In September 2018, the BFUG formally established the Thematic Peer Group C on Quality Assurance (TPG C on QA) to support the implementation of the key commitment within the European Higher Education Area on quality assurance. As reaffirmed by the ministers in the Tirana Communiqué, the key commitment to quality assurance focuses on promoting a quality culture in higher education, fostered by fit-for-purpose quality assurance processes in line with the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).

In line with the peer support approach, the TPG C supports members in implementing reforms and represents a forum for exchange for both countries, having successfully implemented the key commitment to quality assurance and countries working on implementation. The Thematic Peer Groups adopt their action plan, outlining the activities to be carried out for the working cycle (peer learning activities, staff exchanges, TPG meetings, and national actions collected from countries). 

In the 2024-2027 period, the national actions that countries implement to support the key commitment to quality assurance will be part of the National Action Plans that BFUG members submit to the BFUG in accordance with the commitments of the Tirana Communiqué. 

The TPG C focuses on thematic indications for their work, which during the 2018-2024 period consisted of:

• legislative framework in line with the ESG (introducing changes),
• ensuring effectiveness of internal quality assurance arrangements, including the use of QA results in the decision-making process and quality culture as well as links to learning and teaching,
• the role and engagement of stakeholders in internal and external QA (students, teachers, employers),
• Cross-border QA,
• European Approach to the QA of joint programmes.

Documents produced in the context of the IMINQA project supporting the TPG C 2021-2024: 

Thematic Analysis: European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes
QA of European Universities Desk Research Analysis
Aligning the legal frameworks with the ESG Thematic Analysis
A report on policies and practices to assure the quality of microcredentials in the European Higher Education Area
Quality assurance of micro-credentials: Reflective questions for internal and external quality assurance
Thematic Analysis: Cross-Border Quality Assurance and Quality Assurance of Transnational Education
Quality assurance of micro-credentials: Desk research
Quality Assurance of the European Universities alliances: state of play and future perspectives
Policy brief: the EHEA’s agreed QA policies Cross-cutting analysis of thematic papers 
Reports of TPG C 2021-2024 meetings
Digitalisation of External Quality Assurance Procedures and Practices in quality assurance agencies from the EHEA Countries

2. TPG C on QA activities 2018-2020