A tribute to Professor Norman Sharp, QAA Scotland’s inaugural director

QAA is sad to hear of the passing of Professor Norman Sharp OBE, the inaugural director of QAA Scotland. Norman played an instrumental role in establishing the enhancement-led approach to quality in Scotland 20 years ago.

He also led QAA’s involvement in the creation of the comprehensive credit and qualifications framework in Scotland, the SCQF, and became a founding director of the SCQF Partnership in 2007. This built on Norman’s passion for widening access to education, which he championed throughout his career. 

In addition to his work in Scotland, Norman contributed extensively to quality matters internationally, supporting work in South Africa, Namibia, Luxembourg, Iceland, Ireland, Serbia, Romania and Albania. He held numerous leadership roles in quality assurance internationally including as a Board Member of the International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE), the chair of the International Quality Board in Iceland and as a higher education quality advisor to the Ministry of Education in Luxembourg. 

The work he accomplished as the first Director of QAA Scotland has laid the foundations for a well-recognised and respected quality enhancement system in Scotland. We are grateful for the immense contribution Norman made to our work and the work of the wider Scottish higher education sector during his time with QAA from 1997 to his retirement in 2009. Our thoughts are with Norman’s family, friends and former colleagues across the higher education sector in Scotland and internationally.