Workshops on September 22, 2026

For the first time, AQ Austria is offering two parallel workshops on the day before the annual conference:

• "RPL in Practice: Implementierung von Anerkennung non-formal und informell erworbener Kompetenzen an Hochschulen“
• "Understanding and Shaping Quality: AQ Austria’s Services and Approaches“

Conference participants may book these as optional extras free of charge. Places on the workshops are reserved for university staff and are limited.

Date: Tue, Sept. 22, 2026, 1:30–5:00 p.m., registration begins at 1:00 p.m.
Location: USTP – University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten, Campus-Platz 1, 3100 St. Pölten
Registration: by August 31, 2026 at: https://www.conftool.com/13aq2026/ 
Participation fee: None / Included in the conference fee
Maximum number of participants: 30 people

The recognition of non-formal and informal learning (RPL) is becoming increasingly important for higher education institutions, particularly in the context of academic mobility, lifelong learning, and strategic development. At the same time, putting this into practice presents many institutions with conceptual, organizational, and quality-related challenges.

The workshop focuses on the concrete implementation and further development of RPL at higher education institutions. It addresses key questions regarding the first steps in implementation, the design of quality-assured procedures, and strategic and organizational aspects such as communication, structures (e.g., Recognition Office), and integration into quality assurance and institutional development.

Practical examples from the RPL Network Austria offer insights into different implementation approaches and support cross-sectoral exchange. The goal is to develop starting points for the creation of institutions’ own RPL processes.

The target audience consists of higher education staff from quality management, academic and examination administration, degree program management, and continuing education management who have basic knowledge of RPL.

Date: Tue, Sept. 22, 2026, 1:30–5:00 p.m., registration begins at 1:00 p.m.
Location: University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten, Campus-Platz 1, 3100 St. Pölten
Registration: by August 31, 2026, at: https://www.conftool.com/13aq2026/ 
Participation fee: None / Included in the conference fee
Maximum number of participants: 30 people.

AQ Austria sees itself as a driving force and partner in matters of quality and quality assurance for higher education institutions in the Austrian and European higher education areas. In doing so, we carry out a wide range of tasks related to external quality assurance issues as well as general questions regarding quality in higher education. In this way, we fulfill our social and legal mandate.

Workshop Objectives

The workshop introduces AQ Austria’s areas of work and services and presents the latest developments in the fields of auditing, accreditation, and consulting—with a focus on developments and trends in quality assurance within the European Higher Education Area. It offers participants the opportunity to share developments and challenges at their own institutions or organizations and to discuss them through dialogue. Individual topics will be discussed collaboratively through interactive formats.

Target Audience

The workshop is aimed in particular at higher education staff who are new to working at the intersection of internal and external quality assurance and who, in this role, have a point of contact with AQ Austria. With this offering for “newcomers,” we aim to provide an opportunity to get to know AQ Austria and the full range of our activities. Of course, experienced staff and other interested parties are also welcome to participate in the workshop.

Please note: Places for the workshops on the day before the conference will be confirmed by email by 1 September 2026; please register for them as part of your conference registration by 31 August 2026 at the latest! Registrations will generally be confirmed on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, whilst taking into account a mix of higher education sectors; due to the limited number of places, we ask that, as a rule, only one registration per higher education institution be submitted.