Prishtina, 9 October 2025 – With the participation of representatives from higher education institutions, the Kosovo Accreditation Agency (KAA) has published its new thematic analysis entitled “Enhancing Scientific Research through Quality Mechanisms.”

The analysis explores the impact of external quality assurance on the development of scientific research within higher education institutions in Kosovo.

This thematic analysis provides an in-depth examination of how the Research Field Standard of the KAA—developed in alignment with the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG)—is implemented during institutional evaluations and programme accreditation processes.

Going beyond formal documentation, the analysis focuses on actual academic practices and highlights how evaluations, recommendations, and compliance processes have contributed to the improvement of research quality and productivity across higher education institutions.

To mark the publication of the analysis, the KAA held a presentation meeting with representatives of higher education institutions, where the key findings were presented and an open discussion took place on ways to further strengthen research capacities at the institutional level. During the meeting, participants provided valuable insights regarding current needs and potential improvements for advancing scientific research.

The published thematic analysis outlines several key recommendations, emphasizing the need for stronger integration of scientific research into institutional quality strategies, improved infrastructure and research resources, and the promotion of international and inter-institutional collaboration to enhance the overall impact of research.

It also underlines the importance of using external quality assurance mechanisms as instruments for continuous development, transforming evaluation processes into opportunities for long-term improvement and institutional learning.

👉 Download the full analysis here.