Accreditation in higher education in Britain and Austria: Two cultures, two time‐frames

Abstract

The establishment of the Fachhochschul sector is regarded as the most significant success story of the last decade in Austrian higher education. This new sector was legally established in 1993 (FHStG) and started to enrol students in 1994. For the academic year 2000/01, there were 55 Fachhochschul courses offered with a further 15 already planned. The sector has about 9,000 students, and has already produced 2,600 graduates. In only a few years it has built up a high reputation amongst students, employers, and the general public. This paper looks back to the early 1990s, when the Fachhochschul policy was designed. It reconsiders some of the arguments and conflicts which at that time were stirred by this reform and its focus is on the influence which was exercised by the British polytechnics. The paper will argue that the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA) served as a role model for the Fachhochschulrat (FHR), which is a cornerstone for the Austrian Fachhochschul sector and it will discuss why ‐ against the odds ‐ this policy transfer was successful.¹