Within the framework of its strategic orientations aimed at internationalizing the higher education system in Kosovo and strengthening international cooperation in the field of quality assurance, the Director General of the Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA), Naim Gashi, together with KAA Senior Official for post-accreditation procedures, Fjollë Ajeti, conducted an official visit to Arizona State University (ASU) in the United States of America, which is the largest public university in the United States under a single administration.

During this visit, the KAA delegation held a series of meetings and academic engagements at the university’s campus in Tempe and across several units of ASU, where discussions focused on the latest developments in higher education, academic innovation, and the role of quality assurance in the internationalization of universities.

The visit was coordinated by Dr. Cagri Bagcioglu, Regional CEO for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Cintana Education, who accompanied the delegation throughout the program of meetings and presentations.

As part of the program, the delegation visited the innovative learning platform Dreamscape Learn, as well as the scientific laboratories of Earth and Space Exploration and the Biodesign Institute, where they were welcomed by Dr. Stephen Munk, Deputy Director of the Biodesign Institute at ASU, who presented the institute’s research projects and advanced technologies.

The KAA delegation also held an official meeting with representatives of the university’s office of Global Academic Initiatives, attended by Julia Rosen, Vice President for Global Academic Initiatives at ASU, and Chris Johnson, Senior Director and Head of Global Partnership Development in the same office. Discussions focused on opportunities for inter-institutional cooperation, the development of academic partnerships, and the importance of international quality assurance standards.

As part of the program, a meeting on accreditation and academic governance was also held with Tamara Deuser, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in the Office of the University Provost, and Andrea Hom, Assistant Director for Operations in the same office.

The delegation also met with Dr. Swapna Reddy, Assistant Dean of Strategic and Global Partnerships at the College of Health Solutions at ASU, where discussions focused on the development of international programs and academic cooperation in interdisciplinary fields.

Within the framework of institutional meetings, KAA representatives also visited the unit EdPlus at ASU, where they were received by Casey Evans, Chief Operating Officer, and Xiaojing “Icy” Cao, Director for International Development. During this meeting, ASU’s initiatives in online education, digital innovation, and the development of global partnerships were presented.

The program also included a visit to the Thunderbird School of Global Management, one of the world’s leading schools for global studies and international management.

Currently, Arizona State University maintains a strategic and long-term partnership with Universum College within the framework of the UNI-Kosova initiative. Furthermore, the registration of the Kosovo Accreditation Agency in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), as well as progress toward becoming a recognized authority by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) in the United States, is expected to further expand opportunities for international academic cooperation and facilitate the recognition of degrees awarded by higher education institutions from Kosovo.