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UNESCO Report Revives Debate Over Independent Quality Assurance in Dominican Higher Education
A new UNESCO report on global higher education trends has renewed attention on the Dominican Republic's former independent accreditation agency, with education experts arguing that restoring a technically independent quality assurance system could strengthen universities' international competitiveness.
The publication of UNESCO’s latest report on global higher education trends has reignited discussion about the role of independent quality assurance in the Dominican Republic’s university system. The report identifies quality management as a strategic pillar of higher education governance, a principle that education specialists say aligns closely with the country’s early experience through the former Dominican Association for Self-Study and Accreditation (ADAAC).
Created in 1987 by the Dominican Association of University Rectors (ADRU) and granted legal status through Decree 455 of 1990, ADAAC became one of the first independent higher education quality assurance agencies in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its mission was to promote institutional self-evaluation, external peer review, and accreditation based on recognized academic standards. The organization later ceased operations after losing financial support, preventing the long-term consolidation of the model.
UNESCO Highlights Quality as a Strategic Priority
The UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC) argues that quality assurance should extend beyond periodic regulatory reviews and become a continuous institutional process. Rather than focusing exclusively on compliance, universities are encouraged to integrate strategic planning, evidence-based assessment, continuous improvement, and accountability into their daily governance.
Within that framework, the report emphasizes the importance of technically independent quality assurance agencies capable of providing objective evaluations that strengthen public confidence in higher education institutions.
ADAAC’s Early Role in Dominican Higher Education
Supporters of ADAAC argue that the organization anticipated many of the practices now promoted internationally. Its self-study guide became a regional reference, while UNESCO-IESALC supported its dissemination across Latin America and the Caribbean. Several Dominican universities completed institutional self-evaluations under ADAAC standards and underwent external reviews conducted by specialists recruited through the Ibero-American Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (RIACES).
The organization was led by Executive Director Saturnino de los Santos, Ph.D., with Rafael Marión-Landais serving as its president. The article also notes that Odile Camilo, current rector of UNIBE, participated in developing ADAAC’s self-study methodology.
New Challenges for Universities
According to the UNESCO report, rapid growth in student enrollment, greater internationalization, hybrid education models, and the integration of artificial intelligence are reshaping expectations for higher education quality. As a result, evaluating universities increasingly requires measuring not only infrastructure and faculty credentials, but also academic relevance, research output, digital transformation, innovation in teaching, graduate employability, and the ethical use of AI.
The article argues that independent accreditation bodies can help institutions respond to these evolving standards while supporting international recognition of academic degrees, student and faculty mobility, and stronger collaboration between universities.
A Call to Reconsider Independent Accreditation
The discussion does not propose replacing the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT), which remains responsible for regulating the sector. Instead, it suggests complementing government oversight with an independent technical body capable of conducting external evaluations using internationally recognized standards, similar to accreditation systems operating in other countries.
The article concludes that revisiting the ADAAC experience, while adapting it to today’s higher education landscape, could help reinforce university governance, improve institutional credibility, and enhance the international standing of Dominican universities in an increasingly competitive academic environment.
