ABSTRACT
The role and function of external quality assurance is of great importance for the development of an internal quality culture in higher education. Research has shown that external quality assurance can stimulate but also create obstacles for institutional improvement. One of the key issues with respect to external quality assurance has been the debate about improvement and accountability; if a system basically created to check whether quality is in place can also function as a key for stimulating institutional improvement and fostering a quality culture in higher education. Process, a growing interest in external quality assurance methods focusing on standards and comparability and hence even more on accountability. In particular, various forms of accreditation procedures have emerged as a strong trend in quality assurance in Europe. The potential of quality assurance activities to stimulate improvements and a quality culture cannot be limited to the label of the specific method used.
