Introducing a New National Quality Assurance System in Sweden

A Discussion on Opportunities and Challenges

Over the last decades higher education in Sweden has been subject to a number of different national quality assurance systems. Now and then, they have been met with criticism. In 2012, the Swedish Association of Higher Education (SUHF) decided to take a constructive and long-term position on the issue. The position proved to be successful, and now a new national system is being launched. This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges that this new system brings with it, not least because the political decision about the system means that parts of the old system will be kept in the new system – which may cause unwanted effects.