International Staff Exchange Project

Advancing Professional Exchange｜Enabling Cross-Regional Learning｜Shaping New Era for Quality Assurance

 

The International Staff Exchange Project has been jointly organized by the Taiwan Assessment and Evaluation Association (TWAEA), the Japan University Accreditation Association (JUAA), and Thailand’s Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA) since 2018. It provides an ongoing platform for professional exchange and collaboration among higher education quality assurance agencies in Asia.

Through thematic presentations, comparative discussion, institutional study visits, and strategic dialogue, the project enables quality assurance professionals to develop a deeper understanding of the contexts, systems, and practices of participating countries. It also creates opportunities for them to jointly explore emerging developments and challenges in higher education and quality assurance.

As the partnership network has grown, the Center for Education Accreditation, Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City (CEA VNU-HCM) and the Mongolian National Council for Education Accreditation (MNCEA) have joined the initiative, extending participation to Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Mongolia. Sustained interaction across countries and systems supports professional capacity development while strengthening mutual understanding, trust, and long-term cooperation among the partner agencies.

About the Project

Although national quality assurance systems reflect different educational environments, policy frameworks, and societal needs, they face many shared challenges. These include digital transformation, the growing use of artificial intelligence, data governance, emerging forms of higher education, and innovation in accreditation and evaluation.

The project provides quality assurance professionals with opportunities for direct dialogue and collaborative learning. Participants can examine their own systems and practices from a comparative international perspective, share experience that may inform improvement in other contexts, and explore quality assurance strategies responsive to developments in higher education. Insights gained through the exchange can also contribute to institutional enhancement, professional development, and future collaboration.

Project Objectives

The project aims to:

• Promote professional exchange and mutual learning among quality assurance agencies;
• Deepen understanding of quality assurance systems, policies, and practices in different countries;
• Develop comparative perspectives on shared challenges and context-specific approaches;
• Share innovative practices in evaluation, accreditation, reviewer development, and quality enhancement;
• Explore the application of digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and evidence-informed approaches to quality assurance;
• Build professional capacity and strengthen regional quality assurance networks;
• Identify opportunities for joint research, knowledge sharing, and further international collaboration.

Program Components

The program is designed in response to developments in higher education and the needs of participating agencies. Its principal components include:

• Thematic Quality Assurance Exchange: Participating agencies share developments in national quality assurance policies, systems, accreditation practices, and current initiatives. Comparative discussion helps participants understand different approaches and identify experience relevant to their own contexts.
• Institutional Study Visits: Visits to higher education institutions provide first-hand insights into how internal quality assurance is implemented in teaching, learning, institutional governance, and continuous improvement. Dialogue with institutional representatives also helps connect external quality assurance perspectives with institutional practice.
• Strategic Dialogue and Collaborative Reflection: Participants discuss emerging trends in higher education and quality assurance, reflect collectively on insights gained through the exchange and study visits, and explore future directions for system innovation, professional development, and regional cooperation.

Participating Countries and Partner Agencies

The project currently brings together quality assurance agencies from Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Mongolia:

• Taiwan Assessment and Evaluation Association (TWAEA)
• Japan University Accreditation Association (JUAA)
• Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment (ONESQA), Thailand
• Center for Education Accreditation, Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City (CEA VNU-HCM)
• Mongolian National Council for Education Accreditation (MNCEA)

Outcomes and Impact

Continued participation helps quality assurance professionals broaden their international perspectives, strengthen their capacity for system analysis and practice innovation, and translate insights gained through the exchange into professional development and institutional enhancement.

Through a sustained platform for interaction, the participating agencies have developed closer professional networks and a deeper understanding of different higher education systems. The relationships fostered through the project also provide a foundation for wider cooperation in areas such as joint accreditation, cross-national surveys, professional capacity building, and knowledge sharing, enabling the partner agencies to respond collectively to changes in higher education and advance quality across the region.