Stakeholder meetings and Annual Conference

The Board and the Rectors' Conference discussed the launch of the third cycle of the Quality Enhancement Framework (2024-2029) and the name change of the agency (from Quality Board to Icelandic Agency for Quality Assurance). Changes in stakeholder engagement were also discussed, along with planned changes in the appointment of Board members. The Board received an update about recent news in the Icelandic Higher Education sector. IAQA thanks the Rectors for a fruitful meeting!

In the afternoon, the IAQA annual conference was held with participation of a wide range of stakeholders representing the Icelandic Universities and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, as well as representatives from the Faroese Ministry of Children and Education and the University of the Faroe Islands). This year's topic was Societal Engagement.

The third cycle of the Quality Enhancement Framework 2024-2029 was formally launched by Prof Crichton Lang, Board Chair, and Dr Achim Hopbach, external evaluator for IAQA, reflected on changes made between the second and third cycles of the framework. Keynotes were then provided by Board members Prof Elsa Núñez and Prof Andrea Nolan. Their talks provided a valuable insight and examples on how universities in the United States and Scotland engage with their local communities through a range of initiatives and partnerships. The keynotes were followed by a breakout session, where conference participants discussed the conference topic in small groups. The conference ended on a collective discussion, where rapporteurs from each discussion group reported back in a plenary session. IAQA wishes to thank the speakers and conference participants for their contributions to lively discussions on societal engagement in higher education.