IMPACT OF ACCREDITATION ON QUALITY AND EXCELLENCE OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

Higher education plays a crucial role in the growth and nation development in social, economic, cultural, scientific and political respects. Education empowers people to transform from a human being to having human resources. In present context of globalization, quality higher education is needed to uplift creativity, talent, adaptability and research mindset. In order to fully utilize the outcomes of education, it is important to ensure that education is meeting the minimal prescribed standards to fulfill ever changing requirements worldwide. Accreditation, a powerful tool of quality assurance, is used to assess the national system of higher education. Accreditation is considered as a quality stamp, which ensures that an accredited institution/programme has undergone a rigorous process of external peer evaluation based on predefined standards/principles and complies with the minimum requirements. This paper focuses on the outcomes of accreditation to enhance excellence in higher education institutions (HEIs) based on a literature review and empirical research. Previous studies in various national contexts are reviewed here, based on which, the question of whether accreditation can really enhance the excellence of HEIs is answered and factors behind it are explored.