quality assurance – the international challenge(s) uk naric annual conference 2 november 2009

Quality Assurance – The International Challenge(s)

UK NARIC Annual Conference

2 November 2009

International – why bother?

• 196,640 ‘offshore’ students• 112 UK HEIs operating overseas• 351,470 international students

studying in the UK• Protecting the UK ‘brand’

From www.dayinscience.unsw.edu.au/

International challenge? More like challenges!

• Supporting international students in the UK

• Meeting the global market challenge

• Addressing the provision of UK HE delivered abroad (TNE)

Supporting international students in the UK

The challenges:

• Wide variety of expectations and needs

• Use of international agents

• International recruitment practice

• English language support

From www.bathstudent.com/volunteer/holiday/

What is QAA doing to address these challenges?

• Student engagement activity

• International Collaboration Team

• Thematic enquiries into concerns about academic quality and standards in higher education in England

• Section 10 of the Code of Practice

Meeting the global market challenge

The challenges:• Increased competition from overseas• Lack of comparability of quality

assurance methods, processes and outcomes

• Supporting the recognition of UK HE qualifications

• Avoiding the perception of over commercialisation

From www.oecd.org/investment/GFI-7

What is QAA doing

about this?• Working closely with quality assurance

agencies in other countries• Member of the European Association of

Quality Assurance Agencies (ENQA)• Benchmarking of standards• Advising Ministers and providing support• Highlighting the need for caution with regards

to international student fees

Assuring the provision of UK HE delivered abroad (TNE)

The challenges:

• Meeting the rising demand• Great expectations…• Addressing complex and challenging

regulatory frameworksFrom ralphlosey.wordpress.com/2007/12/

Leuven Communiqué, para 17

“TNE should be governed by the European Standards and Guidelines for quality assurance as applicable within the European Higher Education Area

and be in line with the UNESCO/OECD Guidelines for Quality Provision in

Cross-Border Education”.

From www.ond.vlaanderen.be/.../bologna/conference/

What is QAA doing, or planning to do, about it?

• Fostering understanding of the UK approach to quality assurance

• Developing MoUs with

international agencies• Time to replace overseas

audit?• Developing a strategy for the quality assurance of

transnational education (TNE)• Review of Section 2 of the Code of Practice

Final reflections…

• Good quality assurance is key to overcoming the international challenges

• UK HE is an excellent offer, but we must not be complacent

• Let’s work together