HEEACT arranged two important academic events in May through the opportunity to attend the 2025 INQAAHE Conference in Tokyo, including a study visit to the National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education (NIAD-QE) as well as the French-Japanese Workshop on Quality Assurance in Research and Education.

On Monday May 12^th, the HEEACT delegation, led by Prof. Dr. Der-Tsai Lee, President of HEEACT, Prof. Dr. Yu-Wen Chen, Director of Office of Administration and Research and Prof. Dr. Angela Yung-Chi Hou, Adjunct Research Fellow of HEEACT, made a study visit to NIAD-QE. Representatives from two other QA agencies also participated. They were Ms. Amélie Bensimon, International Cooperation Officer at the High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCÉRES) from France and Ms. Adriane Janosch, Programme Manager at the German Accreditation Council (GAC) from Germany.

The study visit comprised two key sessions. It began with welcoming remarks by HATTORI Yasunao, D.Sc., President of NIAD-QE, after which the attendees from each agency were introduced. The first session provided an overview of higher education quality assurance system in Taiwan, France, Germany, and Japan with recent updates and developments in the QA activities. The second session focused on the research dimensions of each agency’s QA work, offering insights into comparative approaches and future collaboration.

On Friday May 16^th, HEEACT was invited by HCÉRES to attend the French-Japanese Workshop on Quality Assurance in Research and Education, held at the French Embassy in Japan. This half-day workshop, co-organized by the French Embassy in Japan, HCÉRES and NIAD-QE, was an opportunity to strengthen Franco-Japanese cooperation in higher education and research through quality assurance.

The workshop was divided into three thematic sessions. The first session explored the respective missions and methodologies of HCÉRES and NIAD-QE. The second session delved into the internationalization of higher education through quality assurance, pointing out how internationalization could be integrated into evaluation and accreditation processes. The final session focused on the trends and challenges in the external quality assurance of research in higher education, aiming to strengthen the link between higher education and research.

Through these collaborative engagements, HEEACT not only deepened its understanding of different QA systems but also reinforced its commitment to global dialogue and partnership. By actively participating in bilateral and multilateral exchanges, HEEACT continues to contribute proactively to the international quality assurance community, and to foster shared learning and strategic cooperation in the pursuit of higher education excellence.