When values meet and occasionally clash: Exploring the relationship between sustainability and quality assurance in the EHEA

Sustainability in higher education has become a major policy topic – yet concerted efforts on the European level are still scarce, even more so with regard to quality assurance. This article explores the relationship between quality assurance and sustainability in the European higher education landscape, by examining half a dozen external quality assurance frameworks across the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and looking into how sustainability is framed and operationalised in them. The paper concludes with some reflections on overarching themes, showing how the concepts are imbued with ambiguity – and arguing that quality assurance processes might not be the most suitable governance tool “pushing” sustainability after all.