Quality assurance is more than a benchmark — it’s the catalyst for transformation, driving institutions to thrive amid uncertainty. This idea resonated strongly throughout the ASEAN University Network–Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) International Conference 2025, where ABET CEO Dr. Michael K. J. Milligan joined quality assurance and education leaders as an invited speaker. “There was a broad range of professionals focused on quality in higher education and we talked about aspects of quality that drive excellence,” Dr. Milligan says. “It was an honor to participate and meet so many people who had a great experience with ABET.”

Held November 5-7 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the conference was organized by Universiti Malaya and the ASEAN University Network under the theme “Fortifying Higher Education: Strategic Quality Assurance for Resilience and Institutional Immunity in ASEAN.” The event brought together hundreds of participants from 11 countries and 104 institutions to explore how strategic quality assurance can strengthen institutional resilience, foster collaboration and ensure the long-term vitality of higher education systems. The topic of this conference solidified the global need for quality assurance in alternative learning pathways and the growing need for ABET’s Recognition of Credentials service.

Dr. Milligan contributed his perspectives during two key sessions:

Breakout Session I: Parallel Interactive Workshops on “Micro-Credentials”

This workshop examined micro-credentials as a key strategy for institutional agility and responsiveness to evolving workforce demands. Dr. Milligan was joined by Prof. Dr. Habil Anca Greere in exploring the quality assurance implications of flexible learning pathways and how these “adaptive units” can diversify educational offerings and enhance institutional resilience in a rapidly changing skills landscape. “If learners decide to sign up for this series of courses, they want to get what is being advertised and what you can expect by the time you finish,” Dr. Milligan says.

Dr. Milligan and Prof. Dr. Habil Anca Greere Senior Advisor (External), British Accreditation Council; Chair of the Working Group on the Quality Assurance of Micro-credentials of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) co-facilitated the workshop on Microcredentials.

2nd Line of Defense: External Quality Assurance as Knowledge Exchange, Peer Learning, Benchmarking and Creating a Community of Practitioners

Building on the concept of internal quality assurance as the “first line of defense,” this session focused on external quality assurance (EQA) as a mechanism for knowledge exchange, peer learning and benchmarking. Dr. Milligan shared how global collaboration in EQA builds a dynamic community of practitioners, strengthens collective resilience and reinforces higher education’s capacity to thrive amid evolving global challenges. “My role in that panel was to describe the importance of the work that we do in helping ensure that students educational experience is a good one and will prepare them for entry into the workforce,” Dr. Milligan says.

The stage for the AUN-QA International Conference 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The AUN-QA International Conference was followed by the AUN-QA Assessors’ General Assembly and the Chief Quality Officers’ Meeting, further strengthening regional and international dialogue on quality in higher education.

Through his participation, Dr. Milligan emphasized ABET’s commitment to advancing quality assurance as a driver of continuous improvement and innovation — one that bridges academia and industry to prepare graduates for success in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly evolving world. “I was really gratified to see such a large focus on quality in higher education across the board,” Dr. Milligan says. “It was really gratifying to see so many people really focused on that aspect because that’s, that’s exactly what we do, that’s what we believe in.”