The State Council of Quality (SCQ) of the Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA), at its meeting held on 30 June 2025, approved the revised Standards for Doctoral Programmes as well as the updated Regulation on Monitoring and Post-Accreditation Procedures.

This decision follows an inclusive and consultative process involving all key stakeholders in higher education in the Republic of Kosovo.

The newly adopted PhD evaluation standards are the result of a comprehensive five-year review process initiated after the original standards were first introduced in 2020. The revised standards are structured across seven key areas: institutional framework, admission criteria, programme content, research environment, supervision, assessment, and research outcomes.

The revision process was supported by the SHER Programme, funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), co-financed by the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, and implemented by the consortium of WUS Austria, ZSI, and OeAD.

In parallel, and with the objective of strengthening the quality assurance system and promoting greater transparency in higher education, the SCQ also approved the revised Regulation on Monitoring and Post-Accreditation Procedures.

The Regulation clearly stipulates that monitoring must take place at least once during the accreditation cycle and may involve on-site visits or remote evaluations. Monitoring includes the verification of compliance with accreditation conditions, changes in academic staff, infrastructure and resources, as well as internal quality assurance mechanisms.

As part of the post-accreditation process, higher education institutions are required to submit an implementation plan addressing the recommendations made by international experts. This plan must be structured, well-documented, and time-bound. Following the submission of the self-improvement report, the KAA appoints international experts to verify compliance with recommendations and to formally conclude the accreditation cycle.

At today’s meeting, the SCQ also reviewed several reports submitted by international accreditation experts and rendered decisions accordingly.