The ENQA news October 2025 updates brought several important developments for quality assurance in European higher education. October was especially active because ENQA held its annual General Assembly, celebrated its 25th anniversary, announced new leadership, and shared progress on major international quality assurance projects.
ENQA, the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, works to support and improve quality assurance across European higher education. Its activities are important for universities, quality assurance agencies, education professionals, policymakers, and students interested in trusted higher education systems.
ENQA News October 2025: Quick Overview
Some of the biggest ENQA developments during October 2025 included:
- ENQA’s 25th anniversary celebration in Brussels.
- The 2025 ENQA General Assembly on 23–24 October.
- Election of a new ENQA President and Vice-Presidents.
- Election of three Board members.
- Discussions about artificial intelligence, ESG revision, and stakeholder involvement.
- Progress in cooperation between European and international quality assurance systems.
- Continued work with quality assurance agencies in Africa.
- Completion of the SEQA-ESG 2 project.
- A new publication on closer cooperation between European and Ibero-American quality assurance frameworks.
ENQA General Assembly 2025 in Brussels
One of the biggest stories in ENQA news October 2025 was the General Assembly in Brussels, Belgium.
ENQA’s anniversary celebration took place on 22 October 2025, followed by the General Assembly on 23–24 October 2025. The event was organised with VLUHR QA and AEQES.
The meeting gave ENQA members and quality assurance professionals an opportunity to discuss current challenges and future plans.
Important discussion areas included the revision of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG), stakeholder involvement in external quality assurance, and the growing use of artificial intelligence by quality assurance agencies.
The General Assembly documents also included ENQA’s Strategy 2026–2030, its 2026 work plan, budget, membership fees, Board elections, and changes to organisational rules.
ENQA Celebrated 25 Years
October 2025 was also special because ENQA celebrated its 25th anniversary.
The anniversary event brought together people and organisations that have contributed to ENQA’s work over the years. It was not simply a celebration of the past. It was also an opportunity to discuss what quality assurance should look like in the future.
Higher education is changing quickly because of digital learning, artificial intelligence, international education, student mobility, and new ways of delivering degrees. These changes make strong and flexible quality assurance systems increasingly important.
New ENQA President Elected
Another major October update was the election of new ENQA leadership.
Cristina Ghițulică of ARACIS, Romania, was elected ENQA President. Kristin Vinje of NOKUT, Norway, and Patrick Van den Bosch of VLUHR-QA, Belgium, were elected Vice-Presidents.
Three Board members were also elected: Marilena Maniaci of ANVUR in Italy, Bryan Maguire of QQI in Ireland, and Federico Morán of madri+d in Spain.
The leadership changes are important because ENQA’s Board helps guide the organisation’s strategic direction during a period when European higher education quality assurance is evolving.
Membership Changes Announced
The General Assembly also confirmed several membership decisions.
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in Andorra, known as AQUA, was granted ENQA membership. Membership was also reconfirmed for agencies from Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and Türkiye.
ENQA also approved or renewed affiliate status for organisations from Cape Verde, North Cyprus, North Macedonia, Ukraine and Serbia.
These decisions show ENQA’s continued focus on building cooperation between quality assurance organisations in different education systems.
Artificial Intelligence and Quality Assurance
Artificial intelligence was an important topic during October.
At the General Assembly, one breakout session focused specifically on the use of AI in the work of quality assurance agencies.
AI can potentially help agencies organise information, analyse large amounts of data and improve some administrative processes. At the same time, quality assurance organisations need to think carefully about transparency, reliability, human judgement and responsible use.
An international online event organised by Slovenia’s SQAA on 15 October 2025 also focused on the use of artificial intelligence in improving quality in higher education.
This makes AI one of the clearest themes running through higher education quality discussions in 2025.
European and Ibero-American QA Cooperation
On 15 October 2025, ENQA announced a new publication from the ESG-PBP Alignment project.
The report examined similarities and differences between the European ESG framework and quality assurance principles used in the Ibero-American Knowledge Area. It also proposed ways to improve dialogue, mutual learning and cooperation between agencies working under the two systems.
This work matters because higher education is increasingly international. Students, qualifications and education providers often move across national and regional borders, so better understanding between quality assurance systems can support international trust.
ENQA’s Work With African Higher Education
ENQA also published an important update about the HAQAA3 initiative on 1 October 2025.
The project supports quality assurance and accreditation development across African higher education. ENQA has been contributing to capacity building, agency reviews and plans for a Pan-African Quality Assurance Alliance.
According to ENQA, eight agency reviews and seven consultancy visits were scheduled across 2025 and 2026, while expert databases were also being developed to support the review process.
This work shows that ENQA’s activities extend beyond Europe and increasingly involve cooperation with other regions.
SEQA-ESG 2 Project Reached Its Final Stage
On 3 October 2025, ENQA announced that the SEQA-ESG 2 project was approaching its conclusion after almost three years.
A final event was planned for 21 October in Brussels to review achievements, lessons and next steps. The project worked with quality assurance agencies in Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Ukraine to support stronger alignment with the ESG.
The project used activities such as peer learning, consultations and staff exchanges to help participating agencies strengthen their quality assurance systems.
More Focus on Global Cooperation
ENQA also reported in October on its participation in the Bologna Follow-Up Group’s Global Policy Dialogue discussions.
Topics included cross-border quality assurance, transnational education, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and cooperation between Europe and other regions such as Africa and Ibero-America.
This wider international focus is important because quality assurance can no longer operate only within national borders. Universities increasingly collaborate internationally, offer joint programmes and provide education to students in different countries.
Why ENQA News October 2025 Matters
The main message from ENQA news October 2025 is that European quality assurance is preparing for change.
Traditional accreditation and review remain important, but ENQA and its partners are also dealing with new questions around AI, digital education, international cooperation and changing quality standards.
The General Assembly, new leadership, international projects and policy discussions all point toward a more connected approach to higher education quality assurance.
For universities and quality assurance agencies, these developments may shape future review practices and cooperation. For students, strong quality assurance can help support greater trust in higher education institutions and qualifications across different countries.
Final Thoughts
October 2025 was an important month for ENQA. The organisation celebrated 25 years, elected new leadership and discussed the future direction of European higher education quality assurance.
At the same time, projects involving Africa, Ibero-America and other international partners showed that quality assurance is becoming increasingly global.
Anyone following European higher education should therefore keep an eye on ENQA’s work, particularly developments around the ESG, artificial intelligence, international recognition and the ENQA Strategy 2026–2030.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is ENQA?
ENQA stands for the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education. It supports the development of quality assurance in European higher education and promotes cooperation among quality assurance agencies.
2. What was the biggest ENQA news in October 2025?
One of the biggest developments was the 2025 ENQA General Assembly in Brussels, together with ENQA’s 25th anniversary celebration and the election of new leadership.
3. Who became ENQA President in October 2025?
Cristina Ghițulică of ARACIS in Romania was elected ENQA President during the 2025 General Assembly.
4. When was the ENQA General Assembly 2025?
The anniversary celebration took place on 22 October 2025, while the General Assembly was held on 23–24 October 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.
5. What topics did ENQA discuss in October 2025?
Major topics included ESG revision, artificial intelligence in quality assurance, stakeholder involvement, international cooperation, agency reviews and future quality assurance strategies.
