During the last General Assembly of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), held in Malta last October, the Andorran Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (AQUA) signed a collaboration agreement with the quality assurance agencies of Iceland, Malta, Montenegro, and Cyprus. This collaboration aims to strengthen joint work and enhance the quality of higher education through various actions, while also boosting AQUA's international visibility. 

The first working meeting, initiating this collaboration, took place yesterday. During it, the importance of establishing a network of quality assurance agencies from small countries to create synergies was discussed, as well as the name and internal organization of this future structure. The next meeting, which is set to take place in Cyprus in April, was also discussed. 

Taking advantage of this meeting, Lisa Cruz Lackner, one of the quality assurance specialists at AQUA, presented a proposal for a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of quality assurance agencies in small European countries. 

Establishing these types of agreements is essential for AQUA, as it grants the agency an active role internationally, strengthening its presence and influence within the European quality assurance system. Furthermore, it reinforces ties with peer agencies, allowing for more efficient sharing of experiences, challenges, and best practices.