One issue facing countries in transition concerns how to ensure
quality for a broader and more diverse set of institutions. Quality assurance processes
(i.e. accreditation, accountability and assessment) have particular relevance
today as higher education undergoes dramatic changes in countries in transition, as
the world becomes more internationalized, and as private higher education institutions
increase in number and enroll increasing numbers of students. Three questions
emerge. Do differences among transition countries relative to central control prior to
independence explain the current set of quality assurance mechanisms? Has the
growth of private higher education in transition countries affected how quality
assurance is conceptualized? Have quality assurance mechanisms been affected by the
opening of branch campuses in transition countries?