Enhancing Accreditation Regulations for English-Taught Study Programs: Comparative Experiences from France and Croatia

A workshop on improving accreditation regulations for English-taught study programs, organized by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Control in Higher Education (AKOKVO), was held at the Faculty of Economics, University of Montenegro, as part of the Erasmus+ project "ME-Study in English."

The event was opened by Milica Kavedžić, Assistant Director of AKOKVO, with participation from Assistant Professor Tamara Backović, project coordinator, Mr. Dragana Ćetković, Director General of the Directorate for Higher Education, Mr. Tatjana Ćalasan, Acting Director of AKOKVO, Assistant Professor Zdenka Dragašević, MONTEB program representative; MONTEB student Milica Đurović; Dunja Bulajić, AKOKVO International Cooperation Advisor; and Giacomo Aneze, quality assurance and internationalization expert from the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA).

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tamara Backović presented the project, highlighting its goal of advancing the internationalization of higher education in Montenegro. A key outcome was implementing the first English-taught study program (MONTEB) at the Faculty of Economics.

Student Milica Đurović shared her experience of studying in English, emphasizing language development and international collaboration. Prof. Dr. Zdenka Dragašević underlined the importance of the MONTEB program in enhancing students' professional skills and positioning them better in the job market.

Mr. Dragana Ćetković stressed the significance of English-taught programs for internationalization and noted that international students in Montenegro have the same rights as domestic students. Mr. Tatjana Ćalasan outlined AKOKVO's role in the accreditation process, while Milica Kavedžić discussed the importance of cooperation between academic institutions and policymakers. Dunja Bulajić explained the significance of the Certificate for Quality in Internationalization (CeQuInt), and Giacomo Aneze presented strategies for successful internationalization and developing English-taught programs.

The workshop reaffirmed the importance of expanding English-taught programs to enhance the quality and global competitiveness of higher education in Montenegro.