Gneil (TEQSA), for their contributions. She also announced the new co-chairs: Laura Flynn (QQI) and Lenka Ucnik (TEQSA).
The meeting commenced with an update on GAIN membership, highlighting recent inquiries and interest from various institutions seeking to join the network. The expansion of GAIN underscores the growing global commitment to upholding academic integrity. Representative of the Office of the Ombudsperson for Academic Ethics and Procedures in Lithuania presented findings from the 2024 Responsible Research Barometer. The study revealed that while national guidelines on research ethics are well-known, instances of unethical behaviour are infrequently reported. Moreover, individuals who do report misconduct often do not witness positive outcomes, indicating a need for systemic changes to bolster trust in institutions and protect whistleblowers.

The 53rd regular session of the Steering Board of the Agency was held on the premises of the Agency for Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska on March 31, 2025.
The session considered and adopted the draft Minutes of the 53rd regular session of the Agency's Management Board.In addition to regular issues related to the work of the Agency, the Steering Board members considered and made decisions on the appeals filed by two higher education institutions against the Decision and Conclusion of the Agency for Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska. Another addition to the List of Reviewers of the Agency for Higher Education of the Republic of Srpska was adopted.

The Higher Education Agency of the Republic of Srpska organized two consultative online meetings with the aim of presenting the planned changes in the accreditation process of institutions and study programs. On Thursday, April 10, 2025, a meeting was held with representatives of accredited higher education institutions in the Republic of Srpska, while on Friday, April 11, 2025, a meeting was held with accreditation experts. The meetings were held via videoconference platform and were attended by representatives of several public and private universities and colleges, as well as experts who participated in the work of the Expert Commissions in the accreditation procedures.

Representatives of the Agency for Higher Education of Republic of Srpska took part in the third ENQA Seminar for Agencies preparing for a Review, held on 27–28 March 2025 in Madrid, Spain. The event was organised by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) and hosted by the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation of Spain (ANECA). The seminar brought together quality assurance agencies preparing for an external review against the ESG 2015 standards between spring 2025 and 2027.