Alfonso Vallés highlights the transformative role of quality agencies

The second day of the course organised by ANECA on 'Quality assurance and recognition of university and higher education studies in the context of Latin America and the Caribbean and the European Union’ within the programme of summer activities of the Menéndez Pelayo International University (UIMP) began with a welcome speech from the director of the Agency, Mercedes Siles Molina.

This was followed by a speech by Carlos Mataix, director of the Technology Innovation Centre for Human Development of the Universidad Politécnica  de Madrid (itdUPM), on alliances, sustainability and university. Mataix, in reference to Goal 17 for sustainable development of the Agenda 2030 SDGs, commented that “the responses in this field cannot only come from the government; we also need transformative alliances from other institutions, centres, and companies”. In relation to national quality agencies, he highlighted that “we need to increase the impact, generate trust and interaction”.

 Carlos Mataix concluded by focussing on: 

- Dynamic and generative capacities.
- Recognising and promoting institutional innovations.
- Experimenting with pioneering universities and provoking cross-learning.
- Using new tools, such as microcredentials.

The second speech of the morning was given by Alfonso Vallés, coordinator of the ANECA’s Team for Assessments, Teaching and Institutions (E3I), who presented the INTERCONECTA programme, ANECA's action plan to create and generate knowledge within a sphere of innovation, sustainability and inclusion. His speech focused on talent mobility and active accompaniment in the university system. Alfonso Vallés has challenged the transformative role of quality agencies, through interdisciplinarity, diversity and equity in knowledge generation. He also referred to open innovation and called for the generation of knowledge connections, emphasising that knowledge should not be restricted, but should circulate.

The morning ended with a round table on ‘What can a quality assurance agency do to facilitate the recognition of university degrees in Ibero-America?’, moderated by Joao Pinto Guerreiro, president of A3ES (Portugal), in which the following people participated:

- Miguel Ángel Tamayo, general coordinator of CIIES (Mexico).
- Isaac Galobardes  senior technician of AQUA (Andorra).
- Silvia Morales, Head of JAN's Technical Evaluation Committee for Specialities (Cuba).

  The complete programme for the course can be found here: http://www.uimp.es/agenda-link.html?id_actividad=65A1&anyaca=2022-23