International quality assurance: Where have we been and where are we going?

Abstract

Significant growth in higher education enrollments, international student mobility, the growth of for-profit higher education, and concerns about international competitiveness, accompanied by emphasis on international rankings and world-class universities, have resulted in an unprecedented concentration on the academic quality of colleges and universities worldwide. How have the quality assurance and accreditation communities responded to these developments? What is the likely shape and operation of international quality assurance and accreditation in the future?