Quality Assurance by International Standards: The ‘Critical Review’

The article addresses the issues of public policy and public administration in the field of education in a comparative perspective of Poland and Ukraine, taking into account Ukraine’s European integration course and the current security, social and economic challenges. The methodological rationale for choosing Poland as a reference model for Ukraine is substantiated by the common post-socialist legacy combined with different stages of institutionalisation of European education policy standards. Drawing on an analysis of recent publications devoted to the governance of general secondary and higher education, international quality assurance standards, the role of local self-government bodies, and the ability of education systems to respond to migration and humanitarian crises, the paper identifies a set of common factors of public governance in education in Poland and Ukraine and delineates the key differences between them. It is noted that both countries are building their education systems, taking into account EU documents, OECD recommendations, Bologna Process requirements, and international quality indicators and international standards, albeit with different levels of involvement. It is shown that both countries share such factors as the Europeanisation of legal and managerial frameworks, the massification of education, gradual decentralisation, a declared focus on quality, the use of external evaluation instruments and a growing importance of the local level of governance. At the same time, it is argued that the Polish model is characterised by a higher degree of institutional stability, a more mature culture of evidence-based policy and the real autonomy of educational institutions and local self-government, whereas the Ukrainian system operates under conditions of fragmented regulation, severe resource constraints and war-related shocks. On this basis, the main problems of public education management in Ukraine are outlined and directions for the adaptive use of Polish experience related to the stabilization of educational policy are formulated. Such as: an external evaluation system, quality assurance mechanisms, basic financing models; support for decentralization through training and professionalization of local management teams, institutionalization of the quality assurance system, strengthening the management capacity of territorial communities, and meaningful integration of migration and language dimensions into educational policy through mechanisms developed in the education system for the integration of migrants and refugees.

Based on the long experience of researchers for more than (41) years, part of that period, which was more than (20) years participated actively at quality assurance committees that allow the researchers to be very closer to the main practical problem of the necessity for applying the quality assurance process and accreditation programs based on the international and European quality assurance standards. The researchers came out with some conclusions based on what they were be able to provide some valuable recommendations.

This study examines the imperative for Mongolia to enhance its higher education Quality Assurance (QA) frameworks in alignment with international standards, with a focus on comparative benchmarks from Asia and Europe. Over the past two decades, Mongolia has sought to modernise its accreditation system, yet challenges persist in achieving full compatibility with global norms. The research identifies key gaps in institutional autonomy, external accountability, and the absence of a nationally integrated qualifications framework, which hinder Mongolia’s competitiveness in an increasingly globalised academic landscape. A mixed-methods approach, incorporating policy analysis, stakeholder interviews, and comparative case studies, reveals that Mongolia’s QA mechanisms remain overly compliance-driven, lacking the formative, improvement-oriented ethos prevalent in advanced systems. The study advocates for a paradigm shift towards decentralised QA, empowering universities to develop robust internal systems while adhering to internationally benchmarked criteria for programme outcomes, faculty standards, and student competencies. Crucially, the research underscores the necessity of establishing an independent national QA agency, modelled on successful European and Asian precedents, to oversee accreditation, promote best practices, and facilitate peer collaboration. The findings highlight the urgency of adopting a qualifications framework compatible with the Bologna Process and Asia-Pacific norms, ensuring credential recognition and student. Furthermore, stakeholder engagement, thus, encompassing government, academia, and industry, is identified as pivotal for aligning QA reforms with labour market demands. The study concludes that Mongolia’s higher education sector must transition from a rigid, input-focused model to a dynamic, outcome-oriented system, fostering a culture of continuous enhancement rather than bureaucratic box-ticking. These reforms are not merely procedural but foundational to Mongolia’s aspirations of becoming a regional hub for quality higher education.

The higher education institutions worldwide aim to enhance the efficiency and quality of teaching and learning and to increase their competitiveness on national, regional and global levels. The challenge is how best to meet both national and international standards. In response, the Higher Education Accreditation Commission (HEAC) recently, sets eight standards for the external quality assurance of Jordanian higher education institutions which enabling them to gain the quality assurance certificate (QAC). In line with this, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan (ZUJ) is seeking to meet these standards by keeping all accreditation and quality assurance documents as required by the HEAC. Although various types of educational technologies have been employed by Jordanian universities to meet the accreditation and quality assurance standards (i.e. e-Learning, e-library, e-forms, etc.), none of them drives out all duplicated data and unnecessary descriptions of files. This paper proposes eXtensible Mark-up Language and its applications as a mechanism for digitising the filing system employed and presents two scenarios for managing its implementation at the ZUJ. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to manage the digital filing project in Jordan. The study contributes to the emerging literature by extending our knowledge of the digital filing system. The findings should be of interest to the presidents of private universities, heads of quality assurances offices. They will also be of interest to professional accrediting bodies seeking to improve the quality assurance aspects to provide accreditation to private universities in Jordan and to other jurisdictions in other countries.

Based on national and international practice, this article discusses telemedicine as a set of legal, technological, and ethical decisions that are an inevitable result of the modern healthcare system. This article aims to assess the adequacy of Georgia’s regulatory framework for telemedicine through a comparative analysis of international standards and national legislation, and to identify existing legal gaps. From the perspective of international law, the right to health is recognized as a fundamental human right, obligating states to ensure the accessibility, quality, and continuity of medical services for all citizens. Accordingly, the study focuses on the possibilities of telemedicine, which is an effective mechanism for providing continuous and high-quality medical services, especially in geographically remote, rural, and politically/strategically challenging regions. The research is based on doctrinal legal analysis, comparative examination of international and Georgian normative acts, and analysis of relevant case law. International instruments and standards examined include World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, ISO 13131:2021, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and relevant jurisprudence of European and U.S. courts. Georgian healthcare, medical practice, and data protection legislation were analyzed to assess regulatory compatibility and implementation practice. Taking into account the realities of Georgia, the article analyzes national legislation and the existing practice of developing telemedicine. Special attention is paid to the possibilities of implementing telemedicine in politically and strategically difficult regions as one of the effective mechanisms for ensuring continuous and high-quality medical services for the population. Based on the results of the study, which is based on the analysis of international practice and regulatory standards, the article presents recommendations for strengthening the legal framework of telemedicine in Georgia, which takes into account the protection of patient rights, strengthening professional responsibility standards, and improving access to medical services in politically and strategically difficult regions. The study reveals that although Georgian legislation allows telemedicine within the framework of general medical regulation, it lacks: a unified legal definition of telemedicine; specific binding standards for remote informed consent procedures; detailed regulation of cross-border and regional licensing issues; explicit clinical quality assurance mechanisms tailored to remote healthcare services; and specialized liability rules adapted to digital medical practice. International standards demonstrate a trend toward harmonization based on patient rights protection, data security, professional accountability, and technological interoperability, while Georgia’s framework remains fragmented and indirectly regulated. To strengthen the legal framework for telemedicine in Georgia, the study recommends: adopting a comprehensive legal definition and regulatory act dedicated to telemedicine; establishing mandatory digital informed consent standards; introducing telemedicine-specific certification and liability provisions; strengthening state supervision and quality control mechanisms; and improving legal guarantees for safe telemedicine practice in politically and geographically complex regions. The development of a coherent telemedicine regulatory model would contribute to the effective realization of the right to health, enhance access to quality medical services, and align Georgian practice with evolving international standards.

There are multiple positive effects of internationalization of Higher Education (HE) on enriching students’ experiences in general and providing opportunities for exchange and development of all segments of university functioning. This paper aims to contribute to determining the role of institutional QA in promotion of the international cooperation in HE by analysing undergraduate students’ perceptions on their international experience and comparing them to their home University. Individual experiences of students from the Southeast European University (SEEU) in North Macedonia, who participated in Erasmus exchange program in the last two academic years (2021/22 and 2022/23), with regard to the main quality assurance (QA) principles and measurements applied at their home University, are being considered. Their academic progress at the international universities is also taken into consideration. The aim is to collect firsthand information from the main stakeholders in the QA process about areas that can be further developed, as well as to position SEEU and self-check where it stands comparing and benchmarking it with some reputable European universities in order to better prepare its students for the international job market. SEEU has one of the most developed QA systems in the wider region, created and constantly being developed based on the international standards and guidelines and the long institutional experience. Thus, the paper also aims to contribute to defining some basic standards of internationalization of QA which would be recommended to the institutions from less developed, ITC (inclusiveness target countries) in order to assist them to place and welcome international students more successfully.

An aim of considerations is to present the selected determinants of functioning of internal systems of ensuring the quality of education related to Polish universities. The author’s attention is focused on the international standards and guidelines concerning elements of the system of quality ensuring connected with the Bologna Process and the selected legal regulations in this respect in force in Poland. The Standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) were adopted by the Ministers responsible for higher education in 2005 following a proposal prepared by the European Association for Quality Assurance in High-er Education (ENQA) in cooperation with the European Students’ Union (ESU)1, the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) and the European University Association (EUA). Since 2005, considerable progress has been made in quality assurance as well as in other Bologna action lines such as qualification frameworks, recognition and the promotion of the use of learning outcomes, all these contributing to a paradigm shift towards student-centred learning and teaching. Student-centred learning and teaching plays an important role in stimulating students’ motivation, self-reflection and engagement in the learning process. This means careful consideration of the design and delivery of study programmes and the assess-ment of outcomes. The teacher’s role is essential in creating a high quality student experience and enabling the acquisition of knowledge, competences and skills. The diversifying student population and stronger focus on learning outcomes require student-centred learningand teaching and the role of the teacher is, there-fore, also changing. Providing conditions and support that are necessary for students to make progress in their academic career is in the best interest of the individual students, programmes, institutions and systems. It is vital to have fit-for-purpose admission, recognition and completion procedures, particularly when students are mobile within and across higher education systems. It should be noted that the results of this article can be used to compare the Polish and Ukrainian systems of quality assurance in higher education, as well as the domestic quality assurance procedures It is important that access policies, admission processes and criteria are implemented consistently and in a transparent manner. Induction to the institution and the programme is provided. Institutions need to put in place both processes and tools to collect, monitor and act on information on student progression

Quality assurance (QA) in higher education is vital for maintaining and enhancing academic standards. This study explores the roles and underlying purposes of both internal and external quality assurance (IQA and EQA) mechanisms within higher learning institutions. Employing a qualitative research approach, data were collected through unstructured interview guides administered to ten (10) university lecturers. A case study of X University was conducted, which demonstrated the implementation of robust IQA and EQA systems, highlighting both best practices and associated challenges. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the collected data. Findings revealed that participants had a clear understanding of both IQA and EQA. Identified roles of IQA included self-regulation, internal review, assessment, curriculum development, promotion of a quality culture, continuous improvement, stakeholder engagement, and faculty development. EQA roles encompassed external evaluations, accreditation, auditing, regulatory compliance, benchmarking, public accountability, and assurance of adherence to national and international standards. The alignment of internal and external QA was identified as a best practice contributing to the university’s positive reputation. Challenges noted included limited financial and human resources, time constraints, and resistance to change. The study recommends that university management prioritize resourcing QA activities through government and private sector support. Furthermore, orientation and short-term training programs for lecturers should be implemented to address resistance to change. Finally, alignment between IQA and EQA processes should be strengthened, with institutional leaders promoting a culture of shared responsibility and integrity in QA practices.

With the advent of routine predictive biomarking of cancers using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, it has become essential to manage the assays involved with the highest standards of quality assurance at the internal and external quality control levels. This is to ensure the reproducibility and accuracy of generating, interpreting, and reporting what are classified as stand-alone Class III category results. To satisfy this need, it is required to use approved validated and standardized tests applied with suitable on-slide or batch controls to engender adequate internal control-based quality assurance. In addition, it is necessary for the laboratory to participate in external quality assurance schemes to align the performance of the assay and the quality of the assay results with regional, national, and international standards on a regular basis. The chapter is written to provide generic information for the reader on the principles and methodology involved for validation of predictive biomarker assays and the critical issues involved in their regular internal and external quality assurance from a perspective of applying these assays at the level of routine diagnostic laboratories as well as at centers of excellence dealing with the screening and reporting of the results of ongoing clinical trials.

Successful quality assurance in intravitreal injection (IVI) of medications requires acomplex information technology infrastructure. The main challenges are data availability independent of location, standardization of clinical data, integration of extensive and currently non-standardized image documentation from coherence tomography and compliance with data protection regulations. In this article the technical implementation and data protection principles are reviewed. Essential aspects in the implementation of quality assurance in the field of IVI are discussed in asystematic approach. In the field of network architectures web-based applications supplemented by local virtual private networks (VPN) and/or other software instances have recently replaced the previously commonly used physical data medium exchange. The standardization of the data, e.g. by converting the visual acuity into logMAR, plays an important role in the collection of treatment data. Multiple non-standardized data formats in optical coherence tomography complicate the general quality assurance structure and comparability of data. International standards will probably facilitate this in the near future. Until then individual solutions have to be found on site.

The Slovak government organizes the radiation protection policy through its regulatory authorities within the Ministry of Health, on a central level. The health protection regulations are compatible with international standards and recommendations of the ICRP and the EC. The general requirements on quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) (acceptance, constancy and routine tests), the guidance levels for various types of radiological examinations and the instructions for optimisation procedures are supported by Slovak technical standards, compatible with European standards. But the QA/QC process, as well as the training of the staff, needs improvement. The Slovak Medical University participates in the QA implementation through organising and managing national audits for control of the QA programme. In this paper, we present results of patient dose measurement studies carried out in the Slovak Republic, in the framework of activities of the Slovak Commission of QA established by the Slovak Ministry of Health.

This review summarizes (i) compositions and types of improvised explosive devices; (ii) the process of collection, extraction and analysis of explosive evidence encountered in explosive and related cases; (iii) inter-comparison of analytical techniques; (iv) the challenges and prospects of explosive detection technology. The highlights of this study include extensive information regarding the National & International standards specified by USEPA, ASTM, and so on, for explosives detection. The holistic development of analytical tools for explosive analysis ranging from conventional methods to advanced analytical tools is also covered in this article. The most important aspect of this review is to make forensic scientists familiar with the challenges during explosive analysis and the steps to avoid them. The problems during analysis can be analyte-based, that is, interferences due to matrix or added molding/stabilizing agents, trace amount of parent explosives in post-blast samples and many more. Others are techniques-based challenges viz. specificity, selectivity, and sensitivity of the technique. Thus, it has become a primary concern to adopt rapid, field deployable, and highly sensitive techniques.

After a century of history of cathodic protection (CP) of iron and steel, this paper critically reviews the state of the art in the science and engineering and assesses the fitness of CP as an effective technology to tackle the challenges related to infrastructure corrosion. This paper focuses on CP of iron-based alloys embedded in porous media, such as soil or concrete, as these two major applications of CP technology share many similarities. First, the scientific understanding of CP is reviewed and different competing theories are discussed. There is wide agreement that corrosion protection of steel is achieved thanks to a combination of immediate activation polarization and the beneficial changes in electrolyte chemistry that are gradually occurring at the steel surface when a protection current is flowing toward a steel electrode. A major and well-documented technological advantage of these “chemical effects” is that the protective effect of CP is maintained during temporal loss of protection current, e.g., due to survey work related shut-offs or anodic interference. However, the relationships between these chemical concentration changes in the porous medium and the protection current are complex, and, as this review shows, cannot reliably be described with state-of-the-art approaches. Moreover, in this paper, different hypotheses for the mechanism of corrosion protection in heterogeneous situations (galvanic elements), as they are generally occurring in practice, are discussed. It is revealed that understanding the working mechanism of CP in heterogeneous conditions remains a critical scientific challenge. The longstanding debate concerns the question whether CP results mainly in a reduction of number and size of actively corroding areas, or in a reduction of the corrosion rate at the actively corroding sites. Additionally, the literature addressing the interrelation between microbiologically influenced corrosion and CP is here reviewed, and recent progress as well as limitations of the existing literature are highlighted. In a second part, engineering practice and CP protection criteria are reviewed. It is found that the approaches stipulated in international standard are unreliable. This can be traced back to the assessment criteria being empirical and incapable of adequately taking into account the complexity of the underlying processes. Finally, recommendations for future developments are made. Particular opportunities are seen in embracing the progress made in numerical modeling, such as reactive transport modeling in porous media, and considering the interdependence between the involved processes, namely the interdependence between transport processes, chemical reactions, and electrode kinetics.

This paper outlines the health context of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It reviews health systems development in the KSA from 1925 through to contemporary New Health Insurance System (NHIS). It also examines the consistency of NHIS in view of the emerging challenges. This paper identifies the determinants and scope of contextual consistency. First, it indicates the need to evolve an indigenous, integrated, and comprehensive insurance system. Second, it highlights the access and equity gaps in service delivery across the rural and remote regions and suggests how to bring these under insurance coverage. Third, it suggests how inputs from both the public and private sectors should be harmonized - the "quality" of services in the private healthcare industry to be regulated by the state and international standards, its scope to be determined primarily by open-market dynamics and the public sector welfare-model to ensure "access" of all to essential health services. Fourth, it states the need to implement an evidence-based public health policy and bridge inherent gaps in policy design and personal-level lifestyles. Fifth, it points out the need to produce a viable infrastructure for health insurance. Because social research and critical reviews in the KSA health scenario are rare, this paper offers insights into the mainstream challenges of NHIS implementation and identifies the inherent weaknesses that need attention. It guides health policy makers, economists, planners, healthcare service managers, and even the insurance businesses, and points to key directions for similar research in future.

Extending the WHO ‘Safe Surgery Saves Lives’ project through Global Oximetry