University of Veliko Tarnovo leads Policy Dialogue on Microcredentials in Bulgaria

How can European higher education remain agile in a fast-evolving labour market while maintaining the highest academic standards?

This question was at the heart of the round table discussion, 'Microcredentials and Joint Learning with Foreign Higher Education Institutions – Quality Assurance and Accreditation'. Hosted on 4 June 2026 by our member St Cyril and St Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo (UVT), Bulgaria, the event tackled the future of flexible learning.

The round table brought together representatives from the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (NEAA), leading Bulgarian universities in European University Alliances, and national organisations representing employers and industry. Together with other key stakeholders, they addressed one of the most urgent challenges facing higher education in Europe and beyond: creating flexible learning opportunities that can be trusted, recognised, and transferred across different institutions and national systems.

Opening the discussions, Professor Dimitar Dimitrov, Rector of the University of Veliko Tarnovo, highlighted the growing need for higher education to adapt to rapid societal, economic, and technological change while maintaining academic quality and institutional responsibility. As he noted, universities are increasingly expected to prepare graduates for professions that do not yet exist, all while preserving their core educational mission and academic standards.

As technological change accelerates and skills requirements evolve faster than traditional degree structures can adapt, microcredentials are increasingly viewed as a key instrument for lifelong learning, upskilling, and reskilling. Yet important questions remain unresolved:

• Who should issue microcredentials?

• How should they be recognised across borders?

• How can quality be guaranteed?

• Can combinations of microcredentials contribute towards larger qualifications and degree pathways?

These questions are particularly relevant for European University Alliances, which are building new models of transnational education through joint programmes, virtual mobility, and collaborative learning opportunities. While educational innovation is advancing rapidly, regulatory and quality assurance frameworks often remain nationally fragmented, creating barriers to recognition and institutional cooperation.

As Associate Professor Anna Ivanova, Vice-Rector for International Relations at the University of Veliko Tarnovo, emphasised during the event, microcredentials and joint educational programmes have the potential to make higher education more accessible, flexible, and responsive to societal and labour market needs. At the same time, finding a sustainable balance between quality assurance, institutional autonomy, and regulatory clarity remains one of the key challenges facing higher education systems today.

Throughout the discussions, participants highlighted the need for stronger alignment between higher education institutions, policymakers, accreditation bodies, and employers. This perspective was reinforced by Professor Eliza Stefanova, Chair of the National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency. She stressed that the development of microcredentials, joint programmes, and European University Alliances requires both regulatory adaptation and effective quality assurance mechanisms, supported by sustained cooperation among universities, public institutions, and employers. The discussions also pointed to the importance of common European approaches that can reduce fragmentation, support mutual recognition, and facilitate cross-border educational cooperation.

The round table further highlighted the growing importance of digital, blended, and flexible learning models. As higher education expands beyond traditional campus-based provision, ensuring the recognition and quality assurance of alternative learning pathways is becoming more than just a regulatory challenge—it is a prerequisite for widening participation and strengthening lifelong learning opportunities.

Evidence presented during the event demonstrated that learner demand for such opportunities is already emerging. Findings from an OpenEU survey involving 1,023 students across all ten alliance members, presented by Associate Professor Veneta Hristova from the University of Veliko Tarnovo, revealed strong interest in microcredentials that combine theoretical knowledge with practical application. The survey also demonstrated the growing relevance of microcredentials within the OpenEU ecosystem, where alliance partners are already developing and piloting a broad portfolio of these learning opportunities.

By convening policymakers, quality assurance agencies, universities, employers, and representatives of European University Alliances, St Cyril and St Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo demonstrated how OpenEU partners can contribute to shaping the policy environment required for the next generation of European higher education. The event provided an important platform for exchanging perspectives, identifying challenges, and exploring solutions that extend well beyond national borders.