Quality Assurance and Internationalization
06 Feb 2012
Quality assurance is steadily growing in importance in the field of internationalization. There is currently a widespread belief that internationalization should not be regarded as a goal in itself, but rather as a means to improve the quality of education.
Many national and institutional policy documents set down quality as one of the major goals of internationalization. At the same time, there is a definite lack of systematic monitoring and evaluation of the impact of internationalization on quality. Hence, there is only limited proof of any direct connection between internationalization and the quality of education.
Quality assurance and internationalization are actually two very different things. The former is concerned with the quality assurance of internationalization, while the latter focuses on the internationalization of quality assurance and elements of international programmes. In the latter case, centre stage is occupied by quality assurance itself and it is looked at within the international context.
Workshop quality assurance of the organisation of student exchanges
This workshop is held every year during the EAIE Conference. Nuffic organises the workshop together with Duleep Deosthale (Manipal University, Malaysia) and Dawn Koban (RMIT University, Australië).
Description of the workshop content:
“Since most institutions have by now gained sufficient experience in organising student exchanges, they now shift their focus from quantity to quality. Rather than sending out as many students as possible, we now want to arrange the best exchanges possible.
This workshop will focus on the quality assurance of the organisation of student exchanges. Questions discussed in the workshop will include: Which quality assurance methods are available for student exchanges? How can they be put into practice to assure quality of information, academic results or partners?
Examples of quality assurance measures in student exchanges in Australian and Dutch institutions will be given.”
You can download the handouts from the 2011 workshop:
Download presentation Adinda van Gaalen (1) (84 kB)
Download pre-departure booklet by Dawn Koban
Download presentation Adinda van Gaalen (2) (94 kB)
Download presentation Dawn Koban (1.2 MB)
Download presentation Adinda van Gaalen (3) (60 kB)
If you have any questions, please contact Adinda van Gaalen at Nuffic.
Manual Quality Assurance in Internationalisation
In June 2010 the EAIE published a manual on Quality Assurance in Internationalisation in their EAIE Professional Development Series.
The book was edited by Adinda van Gaalen of Nuffic. The manuals in this series cover the basic skills every international educator needs, and is already fondly known as the EAIE 'toolkit' series. EAIE members have received a free copy of the book which includes handy tips, tables, checklists and case studies, as well as recommendations for further in-depth reading.
The book can be purchased through the EAIE.
Partnership GIQAC
The World Bank and UNESCO have established a partnership for the Global Initiative for Quality Assurance Capacity (GIQAC). GIQAC will help to set up quality assurance systems in higher education institutes in developing and transitional countries. More information about GIQAC can be found on the website of UNESCO.
Checklists to measure internationalization
INHolland University of Applied Sciences has developed checklists (in accordance with the EQUIS accreditation standard) that allow Schools to measure ten different aspects of internationalization. The results are categorized in five different phases/levels of internationalization.
In order to facilitate Schools seeking to obtain international EQUIS or EPAS accreditation at some point in the future (at present, EQUIS and EPAS accreditation can only be obtained by Business Schools), the checklists feature - where applicable - an indication of the minimum score to be obtained (and verified) for each aspect in order to qualify for the relevant accreditations.
These lists can be used as a baseline measurement for internationalization. Institutes can also use the lists to determine which minimum score a study programme must obtain according to the vocational profile and whether or not this score is actually being obtained.
Download the checklists (122 kB)
