Double, joint and dual awards: the continuing QA challenge

As identified by the 2005 QAA conference on joint awards (QAA:2005) and successive Bologna Communiques from European HE Ministers, there is growing enthusiasm for double awards. Outside the EU the UK government has actively encouraged the development of dual awards through the Bridge Project with Russia and UKIERI programme with India. There is a growing body of literature (Wuttig and Zervakis: 2006) on joint awards within the EU, some sharing of QA processes for joint and dual awards (UoH:2007) and a number of Institutions with practical experience going back over a decade like the University of Portsmouth with its European Business Programme. However, for those institutions embarking on their first award and outside the EU the list of ‘be aware of’ is long and practical help in short supply! Southampton Solent University has recently won an UKIERI grant to develop a Dual Masters award with a reputable India partner and is now discovering the practicalities of trying to develop a transnational award where the UK institution is bound by the QAA academic infrastructure and the India partner by All India Council for Technical Education accreditation requirements and a HE culture more akin to the US model. These problems are contrasted with the ongoing QA challenges experienced by a Head of Department for an established European consortium programme.