Representatives of Quality Assurance Committees and Agencies from Central and Eastern European Countries met in Budapest on November 18-19, 2000 to establish a Regional Subnetwork of the International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE). The signatories of this letter have agreed to join as members of the Regional Subnetwork and have adopted an action plan, attached to this letter.

During the second meeting on October 13, 2001 in Cracow, the name of the Regional Subnetwork was changed to the
Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education
(official abbreviation - CEE Network).

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CEE Subnetwork

The purpose of the CEE Regional Subnetwork of INQAAHE (in addition to the aims of INQAAHE) is
  • to foster co-operation among CEE member agencies,
  • to exchange information about background, aims and procedures of CEE member agencies,
  • to recommend experts,
  • to serve as a clearing house for issues of QA in HE in the CEE countries,
  • to stimulate cooperation with related European networks.
Membership in the CEE Regional Subnetwork is not conditional upon membership in lNQAAHE. Membership is open to new applicants who are recognized national agencies operating in the CEE countries, on condition that they have supplied data about themselves (such as asked in the INQAAHE questionnaire) to the CEE Regional Subnetwork Coordinator. Acceptance of membership will be decided at the next annual assembly meeting. Signatories agree that membership in the CEE Regional Subnetwork of INQAAHE is voluntary and may be terminated by informing the Regional Subnetwork Coordinator of this in writing. Signatories endorse the objectives of the Regional Subnetwork as agreed on at the meetings of members held at least once a year.

Signed:

Perparim Hoxha, director,
Accreditation Agency of Higher Education,
Albania

Panayot Gantchev, secretary general,
National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency,
Republic of Bulgaria
Milan Sojka, vice-chairman,
Accreditation Commission,
Czech Republic
Tiit Laasberg, head,
Estonian Higher Education Accreditation Centre,
Estonia
Tiiu Olm, head,
Higher Education Assessment Council,
Estonia
Juris Dzelme, director,
Higher Education Quality Evaluation Center,
Latvia
Silvestra Satkuviene, chief officer,
Center for Quality Assessment in Higher Education,
Lithuania 		Vladimir Ortakovski, undersecretary for higher education,
Ministry of Education and Science,
Macedonia
Maciej Kozierowski, secretary,
University Accreditation Commission,
Poland
Andrzej Dubas, vice-president,
General Council of Higher Education,
Poland
Vladimir Navodnov, director,
National Accreditation Center,
Russian Federation
Lev Bukovsky, president,
Accreditation Commission, Slovac Republic
Ivan Rozman, president,
Quality Assessment Commission of Higher
Education in Slovenia,
Slovenia
Andras Rona-Tas, president
Hungarian Accreditation Committee,
Hungary

CEE NETWORK

Regulations

1. Preamble

The Network of Central and Eastern European Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education was founded on October 13, 2001 in Cracow, Poland, and was formally established on October 19, 2002 in Vienna. It succeeds the Regional Subnetwork of the International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education, established November 19, 2000 in Budapest, Hungary. The CEE Network is a non-governmental and non-profit organization. 2. The Objectives of the CEE Network The objectives of the CEE Network are 3. Provisions regarding membership 3.1. Signatories to these Regulations as adopted at the inaugural meeting in Vienna on 19th October 2002 are the members of the CEE Network. The list of members constitutes ANNEX 1 to the Regulations.
3.2 Membership is open to agencies which are recognized as national or regional higher education quality assurance agencies by the lawful authority/ies in their respective CEE country, and which operate on a non-profit and non-commercial basis.
3.3. Membership is open to new applicants who meet the requirements in section 3.2. above, on condition that they have supplied data about themselves to the CEE Network coordinator. Acceptance of new members will be discussed in the steering committee and on its proposal will be decided at the next assembly meeting.
3.4. Membership in the CEE Network does not exclude membership in any other international or national organization. 4. Provisions regarding organization, voting and elections 4.1. The main policy and decision-making body of the CEE Network is its Assembly, which is composed of representatives of agencies making up the CEE Network.
4.2. The General Assembly of the CEE Network shall meet every two years.
4.3. Member agencies may delegate one representative and an alternate to participate at the General Assembly of the CEE Network. The representative shall be authorized to pass decisions and sign documents on behalf of his/her agency.
4.4. The members present at the meeting of the General Assembly constitute a quorum for the meeting.
4.5. Decisions shall be adopted by ordinary majority. Each country represented in the General Assembly shall cast two votes.
4.6. Voting shall be open unless one or more member requests to vote on an issue by secret ballot.
4.7. For conducting work in the interval between the meetings of the Assembly, the Assembly shall elect a Chairperson and a Steering Committee. The Steering Committee shall consist of four persons representing four countries. One of the four persons shall act as Treasurer. The chairperson shall also be a member of the Steering Committee and represent a fifth country.
4.8. The Chairperson and the other four members of the Steering Committee shall be elected for a term of four years, which may be renewed for one additional term.
4.9. Should a vacancy occur during a term in the position of Chairperson or Steering Committee member (Treasurer), the Steering Committee shall nominate an acting Chairperson or Steering Committee member to act as such until the next General Assembly.
4.10. Every fourth year one member shall step down from the Steering Committee to ensure its broadest possible membership. If there is no agreement, the name of the outgoing member shall be randomly drawn.
4.11. The Steering Committee shall meet at least once a year.
4.12. The Steering Committee shall act in lieu of the General Assembly in matters which require action in the interim between the biennial General Assembly meetings, excluding. the acceptance of new members, the election of chairperson or Steering Committee members, and the final approval of the CEE Network budget, which can only be decided by the General Assembly.
4.13. The Assembly shall also name a Coordinating Secretary to assist in the administration of the CEE Network.
4.14. The Steering Committee may propose and shall oversee the organization of actions and projects, such as workshops, by or for the CEE Network. Proposals for such actions and projects may be put forward by the Assembly or any member. 5. Provisions regarding activities 5.1. The Steering Committee shall propose a rolling Activity Plan to the General Assembly for approval. The Activity Plan shall contain specific plans and actions for the coming term and the longer term.
5.2. The Steering Committee shall propose a budget for the actions and activities set down in the Activity Plan, to be approved by the General Assembly. 6. Fees 6.1. The Assembly shall determine at its meeting the amount of a yearly fee to be paid for CEE Network membership by each member.
6.2. Only such members shall have the right to vote in the Assembly who have paid the annual fees as determined by the Assembly.
6.3. Fees are to be paid by each member agency or committee as listed in ANNEX 1 to these Regulations. Fees shall be paid to a separate account set up for the CEE Network. The Treasurer shall be responsible for presenting a financial report on income and expenditures to the Assembly at each Assembly meeting. 7. Interim provisions 7.1. Following the General Assembly's approval of Coordinating Secretary at the 2002 meeting, the Coordinating Secretary shall take measures to register the CEE Network as a legal entity in the country in which the Secretariat is located.
7.2. The Secretary shall set up a separate bank account for the CEE Network.
7.3. These Regulations as adopted at the inaugural meeting in Vienna on 19th October 2002 constitute the founding document of the CEE Network.
7.4. Signatories authorize the chairperson of the CEE Network to carry out amendments to these Regulations and to act in such technical matters as required for the establishment of the CEE Network as a legal entity. The General Assembly shall approve such amendments at its next regular meeting.
7.5. Signatories authorize the Coordinating Secretary of the CEE Network to carry out such measures, including the right to sign relevant documents in the name of the CEE Network membership, as are required for the establishment of the CEE Network as a legal entity in accordance with the laws of the country in which the Secretariat is located.
Members of the CEE Network
  1. Accreditation Agency of Higher Education, Albania
  2. Austrian Accreditation Council, Austria
  3. Austrian Fachhochschulrat, Austria
  4. Austrian Quality Assurance Agency (AQA), observer status until 2006, Austria
  5. National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency, Republic of Bulgaria
  6. National Council of Croatia
  7. Accreditation Commission, Czech Republic
  8. Accreditation Center, Estonia
  9. Higher Education Assessment Council, Estonia
  10. Accreditation, Certification and Quality Assurance Institute ACQUIN, Bavaria/Germany
  11. Hungarian Accreditation Committee, Hungary
  12. Higher Education Quality Evaluation Center, Latvia
  13. Center for Quality Assessment in Higher Education, Lithuania
  14. Evaluation Agency, Macedonia
  15. State Accreditation Committee, Poland
  16. University Accreditation Commission, Poland
  17. National Accreditation Center, Russian Federation
  18. Accreditation Commission, Slovak Republic
  19. Commission for Higher Education Quality, Slovenia
  20. National Council for Academic Assessment and Accreditation, Romania