The Importance of Quality in Higher Education in an Increasingly Knowledge-Driven Society

The world has realized that the economic success of the states is directly determined by the quality of their education systems and that the most effective factor of production is human capital expressed in knowledge, skills, creative abilities and moral qualities of individuals in society. In the past decade higher education institutions have been buffeted by a complex set of pressures all over across the globe. Foremost among them is the growing importance of knowledge-led economies that have placed higher education at the centre of national competitiveness agendas. Higher education institutions are increasingly viewed as “economic engines” by policy makers and are seen as essential for ensuring knowledge production through research and innovation and the continuous education of the workforce. Tertiary education policy regarding quality in higher education is increasingly important on European and national agendas. The widespread recognition that tertiary education is a major driver of economic competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy has made high-quality tertiary education more important than ever before. The imperative for countries is to raise higher-level employment skills, to sustain a globally competitive research base and to improve knowledge dissemination to the benefit of society.