Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation

Established by the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation
(HKCAA) Ordinance, the HKCAA is an independent statutory body with
21 members, comprising senior academics from Hong Kong, the
Mainland and overseas countries, as well as local industrialists and
professionals. It is supported by a secretariat of full-time staff with
expertise and experience in quality assurance and higher education, plus
more than 1 000 local and overseas expert consultants.

The HKCAA's independence is guaranteed by Article 136 of the Basic
Law, which stipulates that the HKSAR Government shall, on its own,
formulate policies on the development and improvement of education,
including policies regarding the system of academic awards and the
recognition of educational qualifications. With this safeguard under the
Basic Law, the HKCAA is able to establish and maintain its own
independent authority with international links, provide independent
authoritative advice on matters related to the standard of academic awards
and recognition of educational qualifications obtained in Hong Kong and
other parts of the world.

One of the HKCAA's major roles is to review the non-university
degree-awarding institutions of Hong Kong and validate the individual
programmes of those which have not acquired self-accreditation status to
ensure that the degrees offered meet internationally-recognised standards.

In 1997, programme validations were conducted at the Hong Kong
Academy for Performing Arts, the HKIEd and Lingnan College.

Over the years, the HKCAA's advisory role has become increasingly
important. As Hong Kong develops its external links, particularly those
with the Mainland and Taiwan, there has been a growing demand for
advice on the comparability of non-local qualifications. The HKCAA
advises government entities such as the Civil Service Bureau, the
Education Department, and the Social Welfare Department, and public
bodies such as the Housing Authority, on the comparability of non-local
qualifications with local standards for the purpose of staff appointments.

With the commencement of the Non-local Higher and Professional
Education (Regulation) Ordinance in June 1997, the HKCAA became the
named adviser to the Registrar of the Non-local Courses Registry who is
the Director of Education. The HKCAA provides independent and
authoritative advice on the accreditation/ recognition status of non-local
institutions or professional bodies, and the comparability of standards of
non-local courses conducted in Hong Kong as against those conducted in
their home countries. The advice of HKCAA enables the Registrar to
determine whether a non-local course meets the criteria for registration
and helps in monitoring these courses.

To keep itself abreast of the latest development in accreditation practices
and academic standards around the world, the HKCAA maintains strong
international and regional links with higher education and accreditation
authorities outside Hong Kong, especially those with the Mainland. The
HKCAA is an active member in the International Network for Quality
Assurance Agencies in Higher Education, and other international bodies.

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