A quarterly publication of AQU Catalunya
The II Global Study, coordinated by INQAAHE, aims to enhance our understanding of the efficiency, relevance and transformative power of quality assurance.
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What are the global trends in external quality assurance? What are the main challenges facing university quality assurance departments? How diverse or uniform is the world of quality assurance in higher education?
Answering these (and other) questions is the main objective of the II Global Study de Trends on Quality Assurance, a study led by the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) that aims to capture global trends in quality assurance in regard to the three key concepts set out in INQAAHE's International Standards and Guidelines: efficiency, relevance and the transformative capacity of quality.
The study's research examines the trends, gaps and issues associated with these three key concepts to determine what needs to change in the field of internal and external quality assurance if we are to meet the challenges that have been identified. The report is expected to be published in open-source format towards the end of 2025.
The study entails a considerable effort to collect and disseminate the latest trends in external and internal quality assurance, and the extraordinary level of participation reflects the willingness of the professional quality assurance community to collaborate wherever there is an opportunity to strengthen the body of research in their professional field. To carry out the study, INQAHEE relies on cooperation from numerous regional networks, such as ENQA and the EUA in Europe, RIACES and SIACES in Latin America, and AUN and APQN in the Asia-Pacific region.
AQU Catalunya leads the Western European working group, which provides a front-line view of changes and progress not only in Western Europe but also in other parts of the world. Building the European portion of the study and coordinating with Eastern Europe for the first time is a significant honour and positions us as a leading international agency.
Achieving such an ambitious goal on a global scale requires a significant allocation of resources. The study began in November 2022 with the establishment of regional groups that unite the key quality assurance networks and university associations in each area.
INQAAHE's central coordination facilitates the integration of contributions from these regional groups at every phase of the project. This includes conducting a literature review and reviewing the questionnaires (2023), carrying out fieldwork (2023 to 2024), designing and implementing focus groups (2024), and drafting the chapters of the Global Study (2024 to 2025).
The success of this study relies on its regional deployment, the dedicated collaboration of the international quality assurance community, and the leadership of Dr Susanna Karakhanyan, who heads the project. The study brought together more than 80 experts from around the world and 28 regional university and external quality assurance networks.
The study highlights both similarities and significant diversity in external assessment processes, such as the tensions between generalist and specialist agencies in the United States, the ongoing efforts of quality assurance, against all odds, in conflict-affected countries, and the consolidation of national quality assurance systems in Latin America. While major global pressures are evident across all regions, notable regional disparities exist. In Western Europe, for example, the UK's approach to quality assurance is closely tied to enhancing the student experience. In contrast, the focus on quality assurance in other European countries is more centred on the efficient governance of institutions and programmes.
The quality assurance sector is expanding and in the process of consolidation. The preliminary data shows that the number of external quality assurance agencies increased from 332 in the first study (2017-2020) to 462 in the second study, representing a rise of 39%. Despite this increase, the evaluation of assessors is, with the notable exceptions of Europe and the United States, still in its infancy in most regions. Yet, it is precisely this ability to have confidence in the external assessment bodies that is such a fundamental aspect of qualification recognition.
The II Global Study serves as a geographical handbook on quality assurance and will soon be available in open-source format for everyone to explore.