Achim HOPBACH
Higher Education Consultant
Dr Achim Hopbach has over 25 years of experience in higher education, having served as research assistant, in university administration, higher education policy, and quality assurance. He recently set up his own consultancy business after having retired from leading the quality assurance agencies in Austria and Germany for 15 years.
Dr Hopbach has extensive experience in the development and implementation of quality assurance legislation, systems and processes in Europe, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. He has served as panel member and chair of evaluation panels for national audit and evaluation of quality assurance agencies in Germany, Austria, Italy, Ireland, Malta, Oman, Indonesia, Malaysia, Haiti and East African countries. His consultancy activities focus on the areas of cross-border higher education and branch campuses, design of quality assurance systems and setting up higher education institutions.
Dr Hopbach has held various positions in quality assurance agencies and associations, such as President of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education from 2009 to 2013; member of the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications from 2005 to 2013; member of the Dubai's University Quality Assurance International Board since 2015; member of the Board of the Holy See's Agency for the Evaluation and Promotion of Quality in Ecclesiastical Faculties since 2016; and on international advisory board of various agencies.
Dr Hopbach has published numerous articles on the Bologna Process, quality assurance and qualifications frameworks.
Dr Hopbach holds a PhD in History from the University of Tuebingen and a Master in History, Political Science and Law from the Heidelberg University in Germany.