Rethinking Armenian Students' Engagement in Quality Assurance: Perspectives for Meaningful Participation

Abstract

The article reports on the patchy development of Armenian students' participation in the Quality Assurance (QA) system by focusing on the existing modes of engagement in QA and the barriers for meaningful student participation faced by challenging student representation. It provides insights into the existing QA framework in Armenia, student demographics within the Armenian HE landscape and recent politically charged developments that have stimulated an informal student movement to demand enhanced university quality. An EU-funded project encouraging Armenian students' engagement in internal and external QA is also referenced with its relevant outcomes. The authors aim to illustrate that despite acclaimed progress in the development of formal structures for student engagement, students are still largely unaware and demotivated about their role in QA (Fedeli, 2018b), which leads to their token participation. The paper concludes that the perspectives for meaningful participation call for sustainable capacity building of students, recognition of their full membership in academic community and the constituency of student representation. Finally, it strongly recommends students’ inclusion in the policy dialogue and collaboration between all national and institutional stakeholders of QA.