Bengaluru Statement  2016 on Next - Generation Quality Assurance of Higher Education calls upon QA organisations to join hands as Global QA Community.

Global Media Release

Bengaluru Statement 2016 on Next-Generation Quality Assurance of Higher Education: A Shared Vision and Commitment for Fostering Partnership Beyond Borders”, which was the culmination of the global summit organised by NAAC and APQN will be counted as the major landmark in the International history of higher education quality assurance.

National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), organised “Global Summit on Quality Higher Education: Sharing Values and Fostering Trust Beyond Borders” on 16-17 September 2016 at Bengaluru. The Global Summit was organized in collaboration with Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN). Over 120 delegates including 23 representatives of about 20 countries attended this global summit. This global event also marked celebration of 23rd Foundation Day of NAAC.

Historical Event:
This global summit could be described as landmark event in the history of higher education quality assurance, internationally for two main reasons:
    It was for the first time the Key Quality Networks and agencies from Asia, Europe, America and Africa joined hands to be the partners of event and assembled on same platform. Global partners included organisations such as CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation) from USA, ENQA (European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) and ECA (European Consortium for Accreditation in Higher Education) from Europe, ANQAHE (Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education) from Arab region, AQAN (ASEAN Quality Assurance Network) and APQR (Asia Pacific Quality Register) from Asia and leading quality agencies including QAA - UK (The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education) from United Kingdom, TEQSA (The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency) from Australia, QQA (National Authority of Qualifications and Quality Assurance for Education and Training) from Bahrain, and TEC (Tertiary Education Commission) from Mauritius, MQA (Malaysian Qualifications Agency) from Malaysia, AACCUP (The Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines) from Philippines, HEEACT (Higher Education Evaluation & Accreditation Council of Taiwan) from Taiwan,  NIAD-QE (National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement for Higher Education) from Japan, etc., The global summit aimed to address current issues by initiating dialogue among key stakeholders and leaders of global higher education quality assurance community.
    Bengaluru Statement – 2016 on Next - Generation Quality Assurance of Higher Education
Facilitated by NAAC together with APQN and 16 global quality assurance bodies re-enforced the spirit of global co-operation in higher education quality assurance scenario.

The Inaugural address delivered by the Hon’ble Minister of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Govt. of India, Shri Prakash Javadekar ji, through video message set the tone of the summit highlighting the co-operative spirit of India and its commitment for the cause of quality higher education.

The Bengaluru Statement – 2016, which emerged out of deliberations of all event partners, organizers and key experts was presented to the assembly by Dr. Jagannath Patil, Convener of Global Summit. Prof. D. P. Singh, Director, NAAC and Prof. Dr. Jianxin Zhang, President, APQN, moved the motion for approval of the Statement. The same was seconded by Dr. Judith S. Eaton, President, CHEA, USA and adopted unanimously by the assembly of the summit.

In the gracious presence of Hon’ble Minister of State (Higher Education), MHRD, Government of India, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey Ji, Summit adopted “Bengaluru Statement 2016 on Next - Generation Quality Assurance of Higher Education: A Shared Vision and Commitment for Fostering Partnership beyond Borders” on 17th September 2016, which will go a long way in strengthening global partnerships amongst various international, regional and national networks and Quality Assurance bodies.

Impact of NAAC summit at global level:
The Most important aspect of Global Summit was to bring together the key players of global higher education and quality assurance system on one platform for sharing vision and commitment. The presence of leaders of the three biggest higher education systems in the world namely United States of America (USA), China and India apart from key international players like United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Japan, Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia UAE, Mauritius and also representations from European network and Arab network provided a strong setup for global policy dialogue. All these global leaders in higher education quality assurance shared their national, regional and global perspectives and contributed in developing a common agenda for the international quality assurance community.

Organised by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), India and co-organised by Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN) in partnership with 16 leading  Quality Assurance organisations including networks and QA agencies from Asia Pacific, Europe, America, Africa and Arab regions on 16-17 September 2016 at Bengaluru, India, re-affirming previous relevant commitments such as Nagoya Declaration on Higher Education for Sustainable Development-2014, Incheon Declaration-2015 “Education 2030: Towards inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all”, this historic Bengaluru Statement – 2016 expressed intent and aspirations for:

    Cooperation among quality assurance networks and organizations to dissolve   boundaries for quality higher education.
    Endeavour to Foster Trust Beyond Borders in higher education quality assurance:
    Sharing global information resources.
    Promoting values and ethical practices in quality assurance.
    Sharing and promoting good practices.
    Strengthening of capacity building.
    Developing strategies and resources for next generation quality assurance in age of technology.
    Resource mobilisation for quality assurance.
    Strengthening professionalism in quality assurance.

Bengaluru Statement – 2016 called upon quality assurance networks, organizations and stakeholders of higher education to join hands and commit to work together to enhance quality in higher education in service of students and society.

NAAC, APQN and other partners have agreed to deliberate further on this statement and develop action plan by making specific commitments to deliver on the various issues raised for the benefit of quality in higher education.

Prof. Virander S. Chauhan, Chairman, EC-NAAC; Prof. D. P. Singh, Director, NAAC; Dr. Jagannath Patil, Adviser, NAAC and Convener of Global Summit and all the NAAC authorities and officials played crucial role in organising this landmark event, which is being acclaimed by global quality assurance community. The Summit presentations, photos and videos are available on website http://www.naac-gqs2016.com

Global leaders in Higher Education Quality Assurance during adoption of Bengaluru Statement 2016 on Next - Generation Quality Assurance of Higher Education at Global Summit organised by NAAC at Bengaluru in presence of Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Minister of State (HE), MHRD, Govt. of India.