Globalization, Quality Assurance and Higher Education: Trends in AsiaPacific

1
Globalization, Quality Assurance and Higher
Education Trends in Asia/Pacific

• IFE 2020 Leadership Institute
• February 23-March 6, 2009
• John Hawkins
• Deane Neubauer

2
The Goal

• The Issue Rapidly changing global higher
  education context shaping and reshaping what is
  both desired and meant by quality in higher
  education
• The goal Explore the emergence of a new paradigm
  for what defines quality in higher education and
  how it might be measured.

3
Definitional Issues

• Shifting ground of market definitions
• Linking HE standards with those of particular
  industries
• The compulsion toward equality of application for
  quality standards
• HE contestations of quality by discipline
• Multiplicity of measures provided by society for
  HE quality

4
Sanyal and Martin (2007) ten core meanings of
quality

• Providing excellence
• Being exceptional
• Providing value for money
• Conforming to specifications
• Getting things right the first time
• Meeting customers needs
• Having zero defects
• Providing added value
• Exhibiting fitness of purpose
• Exhibiting fitness for purpose

5
Four QA Trends

• Where no quality assessment existed-build it--the
  1990s as the decade of HE quality assessment
  program development
• Refining measurement to reflect differentiations
  of quality
• Shifting from inputs to outputs--from capacity
  for quality to demonstrations of quality
• The rise of cross-border quality assessment and
  accreditation

6
Underlying QA Factors

• Conceptual
• Defining HE environments through neo-liberalism
• Shifting relationships between state and HEIs
• Changing methodologies and methods for applying
  QA to HEIs
• Internationalization and Globalization

7
QA Factors

• Structural
• Privatization and incorporation movement
• Changes in funding patterns and sources
• Autonomy
• Rapid expansion of HE in given environments
• Rise of national agencies dedicated to quality
  assessment
• Diversification of HE systems
• Curricula changes and alignment issues
• Proliferation of multi-campus systems

8
QA Factors

• Social/Policy
• Public accountability movements
• Extension of managerialism
• New types of students
• Public policy responsibility for QA