ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of quality issues, traditional methods of quality control, and some new directions in this vast region which includes some of the world's most dynamic economies some of the poorest nations. Asia and the Pacific is a vast region, containing almost two thirds of the world's population and the world's two largest nations in terms of population—China and India. Some Asia and Pacific countries are experimenting with new forms of quality control and quality assurance. In most cases, the initiative has come from governments and government agencies; elsewhere, the institutions themselves have played an important role. Quality is a major issue in higher education in Asia and the Pacific, although within the region there are very considerable variations about how quality issues are perceived and in the priorities of governments and institutions. Many countries are experimenting with open universities, some using the United Kingdom Open University model, others introducing different approaches to distance education.
