TWAEA AND JUAA COOPERATE TO STRENGTHEN THE LINK OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

2023-03-14

Since the Taiwan Assessment and Evaluation Association (TWAEA) and the Japan University Accreditation Association (JUAA) signed the MOU of Cooperation in 2013, the cooperation and exchange platform between two agencies have been actively expanded to deepen international links and to jointly create opportunities for development. During the COVID-19 pandemic, both sides constantly shared information through online meetings, video conferences and other channels to break through the barriers and limits of physical restrictions. After opening the borders to allow international travel in 2023, JUAA arranged a visit to Taiwan from March 7 to 10. Led by Executive Director, Mr. Jun Kudo, and Director of the Evaluation Research Department, Ms. Kazuyo Hara, they discussed closely with TWAEA on the iJAS (International Joint Accreditation Standards) project and future cooperation perspectives.

In this international cooperation meeting, both organizations had in-depth conversations on international cooperation issues. Among them, the discussion on the iJAS project mainly focused on the application requirements for new participating QA agencies, the revision of the organizational stipulation of the accreditation steering committee, how to keep accreditation standards along with time, and the selection mechanism for reviewers. Moreover, given that 2023 is the 20^th anniversary of TWAEA, in order to further create new advantages and enhance international visibility, TWAEA plans to organize a webinar with international partners. TWAEA and JUAA had reached initial consensus on the time, topic and format of the online seminar in this meeting.

According to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations and the consideration of major policies promoted by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan, TWAEA proposed the SDGs action plans, and expected to use questionnaire to understand the cognition and response of school’s voice on major international trends. The JUAA delegation expressed high interest in this concept, and hoped to jointly promote the understanding of major international issues and the context of sustainable development among higher education institutions in both regions, and give back to curriculum development and campus planning.

The low birth rate poses significant challenges that affect society and has reshuffled Taiwan’s higher education. As a professional QA agency that is dedicated to supporting the education quality, TWAEA has the responsibility to develop and support quality assurance and enhancement processes for higher education institutions. The occurrence of a crisis also means a turning point. TWAEA looks forward to cooperating and learning via international interaction, and continues to assist institutions in enhancing their operation and development capacity. Therefore, take this opportunity to adjust and develop unique features, so as to survive the severe competition and stand tall in the global arena.