TAM Report / Israel - Quality Management in Higher Education

GENERAL INFORMATION

TAM title: EU frameworks and procedures for Quality Management in Higher Education

Type of Event: Conference and training session

Modality: Online

Country: Israel

Dates: 14- 15 September 2025

Participants: The TAM engaged senior leadership and quality assurance stakeholders from Israeli higher education institutions, including Presidents, Rectors, Vice-Rectors, Deans, and senior academic managers, as well as staff from the Council for Higher Education (CHE) responsible for quality assurance and accreditation. The activity also involved members of the HERE network, representatives of the National Erasmus+ Office, and policy-level stakeholders.

THEMES COVERED

• Reaccreditation and quality management in higher education
• Transition from programme accreditation to institutional accreditation
• External quality assurance developments in Europe
• Internal quality assurance (IQA) and programme-level QA (PQA) systems
• Continuous enhancement versus compliance-based QA
• Governance and organisational reform within QA agencies
• Composition and role of expert panels in accreditation
• Student involvement in quality assurance processes
• Capacity building for HEIs and QA authorities

KEY OUTCOMES

During the workshop, participants:

• Identified gaps in current QA practices, including the absence of re-accreditation cycles and limited student involvement.
• Recognised the need for capacity building within both HEIs and the CHE.
• Engaged in evidence-based dialogue on how European QA practices can be adapted to the Israeli context.
• Used the expert input to inform the drafting and refinement of new national policy on reaccreditation.

OVERVIEW

The Technical Assistance Mission focused on reaccreditation and quality management in higher education and was delivered over two days in an online format. The TAM aimed to support ongoing reform of Israel’s quality assurance system, particularly the transition from programme-level accreditation towards institutional accreditation and continuous quality enhancement.

The event combined an online conference and training session with senior HEI management, followed by policy discussions and targeted expert consultations with CHE leadership and policy leads. The expert provided European perspectives on external quality assurance, institutional accreditation, and enhancement-led approaches, while facilitating dialogue between regulators and institutions. The TAM created a structured space to clarify reform objectives, address uncertainties related to the transition phase, and explore how national QA policy can be reshaped to balance accountability with institutional responsibility.

THE FOLLOW UP ACTIVITY

Title of the activity: Follow-up Meeting on Implementing the Reaccreditation Reform and Institutional QA Policy

Dates: 23 October 2025

Audience: The follow-up meeting gathered 4 people representing senior management of the Council for Higher Education (CHE) and key actors responsible for quality assurance and academic affairs.

Description: The follow-up activity took the form of a presential meeting with key stakeholders, organised to build directly on the outcomes of the TAM on reaccreditation and institutional quality assurance in Israeli higher education. The meeting aimed to translate the expert recommendations from the TAM into concrete policy actions, focusing on operational steps, responsibilities, coordination mechanisms, and timelines across CHE departments.

Discussions centred on defining the framework for the new reaccreditation reform, aligning departmental roles within CHE (particularly between QA and Academic Affairs), and ensuring consistency with European quality assurance standards. As a result of the meeting, a shared understanding was reached between the involved departments, key TAM recommendations were integrated into policy planning, and the timeline for formal approval of the reform was finalised. The follow-up marked a concrete step towards the implementation of a national institutional reaccreditation framework, with the next phase involving presentation of the policy to the Head of the Planning and Budgeting Committee and subsequent endorsement by the Council for Higher Education.

ENHANCING IMPACT: PROPOSED NEXT STEPS

• Shift national QA policy towards a developmental, enhancement-led approach.
• Strengthen and professionalise internal quality assurance systems within HEIs.
• Introduce re-accreditation cycles to replace one-off accreditation decisions.
• Invest in capacity building and training for both CHE staff and HEI personnel.
• Involve students meaningfully in QA processes to enhance transparency and relevance.
• Streamline procedures (e.g. clustering programmes) to avoid overregulation.
• Ensure international exchange and peer learning at agency and institutional levels.

RESOURCES AND BACKGROUND MATERIAL

• ENQA, ESU, EUA and EURASHE (2015) Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015). Brussels: European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA).
  Available at: https://www.enqa.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ESG_2015.pdf
• European University Association – Institutional Evaluation Programme (EUA-IEP) (2025) Anniversary publication. Brussels: European University Association.
  Available at: https://eua-iep.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Anniversary_Publication.pdf