A quality assurance system based on the sustainable development paradigm: The lithuanian perspective

Abstract

In contemporary societies, higher education is is an important sector because of its increasing role in negotiating the complex, interlaced issues of development and involvement in designing and implementation corresponding strategies at the national and local level. Changing societal expectations in Lithuania, along with international influences arising from the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and European Union (EU), have a significant impact on national higher education policy. In this context a quality assurance (QA) system is considered a sensitive and influential policy instrument by reflecting both the relationship between the state and higher education institutions (HEIs) and between their autonomy and responsibility for societal transformation.