As part of World Quality Week 2026, taking place from the 9th to the 13th of November under the international theme “Quality: Powering Performance,” the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) is highlighting its approach to quality in further and higher education.
At the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA), we see quality as more than a set of formal requirements. It is reflected in how institutions are governed, how programmes are designed and delivered, how students are supported, and how providers respond to feedback and evidence.
Quality assurance plays a central role in maintaining trust in further and higher education. It provides assurance that institutions meet recognised standards, that programmes are credible, and that students receive the support they need to succeed.
This is the thinking behind “Quality is a habit, not a stamp,” MFHEA’s theme for World Quality Week 2026. For Malta’s further and higher education sector, the message is clear: quality is not achieved once and then set aside. It must be practised continuously.
The MFHEA’s role
MFHEA safeguards the quality of further and higher education in Malta through licensing, programme accreditation and external quality assurance.
Under Subsidiary Legislation 607.03, institutions offering further or higher education in, or from, Malta are required to hold an MFHEA licence. The licensing process confirms that an institution meets the requirements necessary to operate.
Institutional accreditation and programme accreditation are distinct processes. Institutional accreditation leads to a licence, while programme accreditation assesses individual programmes and, where successful, references the programme to the Malta Qualifications Framework (MQF).
In short, institutional accreditation leads to provider licensing, while programme accreditation relates to a specific programme or qualification. Through these processes and external quality assurance, MFHEA seeks to uphold standards while providers remain responsible for the quality of the education they deliver.
External quality assurance
External Quality Assurance (EQA) complements the internal quality assurance systems that providers are expected to have in place. It examines whether those systems are fit for purpose, compliant with standards and regulations, effective, comprehensive and sustainable.
EQA is a process for both development and accountability. It checks compliance while also supporting providers to strengthen their internal systems and contribute to a national quality culture.
The External Quality Assurance Audit takes place every five years. It examines how providers manage their responsibility for the quality and standards of the programmes they offer. It also considers compliance with licence conditions, regulatory obligations, governance arrangements and financial sustainability.
The process includes self-assessment, independent peer review, an audit visit, an audit report and follow-up activity. The follow-up stage is particularly important. Recommendations should lead to considered action, and progress should be reviewed rather than assumed.
What changes after an audit?
An audit often identifies practical areas for improvement. These may include clearer quality assurance procedures, more effective use of student feedback, stronger student support services, or improved access to learning resources.
A provider may respond by clarifying who is responsible for acting on feedback, strengthening its internal quality assurance procedures, or improving the way it monitors the quality of its provision. The focus is on ensuring that appropriate actions are taken in response to audit findings and recommendations.
Where an audit highlights learning resources or student support, a provider may establish working groups that include student representation. The purpose is not simply to close a recommendation. It is to make sure that improvements become part of normal practice.
What students gain
These changes matter because they affect the student experience.
More effective use of student feedback can lead to clearer communication, more responsive support and improvements to teaching and assessment. Stronger learning resources and student support can make it easier for students to access the help they need to progress.
In practical terms, students may benefit from:
- Clearer routes for raising concerns and giving feedback.
- Better access to academic guidance, support services and learning materials.
- More transparent information about programme requirements, progress and available support.
- Greater confidence that their qualification is credible and externally quality assured.
External quality assurance does not improve a student’s experience directly. Its value lies in encouraging providers to put appropriate systems in place, and then checking that those systems are working.
Quality assurance in practice
The National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF) sets out the standards and principles that underpin quality assurance in further and higher education. The legislation establishes the regulatory parameters for internal quality assurance and periodic external quality audits.
For further education, the NQAF standards cover areas including quality assurance policy, institutional and financial probity, programme design and approval, student-centred learning and assessment, student admission and progression, teaching staff, learning resources and student support, information management, public information, and ongoing monitoring and review.
Quality assurance is not simply about having policies in place. It is about ensuring that those policies are used in practice and that they support effective teaching, learning and student support.
A shared responsibility
External oversight is essential, but quality cannot be created by an audit alone. It depends on the daily work of institutional leaders, academic and administrative staff, programme teams and students.
Providers are expected to treat feedback, performance information and audit recommendations as tools for improvement. They should consider whether assessment supports learning, whether students can access appropriate support and resources, and whether decisions are informed by reliable evidence.
Students also have an important role. Their experiences can identify where processes are working well and where change is needed. When providers gather and use student feedback meaningfully, students become active contributors to the development of their education.
Supporting trust in Maltese education
Quality assurance helps create a transparent and trustworthy education system. It supports the credibility of qualifications, encourages mobility and internationalisation, and protects the interests of both national and international students.
MFHEA’s primary objective is to support and guide licensed providers. At the same time, the Authority will take the necessary regulatory action where required to uphold standards and protect the integrity of further and higher education.
World Quality Week 2026 invites organisations to consider how quality can power performance. In Malta’s further and higher education sector, this means recognising that a licence or accreditation decision is an important milestone, while the responsibility for maintaining quality continues.
Quality is not a stamp to be earned and put aside. It is a habit: practised in everyday decisions, tested through external scrutiny and strengthened through continuous improvement.