MusiQuE actively participated in the AEC Congress with two insightful sessions on 10 November at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague. These sessions delved into crucial aspects of quality assurance and allowed the participants to engage in meaningful discussions, and connect with professionals from the global music education community.

The first session Bringing internationalisation and quality culture together explored the international perspectives as catalysts for further development and improvement and its values to the quality culture of an institution. The session started with an analysis of two interesting case studies. Firstly, participants gained an insight into the innovative approach of the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, involving international examiners and critical friends. The session analysed the tools used, emphasizing their role in shaping the institution’s strategy and quality improvement processes. Secondly, the International Benchmarking Group (IBG) was highlighted, revealing the origins of the initiative and shedding light on how member institutions use the data collected both as a group and individually. Following these presentations, SEADOM, the Southeast Asian Directors of Music network, provided reflections on the intersections between internationalisation and quality enhancement.

The second half of the session turned the spotlight on MusiQuE, known for its collaboration with international experts and adherence to globally recognized standards. Additionally, MusiQuE representative presented the recently published revised international Standards for Institutional Review.

Finally, participants were divided into small groups to deliberate on how the revised MusiQuE standards related to Internationalisation and to Quality Culture could be addressed in their institution. The session proved to be a dynamic exchange of ideas and strategies, fostering a collaborative approach to enhancing the quality landscape in higher education.

The speakers included the experts from around the world: Martin Prchal, Janneke Ravenhorst, Linda Merrick, Peter Tornquist, Joe Bowman, Jacques Moreau, Finn Schumacker, and Orla McDonagh.

During the second session Building a strong internal quality culture by inviting and collecting student feedback MusiQuE facilitated a vibrant discussion on involving students in internal quality matters. EPASA representatives (Miranda Harmer and Natalie Roe) highlighted the benefits and challenges of student involvement, while MusiQuE (Jacques Moreau) shared new standards and findings from trend analysis. Finally, Janneke Ravenhorst (Head Quality Culture Office) and a student Sara de los Campos from The Royal Conservatoire The Hague shared their experience with student feedback mechanisms. After these contributions, participants had a chance to discuss and exchange their ideas in small groups.

MusiQuE expresses gratitude to all the speakers and participants and looks forward to future collaborations and contributions to the development of quality assurance in music education.