Participation in INQAAHE Conference Reaffirms Institution’s Role in Shaping the Future of Quality Assurance in Higher Education

At Boston City Campus, we’ve always taken quality seriously. For us, quality assurance isn’t just about ticking regulatory boxes - it’s about making sure every student has a high-quality educational experience that prepares them for life, work, and further study.

That’s why our participation in the 2025 INQAAHE Biennial Conference in Tokyo in Tokyo was a significant opportunity to reflect on the changing role of quality assurance in higher education and to engage with colleagues from around the world about what it means to do this work well, now and into the future.

Why Global Conversations Matter

The conference theme - "The Big Bang Theory: The Quality Assurance Paradigm Shift" - couldn’t have been more fitting. The higher education space is evolving rapidly from artificial intelligence to micro-credentials, from student agency to flexible learning models. And that means our approaches to quality have to adapt, too.

So, why does participating in global conversations like this matter?

Because we’re not just reacting to change - we’re part of shaping how quality assurance systems adapt to ensure education stays relevant, inclusive, and effective. The more we listen, share, and collaborate across borders, the stronger our practices become.

What Quality Means for Students

Many of the conference discussions came back to the same core idea: quality assurance should work for students. That means building systems that do more than protect minimum standards. We need approaches that support meaningful learning, foster belonging, and empower students to navigate complex futures confidently.

One of the key takeaways from the sessions we attended was the importance of clarity, curiosity, culture, and candour - what some call the "4 Cs" of quality assurance. These aren’t just buzzwords. They speak to the kind of educational environment we’re trying to build: one that’s open, reflective, and focused on continuous improvement.

Where Boston Stands

At Boston, we're already aligning ourselves with many of these principles. Our commitment to the Council on Higher Education's (CHE) new Quality Assurance Framework is a big part of that. It's a framework that takes seriously the idea that quality is not just technical - it's transformational. It's about values, not just checklists.

We're also experimenting with new tools (like GenAI) in our internal QA processes. But we're doing so thoughtfully and critically, asking what these tools can do and how they might change how we think, engage with complexity, and hold each other accountable.

Proudly Recognised - Locally and Globally

Boston City Campus is committed to providing an education that meets local and international excellence standards. Our programmes are:

Accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE)
Registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) by SAQA
Licenced by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)

Beyond these national recognitions, Boston is also:

Internationally accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC)
One of only two South African private higher education institutions to join the Association of African Universities (AAU)
The first and only South African institution to receive ACBSP accreditation, a significant global milestone awarded in December 2024 for selected business programmes

These recognitions aren’t just badges - they signal Boston’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement in everything we do.

Looking Ahead

Here are the 4 quality assurance takeaways we’re taking forward:

Quality assurance is a shared responsibility, not the job of one department
Student experience is the heart of quality - everything else flows from that
Consistency matters, but not at the expense of context or care
Transnational collaboration is no longer optional - it's essential

By staying engaged in the international QA community, we’re learning how to do better for our students, our staff, and our system.

Ultimately, our job isn’t just to ensure quality. It’s to keep asking what quality looks like in a changing world - and to keep striving toward it.

Want to know more about how Boston ensures quality in our programmes? Or what these accreditations mean for you as a student or partner? Let’s talk.