ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a small selection of papers from the 1993 Conference of the International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education. The co-chairs of the Conference review some of the main issues and questions raised in plenary and group sessions during the five-day event. The concept of quality does not have the same meaning for everyone, and the Conference drew on two main interpretations. The first requires institutions or programs to meet predetermined standards. Accrediting agencies, particularly those from the professional sector, generally employ such 'objective' measures of quality. The second concept of quality relates to institutional mission. An institution is said to be of quality if it achieves its mission and meets the expectations of its stakeholders—the students, the financial backers, and society in general. The difficulties encountered in promoting and ensuring quality in the developing and newly industrialized countries vary from region to region.
