Higher Education and Quality Assurance: Some Observations

Abstract

Quality assurance (QA), quality indicators, quality registers, pan-Asia accreditation as well as other topics related to the desire of universities and colleges in the Asian region to achieve higher standards become the critical issue for higher education (HE) in the Asian region. Although the title of the book is Measuring Quality of Undergraduate Education in Japan: Comparative Perspective in a Knowledge Based Society, this book focuses on the quality of undergraduate education in Japan. However, quality of undergraduate education and QA is the common urgent issue for HE in the Asian region. Thus, this chapter looks at some illustrative national examples of QA trends and issues and provides a brief outline of the context in which this is occurring. Throughout the region a number of factors influence the QA movement. HE has become more diverse, it is more available, more international, there is less money to go around, the private sector has expanded, governance has undergone dramatic changes, and all of this results in more competition. Through the outline of QA trends in the Asian region, the readers understand the commonalities of HE policy in the Asian region, and it is worthwhile to understand the common and specific issues of Japanese higher education in such trends.