Accreditation mechanisms can be formed by a governmental
agency, an autonomous non-governmental agency created by higher
education institutions, or by professionals in the higher education,
and business or industry sectors. International (e.g. World Bank,
Asia Development Bank, Latin American Development Bank) and
regional (e.g. UNESCO and the European Union) agencies have been
assisting transition countries to establish accreditation mechanisms.
Van der Wende (1999) suggested that quality assurance systems ‘‘tend
to travel poorly because of cultural differences and preferences
regarding purpose’’ (p. 230).