This publication contains contributions by participants from various parts of the world, sharing the intellectual interest in better understanding common challenges facing higher education. The very concept of quality is a disputed one in higher education, with meanings linked to different streams of demands and to a variety of understandings of what the mission of higher education should be. Changing definitions of quality in education constitutes a very controversial topic that cannot be understood disassociated from the analysis of relatively complex power struggles. The publication discusses perceptions of quality, university rankings and benchmarking with a special focus on teaching and learning in higher education institutions. The participants address questions such as: - What are benchmarking procedures really measuring? - What is the contribution of university rankings? - In what respects do they differ, and what do they present in common? - What do we understand by quality teaching/learning, and what steps are to be taken to maintain high standards? - What are good indicators of quality in higher education? - How do perceptions of quality differ worldwide? The publication is a result of the 6th International Conference on Universities' Quality Development UnderGlobalisation, UNIQUAL, organised at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in 2009.
