Applied Science University becomes first Bahraini university to achieve global quality accreditation

Applied Science University (ASU) has become the first higher education institution in the Kingdom of Bahrain to achieve global quality accreditation through the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), the UK’s independent quality body and a global leader in quality assurance for higher education.

ASU has obtained global accreditation having successfully completed QAA’s International Quality Review (IQR), a rigorous process which benchmarks global higher education institutions against international quality assurance standards set out in Part 1 of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).

The review took place between 24 and 26 January 2022, and was carried out by a team of three independent reviewers appointed by QAA. The review team confirmed that ASU meets all 10 of the internal quality assurance standards in the ESG.

The review team also identified a number of features of good practice including:

• ASU’s partnership with Advance HE, to offer a fellowship scheme for academic staff, recognising excellence in teaching and learning and student support
• the embedding of management information into decision-making processes at all levels of the institution through the integration of databases and other sources of information into the University’s IT systems.

Professor Ghassan Fouad Aouad, President of Applied Science University commented: 'We are delighted with this achievement as it bolsters the strong international reputation of the University. This is the result of a team effort of all the University’s stakeholders including the Board of Trustees and its Chairman, Professor Waheeb Al Khaja, senior administration, staff, students, alumni and external collaborators. ASU is the first university in the Kingdom of Bahrain to achieve the QAA’s global accreditation. We are grateful to the QAA, UK leadership and the review team for their professionalism, hard work, and their confidence in us.'

Alastair Delaney, QAA’s Executive Director of Operations and Deputy Chief Executive and Chair of the IQR Accreditation Panel said: 'I would like to extend our warm congratulations to ASU on this commendable achievement. Through the International Quality Review process, the institution has demonstrated its compliance with international best practice in quality assurance, demonstrating its commitment to enhancing the quality of its students’ academic experience. This accreditation provides an opportunity for ASU to explore opportunities for collaboration with UK and international higher education institutions.'

QAA’s institutional accreditation applies for five years, subject to a satisfactory mid-cycle review. ASU will be able to display QAA’s IQR Accreditation badge, demonstrating that their quality assurance processes are comparable with international best practice. ASU is also now eligible to become a QAA International Member. International Quality Review is carried out in QAA’s capacity supporting the development of higher education quality internationally, including activity to support QAA Members and collaboration with international partners.

By securing global accreditation from QAA, international institutions can clearly spotlight their quality standards internationally, and more easily start a dialogue with institutions outside their own country.

You can read Applied Science University's full IQR report on our website. You can also find out more about the IQR process and international membership.