"The study visit was a very valuable and interesting experience. We got closely acquainted with the work of the Foundation for International Business Administration Accreditation (FIBAA). What we learned during the visit will improve the quality of education for law programs in Georgia," said Lasha Margishvili, the Deputy Director of the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE), who, along with three other Georgian colleagues, just returned from the study trip to Germany.

The USAID Rule of Law Program-supported study visit took place from July 3-7. The Georgian delegation – which also included Head of the Higher Education Quality Assurance Department at NCEQE Nikoloz Parjanadze, Head of the Legal Department at NCEQE Ketevan Kobakhidze, and Rule of Law Program Legal Education and Bar Reform Advisor Nino Balanchivadze - engaged in intensive meetings with FIBAA representatives. The primary focus of these meetings was the specificities of the German accreditation system and its quality assurance mechanisms, particularly concerning law programs.

FIBAA boasts over 25 years of experience in both national and international quality assurance and quality development within higher education. It plays a vital role in establishing guidelines for educational programs and providers, ensuring they meet the specific qualification standards.

Throughout the visit, NCEQE and FIBAA representatives exchanged their experiences regarding the accreditation process. This included discussions on institutional, program, and systemic accreditation. Moreover, the role of project managers, expert selection and training, on-site visits to educational institutions, and self-assessment reports were highlighted. Of significant importance were the discussions on setting appropriate learning objectives for programs and evaluating the content, structure, and didactical methodology of law courses.

The study visit provided the Georgian representatives with detailed insights into the administration of educational programs in law. They learned about internal and external quality assurance mechanisms, as well as the prerequisites for program graduates to enter the legal profession. The NCEQE representatives expressed a keen interest in continuing their collaboration with FIBAA, particularly concerning workshops for university representatives on setting learning outcomes for law courses, and FIBAA is also in continuing the collaboration. This mutual commitment to further cooperation bodes well for the improvement of law education in Georgia.