Quality travels

February was a busy month for QAA not only at home – with, among other things, our Quality Insights conference, the announcement of our new set of Collaborative Enhancement Projects, and the convening of meetings of five of our sector networks – but also overseas. 

Last month, colleagues from QAA took part in events in Indonesia, Nepal and Rome.

QAA's Chief Executive Vicki Stott attended an event funded by the British Council to mark the opening of a new transnational education campus in Bandung, Indonesia, a joint venture between Australia's Deakin University and the UK's Lancaster University (a member of QAA's QE-TNE Scheme).

Vicki explained that the Quality Evaluation and Enhancement of UK Transnational Education (QE-TNE) Scheme has been designed to evaluate quality enhancement practices above and beyond regulatory baselines in order to provide useful information and insights, deliver benefits for TNE stakeholders, build mutual trust and understanding, and strengthen the reputation of UK TNE. 

The Scheme involves over 75 UK institutions, representing almost half a million UK TNE students – more than 70% of the UK TNE HE population. 

The event also saw QAA Quality Manager Ian Welch deliver a series of workshops on quality assurance in transnational higher education partnerships. Thirty-five Indonesian institutions took part in these workshops.

Also last month, QAA's Director of Public Affairs Eve Alcock visited Jakarta, where she took part in panel discussions on the uses of online learning and learning technologies to promote inclusion in higher education. 

Meanwhile, our Head of International Policy & Engagement Shannon Stowers travelled to Nepal, where she participated in a panel on the benefits of transnational education for Nepal at the UK-Nepal Business Forum. The session explored the drivers for TNE growth in the country, including mitigating brain drain, as well as the role of quality assurance in TNE. 

February also saw our Director of Regulatory Services Debra Macfarlane visiting Rome where she participated in two consecutive events co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme on the implementation of the Lisbon Recognition Convention within the European Higher Education Area and the promotion of dialogue between the Bologna Process and the other macro-regions of the world.