How do Quality Assurance Agencies in Asia Measure Higher Education? Exploring Approaches, Emerging Standards, and Challenges

Under neoliberalism, national quality assurance systems in Asia were developed with a focus on “accountability” in response to several global manifestations in higher education. As higher education systems in Asia vary and QA mechanisms continue to transform after 2000, this quantitative research aims to revisit current standard frameworks in higher education, as well as explore new emerging standards from the perspective of the Asian quality assurance agencies. There are three major findings in this study. First, three current standards: institutional governance and management, teaching and learning, and student learning support and resources were considered the most important. Second, employability and digitalization and employability as emerging standards were regarded the most significant. Third, the biggest challenge for developing these new QA standard frameworks is stakeholder engagement.