Director of the Agency

THE DIRECTOR REPRESENTS AND MANAGES THE AGENCY AND ORGANIZES ITS WORK AND OPERATION. THE DIRECTOR SHALL BE APPOINTED AND DISMISSED BY THE AGENCY COUNCIL ON THE BASIS OF OPEN COMPETITION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS AND CRITERIA, LAID DOWN IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT.

At its 124th meeting on 15 March 2018, the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education Council appointed Dr. France Demšar as Director of the SQAA for a period of five years, effective 2 April 2018. At its 186th meeting, held on 2 February 2023, the Council of the Agency decided to extend his term of office for a further five years, with effect from 2 April 2023.

Franci Demšar, direktor Nacionalne agencije RS za kakovost v visokem šolstvu.

dr. Franci Demšar, the Director of the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

telephone: +386 1 400 5771
e-mail: franci .demsar @nakvis.si

Short introduction

Director’s address:

“The Bologna process has opened wide the door to students in the European and wider area. At the time of my study, it was impossible to imagine that the students would pass an exam or a whole semester abroad and that the recognition of diplomas awarded abroad would be a pure formality.

To make this possible, a well-organized, highly professional international network of institutions for accreditation and evaluation of higher education institutions and their study programmes is needed to ensure that internationally agreed quality standards are met. In Slovenia, evaluation and accreditation is carried out by the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (SQAA). It is an internationally recognized agency and a member of the most important international association of agencies – ENQA and registered in the European register of trustworthy agencies – EQAR.

I will strive for even greater visibility and recognition of our Agency, its further professional growth, transparency of accreditation and evaluation procedures and an efficient and user-friendly information system to help to build confidence among all stakeholders in the Slovenian Higher Education Area.”

The Director has the following duties:

to organise and direct the work and operation of the Agency,
to present and represent the Agency
to implement the decisions of the Agency Council,
to submit general acts refereed to in the first indent of the fifth paragraph of Article 51.e of the Higher education Act for publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia,
to ensure that Agency operates in accordance with the law, constituent instrument and general acts of the Agency,
to adopt general acts regulating the operation and work of the Agency, for which no other authority is competent according to this Act and constituent instrument.
to prepare financial plan proposal for the Agency in cooperation with the Agency Council,
to adopt work plan of the Agency, for which consent of the Agency Council is required,
to prepare report on work and operation of the Agency, for which consent of the Agency Council is required,
to administer material and financial operation of the Agency,
to decide in matters of labour rights of the employees,
to adopt act on internal organisation and systematisation of workplaces,
to carry out other tasks in accordance with this Act and constituent instrument.

Previous SQAA directors (2010 – 2018)

dr. Ivan Leban	2013 – 2018
Tatjana Debevec (v.d.)	2012 – 2013
dr. Mojca Novak	2010 – 2012

Director of the Slovenian Higher Education Office

dr. Izidor Golob

2008 – 2009