Modern Australia evolved from separate colonies, which came together as a federation a century ago. The balance of state/federal responsibilities is relevant to most aspects of Australian life. This includes higher education, where universities are largely state owned but federally funded (with government funding declining), while the other higher…

While scholars have been peripatetic since the creation of the very first universities, a phenomenon of more recent years is the mobility of education, where it is the educational provision rather than the scholar that crosses national borders. This is termed "transnational" or "cross-border" education. Attendant on this new…

This paper traces some aspects of the growth over the last 20 years in the number of quality assurance agencies in higher education, that is, organisations with some responsibility for the quality of teaching, research and other activities in higher education institutions. Initially, staff of these agencies were largely amateurs in the field, and…

Report of a review panel which evaluated the effectiveness of the New Zealand Academic Audit Unit concluded that procedures requiring universities to undertake a self-review with the Academic Audit Unit validating the process have been a major stimulus for introduction of effective quality systems within a climate of trust and mutual respect.…

Common concerns in quality assurance (QA) in higher education and convergence in power balances within educational systems worldwide are resulting in adoption of similar methods for QA. Quality issues addressed include definition of quality, international comparability of education, academic standards, institutional autonomy, external review,…

Strategies for promoting efficient control of quality in colleges and universities are examined. It is proposed that integration of external review and institutional self-evaluation can be used to support the goals of accountability, efficiency, and institutional effectiveness. (MSE)