Quality assurance in higher education in China: Control, accountability and freedom

Quality assurance (QA) has received increasing attention in the Chinese higher education (HE) sector. This paper examines the QA system in HE in China and its influence on university governance and academic performance. It starts with an introduction into the development of the QA system, and is followed by a discussion of how QA affects accountability and autonomy from the perspective of the faculty. Given that different stakeholders have different understandings of education quality, the next section contributes to the debate on whether the current system is designed for improvement of learning experience, or as a means of effective government control. This paper concludes by highlighting the importance of involving faculty and students in the current QA system to enhance the quality of HE.