Professional accreditation in transnational quality assurance: A potential approach to a challenging issue

To maintain its world market position, Australia needs to assure the quality of its provision of transnational higher education. Many importers of transnational higher education also find it difficult to ascertain and assure quality in an increasingly complex market. This paper examines one possible approach to the increasingly challenging task facing national authorities and the higher education community in assuring the quality of transnational higher education. Using primary and secondary data from three countries - Australia, Singapore and Malaysia - this paper takes the position that transnational quality assurance needs a transnational perspective. The paper presents finding that suggests accreditation and certification by a professional association can potentially contribute to filling gaps in transnational quality assurance. The paper presents evidence for the increasingly important role of the professional association in safeguarding the quality assurance of transnational higher education that may have resonance for new international higher education markets.