Origins of the Council
Higher education in the Arab region experienced major developments through the expansion of universities, rising student numbers, increased private-sector investment, and the emergence of new forms of education such as open and distance learning. These changes led the Association of Arab Universities to recognise the need for systematic quality assurance in a rapidly changing and increasingly global higher-education environment.
This called for continuous internal and external evaluation of higher-education institutions and programmes, based on defined standards that make institutional organisation, performance and credibility transparent, while supporting the university mission in teaching, research and community service.
The Association’s General Secretariat prepared a project that was approved by the Council of the Association of Arab Universities at its 32nd session, held at Al-Ahliyya Amman University in March 1999. The project also received the support of Arab ministers responsible for higher education and scientific research at their seventh conference in Riyadh in May 1999.
At its 34th session at Assiut University, the Association approved establishing an office within the General Secretariat to coordinate evaluation and accreditation of Arab universities and their programmes. A panel of experts met in Amman on 26 September 2001 and formulated recommendations for the office’s responsibilities.
A guide for internal and external evaluation of Arab universities was prepared and circulated to member universities.
The General Secretariat developed the project to establish the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Council. It was approved at the Association Council’s 39th session, followed by approval of its statutes. On 4 September 2007, the Board approved the organisational structure and responsibilities of the Executive Office, and the evaluation guide was subsequently reviewed to improve flexibility and application.