The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education

Membership Type: Observer
Year in which Organisation/Agency commenced operations: 1997
Countries/regions/states of operation: UK - all four countries plus QAA overseas audits

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Title: Mr.
First Name: Douglas
Surname: Blackstock
Job Title: Chief Executive Officer
Phone: 0044 (0)1452 557000
Email Id: d.blackstock@qaa.ac.uk

Nominated Contact Person (if different from CEO)

Title: Dr.
First Name: Alison
Surname: Felce
Job Title: Dr. Accreditation, Partnerships and Policy Manager
Email Id: a.felce@qaa.ac.uk

Organisation Details

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education
Address: Southgate House, Southgate Street, GL1 1UB Gloucester
United Kingdom
Website: www.qaa.ac.uk

Additional Contacts

Criteria Requirements for Full Member

1 Criterion: Nature of the operations of the agency:
Measure: The agency is responsible for reviews at institutional or programme level of post-secondary
education institutions or post-secondary quality assurance agencies
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
2 Criterion: Mission statement and objectives:
Measure: The agency has formulated a mission statement and objectives which are consistent with the nature of the agency
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
3 Criterion: Agency staff, Numbers, Profile, Roles:
Measure: The profile of the staff is consistent with the Mission Statement
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
4 Criterion: Profile of reviewers:
Measure: The profile of the reviewers is consistent with the Mission Statement
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
5 Criterion: Independence:
Measure: The judgements and recommendations of the agency’s reports cannot be changed by third parties
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
6 Criterion: Resources:
Measure: The agency has sufficient resources to run its operations in accordance with its mission statement and objectives
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
7 Criterion: External quality assurance criteria and processes:
Measure: The description of the processes and criteria applied should be transparent and publicly available and normally include:
self evaluation, site visit, public report and follow-up measure
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members
8 Criterion: Quality assurance:
Measure: The description of the processes and criteria applied should be transparent and publicly available and normally include:
self evaluation, site visit, public report and follow-up measure
Description: Applicable Only For Full Members

Criteria Requirements for Institutional Member

Institutional Member Criteria:
Measure: Institutional Members are institutions of higher education in the region that are in good standing with the relevant quality assurance agency if one exists.
Proof of recognition as a Higher Education Institution: Applicable Only For Institutional Members
Proof of the organisation’s good standing with the local QA agency: Applicable Only For Institutional Members

Criteria Requirements for Associate Member

Associate Member Criteria:
Measure:Associate Members are organisations with a major interest and active involvement in evaluation, accreditation and quality assurance in higher education, but without the responsibility for assuring the quality of institutions, education programs, or external quality assurance agencies
Applicable Only For Associate Members

Criteria Requirements for Intermediate Member

1 Criterion: Nature of the operations of the agency:
Measure: The agency is responsible for reviews at institutional or programme level of post-secondary education institutions or post-secondary quality assurance agencies
Description: Applicable Only For Intermediate Members
2 Criterion: Mission statement and objectives:
Measure: The agency has formulated a mission statement and objectives which are consistent with the nature of the agency
Applicable Only For Intermediate Members
3 Criterion: :
Proof of the organisation’s good standing with the local QA agency
Applicable Only For Intermediate Members

Criteria Requirements for Observer

Criterion For Observers:
Measure: APQN accepts as Observers organisations outside the Asia-Pacific region, including: external quality assurance agencies; institutions with a major interest in evaluation, accreditation and quality assurance in higher education; other regional networks that have major interests in and strong links with the region
Criteria Requirements for Observer: UK higher education institutions have hundreds of links with partner organisations in the APQN through which many thousands of students are studying for UK HE qualifications. There are at least four UK University branch campuses in the region with two in Malaysia and two in China. QAA has a responsibility to comment on quality and the standards of qualifications delivered through such collaborative provision and flexible and distributed learning. Section 2 of the Agency's Code of Practice covers such provision.

QAA carries out the audit of UK higher education institutions overseas collaboration activities, on a smapling basis, through a process that includes visits to partner institutions outside the UK. Overseas audit visit reports are published by QAA and are available at http://www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/reports/byoseascountry.asp

In 2006, QAA will carry out a large scale audit visit to review UK higher education being delivered in China.

To inform these audits and indeed brief the audit teams, to learn and understand more about QA practice outside the UK, and to help us ensure that students in collaborative and transnational provision get a good quality education and recognised qualification, QAA participates in several international networks, conferences and projects. QAA has also sought links with individual agencies in the APQN region and has a cooperation agreement with LAN in Malaysia.

The extent of UK higher education in the Asia Pacific Region, the development of joint degrees, the need to understand more about the different types of education systems and approaches to quality assurance and qualifications, and in particular the potential opportunities for closer cooperation with agencies in the APQN on the QA of transnational education and share experiences are all strong drivers for us to seek Observer status in the APQN.

Documentation and Fees

Upon approval of my application I agree to pay:
  • $150 Fee: Observer Status

Documents Submitted
















Located in: APQN Members

Contact Us

APQN Administrator
No. 202, South ShaanXi Road,
Shanghai, 200031, P.R. CHINA
Tel: +86 21 5403 1620
Fax: +86 21 5467 0198
Email: apqnsecretariat@163.com 

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