How can international higher education programs develop quality assurance and accreditation plans?

Implementing a quality assurance system in higher education involves establishing a dedicated QA unit for regular program evaluations, incorporating feedback mechanisms from students, faculty, and stakeholders, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. We should strive to involve students and industry partners in the QA process to ensure the relevance and effectiveness of educational programs. Key metrics are then needed which involves tracking student performance, graduate outcomes, and research to gather essential data. It is also crucial to document all program aspects and collect evidence of compliance with accreditation standards. It is important also to engage with accreditation agencies to understand their requirements.

Identifying Goals: Clearly articulate the program's objectives and what it aims to achieve educationally and professionally. Understanding the Audience: Determine who the program is for and what their needs are, ensuring it aligns with student and industry expectations. Setting Learning Outcomes: Establish what competencies and knowledge students should acquire, aligning with both national and international academic standards. Qualifications Alignment: Ensure the program fits within relevant qualifications frameworks, making it recognizable and valuable globally. This foundational step is critical for shaping a program that is relevant, effective, and globally recognized.

Using the legal framework embodied in UNESCO’s regional and international conventions on the recognition of degrees and its higher education networks / workshops build on the existing experience and networks / publications on cross- border practice seek support from UNESCO and other intergovernmental organisations to to build agreed frameworks and codes of practice for accreditation and recognition

Having worked as a QA Expert in HE for World Bank, here is my brief submission: - Identify the quality parameter w.r.t governance, research & publication, students support system, strongn alumni association & endowment, faculty contribution, extension activities and scope for further developments. - Set Quality Circle in the each department. - Implement TQM Philosphy & Lean Philsophy as a part of the implementation process. - Implement, review, quality control and further enhancement. - Identify the gaps, benchmark with the best practices and try to address within the resources available. Let me say it at the end ' QUALITY OF ANY INSTITUTION CAN NOT BE BETTER THAT QUALITY OF ITS TEACHERS'. Excellence is a journey. Keep the efforts ON!

Quality Assurance and Accreditation should not happen in a vacuum but should be done within the context of higher education regionalisation and internationalisation. The aim should be first to ensure the quality of programmes locally. The local accreditation should however take the context of higher education regionalisation and internationalisation into play and incorporate that into the quality assurance and accreditation adopted. The approaches adopted for quality assurance and accreditation should enable staff and student mobility at a local level, regional level and internationally. The quality assurance and accreditation principles adopted, should enable vertical articulation from one higher education institution to the other.

Self-assessment is a valuable process that offers insights into one's work and allows for continuous improvement. Its importance is amplified by the ever-changing nature of accreditation standards and indicators. To ensure sustained progress, it's imperative to make self-assessment an ongoing practice and to implement the identified findings effectively. This approach not only ensures compliance with evolving standards but also promotes a culture of excellence and adaptability.

Well, conducting a self-assessment is a critical step for international higher ed programs. The process starts with thoroughly evaluating the program's academic and administrative performance, gauging how well it meets its defined goals and objectives. It's essential to identify both the strengths and areas needing improvement. Benchmarking the program against international standards and best practices in higher education helps in understanding where it stands in a global context. Equally important is gathering feedback from students, faculty, and stakeholders to gain diverse perspectives. This self-assessment provides a solid foundation for making meaningful improvements and aligning more closely with international accreditation standards.

Developing quality assurance and accreditation plans for international higher education entails understanding regulatory frameworks, defining program objectives, and aligning with educational standards. A dedicated team oversees benchmarking, self-studies, and continuous improvement. Stakeholder engagement, detailed records, and external reviews are crucial for a holistic approach. The process involves evaluations, peer assessments, and site visits with pivotal documentation. Feedback from reviews ensures ongoing improvements and compliance with evolving standards, emphasizing the need to stay informed about accreditation changes for sustained excellence.

A key point in self-assessment is to gather evidence and perceptions from as many stakeholders and community members as possible (students, alumni, employers, faculty, staff.) High participation rates assure more significant results, and are greatly valued by external reviewers.

A self assessment is a good tool, but self-assessments often overstate the good and understate the bad; which means that actions based on those assessment can be flawed from the start. In order for such an assessment to have value, it has to follow a best-practices approach Program self assessments are often overly optimistic because the people doing them are employees of the organization they are evaluating and being the bearer of bad news is rarely rewarded within any organization.

One very important component of an effective action plan is including opportunities for reflection, assessment of processes, collaboration and feedback from stakeholders as a benchmark, and adjustment along the way. Not allowing for reflection, and adjustments along the way can result in the loss of sight of the potential or opportunity for increased momentum or recognize when parts of the plan, hinder growth and sustainability.

Action plans must find a balance between requirements of international higher education programs and meeting the unique needs of their students and disciplines.

I believe this action plan should be crafted based on the insights and recommendations gleaned from the self-assessment phase. It involves setting clear, achievable goals and outlining the steps necessary to address the identified areas of improvement. This plan should also allocate responsibilities and resources effectively, ensuring that every aspect of the program is geared towards meeting the set standards. Additionally, setting timelines for each action item is essential to track progress and maintain momentum. This structured approach ensures that the program not only identifies its weaknesses and strengths but actively works towards enhancing its quality and aligning with accreditation requirements.

Com a boa compreensão das “dores” da Sociedade os Objetivos formativos do Ensino Superior serão robustos, realistas e com forte imersão social. O Plano de Ação nesse contexto, será com certeza mais assertivo.

I believe tier based action plan spread over 3 to 5 years will enable institutions to put in place policies and procedures thus creating an impact, prioritize degree programs, induct new paradigms and evaluate simultaneously that will create a better impact.

The involvement of external reviewers is key. These experts provide an independent assessment of the program's quality and standards, offering valuable feedback for improvement. Their objective perspective ensures that the program meets international benchmarks and maintains credibility.

Industry associations are one such stakeholder to work with, as they can provide feedback on the required competencies, both now and in the future, that graduates need to succeed in the workplace. Associations that are the local arm of an international organisation will usually have the mandate to perform the necessary audits to ensure that there is equivalency to global pedagogical standards, so it would be extremely useful to maintain a close relationship with them.

A Verdade é sempre melhor tangenciada com o aumento de perspectivas. Assim, todo e qualquer observador agregador que possa contribuir no desenho dos programas formativos do Ensino Superior é sempre muito bem-vindo.

While self-assessment is an excellent tool for identifying opportunity areas, having an external organization reviewing the programs is a fundamental step for achieving international quality standards. In my experience, the guidelines provided by the reviewers as well as the comments on the accreditation process are excellent blueprints we can relly upon.

The value-add of external reviewers, particularly in higher education, is highly dependent on their awareness of cultural conditions and resource norms, as well as a firm grasp of the realpolitik of the country or region. While excellence to the norm for programs globally might be the same or even identical, the pathway to achievement will very often be determined by the ability of the team implementing it, including external reviewers, successfully navigating the currents and eddies of institutional and sometimes national politics.

Focusing on transparently communicating the results of quality assurance and accreditation processes to all stakeholders is quite crucial I will say. It's important to share these findings not just internally but also with external audiences. This openness not only shows the program's commitment to quality and continual improvement but also fosters trust and engagement with students, faculty, and industry partners.

A Comunicação é parte fundamental no processo . A partir da mesma, os aspectos relacionados com a troca Academia e Sociedade se dão de modo mais amplo, direto e positivo. Ainda existe um “não saber” fazer da Academia, ao comunicar com a Sociedade , aquilo ao qual ela se propõe e faz em prol da Sociedade. Um caso recente que explícita o que falo, foi a frágil Comunicação da Ciência para a Sociedade , sobre os achados da COVID. A Academia falava A, a Imprensa despreparada falava R e a Sociedade compreendia Z, adicionado ao fato de que a Rede comunicava @.

For international programs, the communication piece is often the most important. For large swaths of the global south, the lingering aftertaste of colonialism has enshrined a 'west is best' perception both within the former colonies and potential partners in more developed countries. Clearly articulating a pathway of quality assurance, from linking to internationally recognized standards and transparency of the process, as well as clearly defining what success looks like goes a long way toward acceptance.

The effectiveness of the program is only when it is communicated to all the stake holders and the society at large. The value is only then established in actual terms, otherwise it remains on paper or is just notional.

Sharing outcomes and analysis will greatly increase the learning process and that has to be done at every stage so that appropriate corrections and system upgradation in done in a timely manner. Detailed, inclusive and diverse feedback is necessary from all stakeholders.

Education is a highly dynamic sector because its priorities and requirements change with time. Therefore, review and updation of existing criteria and parameters to assess the quality of international higher educational programs is an important step.

Regularly reviewing and updating the plans ensures that they remain relevant and effective in the ever-changing landscape of higher education. This step involves reassessing the program's goals, learning outcomes, and methodologies in light of new educational trends, technological advancements, and feedback from stakeholders. By committing to this continuous improvement cycle, programs can maintain high standards, adapt to new challenges, and ensure sustained excellence and relevance in the international education arena. Usually done every 3-5 years

Un ejemplo que he palpado, es poner en marcha las conferencias de consenso. Se selecciona a los beneficiarios y se conozca de cerca las realidades que viven. Ahora está la otra parte, la del empleador. Se requiere saber que buscan como reclutadores. Y cual es la nueva perspectiva.

By updating programs including day to day upgradation. Competitive analysis and QEC will also making better performance of Programs.

Our educational model relies in permanent update so every Asian International Higher Education program must be different than the one before. We learnt so much in 2023 that we are eager for 2024 program to kick off. This will be our second year after pandemic traveling to India so we decided to expand the length of the program and we reviewed and updated some KPIs to foster the best results for the teams that travel this year. Designing for what we want to achieve!

Employ top-of-the line researchers woth excellent communictaion skills making research come alive. Research-based teaching inpsires so much more than the use of traditional textbooks etc.

Integral to quality assurance in higher education is embracing digital transformation, cultural competence, and sustainability. It's vital to integrate technology as we work to understand diverse student backgrounds and uphold social responsibility., all while fostering a supportive community for long-term impact. The rapid evolution of technology and its profound impact on the educational landscape cannot be overstated. The challenge to this that we may be tempted to make assumptions about access to technology, which could deepen a digital divide.

Il faut des référentiels. Ils n'ont pas été mention nés ici car souvent il s'agit de méthodes anglo-saxonnes pas applicables partout dans la diversité des programmes, des établissements et des environnements réglementaires et culturels. Mais c'est un point important. Quel référentiels, comment les construire et les choisir, puis les évaluer face à leur usage critique.

Our model of teams doing business globally in Asia is very special. The post-pandemic global business stage was deeply transformed particularly in Asia where we travel. Mondragon University moved away from China and settled in Korea as a destination. The world champion of innovation is a more mature market but our International Higher Education Program was nurtured by the new Mondragon Team Academy Korean lab. Korean and Spanish teams doing business together has brought many opportunities and has created a better framework for our international program. During pandemic times we discontinue our international program in India but we are happily back to this destination. That is so far our Post-pandemic global trends!