What can INQAAHE do for you?
The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) is a world-wide association of some 200 organisations that are active in the theory and practice of quality assurance in higher education. The greater majority of its members are quality assurance agencies that operate in many different ways. However, the Network also welcomes (as associate or institution members) other organisations that have an interest in quality assurance (QA) in higher education (HE). INQAAHE thus offers its members the many benefits of being part of such an active group of workers in QA in HE. This body of like-minded folk provides an enormous reassurance, support and assistance in our daily QA work.
INQAAHE is a QA community, with shared interests, a common language and an understanding of how things are done with regard to a very specific field of work. It provides a forum for the discussion of global issues, such as cross border education, that go beyond national or regional boundaries. Members have the opportunity to learn from what others are doing, both from their successes and their faillures, and thus have now set the ground for the development of a QA profession.
INQAAHE set out to be a collector, creator and distributor of information on QA in HE, and it has constantly improved its ability to do this. From the beginning it has published a newsletter/bulletin, sponsored a learned journal, and arranged frequent (now annual) conferences and fora. It has recently redesigned the website in order to improve its service to members. The website is gradually being populated with publications and discussion papers.
Through the website, INQAAHE will soon be offering members access to good practices in QA, a rapid answer query service, a clearinghouse of wide-ranging information on QA policies, procedures and practices, and a database of consultants. Some of these projects have World Bank funding. Also, there are other networks of QA agencies, and INQAAHE has good collaborative relations with these, and also provides support and advice.
INQAAHE has a set of Guidelines of Good Practice in QA and it can carry out reviews of member agencies against these Guidelines (or on other agreed bases). it is developing some professional qualifications in QA.
