QAA launches international accreditation

QAA has this week launched a new global accreditation, which will allow international institutions to demonstrate that their quality assurance processes meet international best practice.

Once an international institution has passed QAA's existing International Quality Review (IQR), it will now receive the global accreditation, which is valid for five years.

IQR has been specially developed to provide institutions outside of the UK with an independent peer review, through which QAA assesses if that institution meets the 10 standards of the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG), the quality assurance framework adopted across 48 countries in the European Higher Education Area. The ESG are respected worldwide and have influenced the development of quality frameworks across Africa and the ASEAN region, and the development of a global language of quality assurance.

By introducing an accreditation as part of the review, international institutions can clearly spotlight their quality standards and more easily open dialogue with institutions outside their domestic market.

Douglas Blackstock, QAA Chief Executive, said: "Global accreditation means institutions in the UK can identify partner institutions that meet European quality standards. It also allows international institutions to demonstrate and improve their effectiveness, improve public perception and promote themselves in partnerships with UK institutions. We're excited to offer this valuable accreditation to our international colleagues.

IQR benefits UK higher education institutions by indicating that potential partners for TNE activities, collaborative degree programmes, and student recruitment purposes meet international standards.

Accreditation is awarded after an initial application and scoping visit, followed by detailed desk assessments and a visit to the institution from an expert QAA review team.

You can find out more about International Quality Review and global accreditation on our website.