In Spring 2020, the French consortium of 4 organisations: CTI, France éducation international (FEi), the Haut conseil d’évaluation de la recherche et de l’enseignement supérieur (Hcéres) and SOFRECO won a tender by the European Commission with the aim to support the founding of a new quality assurance agency (Agence nationale d’évaluation et d’accréditation, ANEA) in the area of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Tunisia. The two existing agencies (CNEARS et IEAQA) should merge in the new agency.
The expected results of the project are organised in five components:
1: Entity configured to be autonomous, sustainable and compliant with international standards.
2: Methodology and criteria & guidelines set up in compliance with international standards, including the setting up of working tools.
3: Quality realisation according to international standards and covering all needs.
4: Efficient internal organisation according to international standards.
5: Increased visibility and local and international positioning of the agency.
The kick-off of the project that was scheduled in February 2020 was delayed due to the sanitary crisis and most activities were impacted. Planned travels had to be replaced by online meetings and workshops. Despite these difficulties, the national authorities, the EU delegation in Tunisia and the consortium members and experts managed to work together and to progress. At the end of the first year of co-operation, a comprehensive project of the future agency as well as the draft decree establishing the agency have been successfully worked out.
