ABSTRACT
In the contemporary world, significant changes in the core activities of academic instruction and research are being brought about as well by exogenous factors such as the continuing innovations in information technology and these advances are also influencing the effectiveness of the existing institutional rules in use for assuring academic standards. Recent analysis in the UK has attempted to clarify the academic collegial model, but in his view this attempt following English university tradition adopts the collegiate university model of academic governance characteristic of Oxford and Cambridge, featuring autonomous residential colleges emphasising undergraduate education. Countries such as Denmark and Germany have required state-sponsored external peer-reviews of all or most subject fields in the university sector, but in contrast to the heavily criticised subject reviews conducted in England by the HEFCE, these reviews were more effectively focused on the enhancement of academic quality. Peer-reviewers are trained, supported during the review process by professional staff, and employ systematic, standardised procedures and protocols.
