The higher education sector supports globalisation and is itself supported by it. It serves to train highly-qualified staff and professionals, and contributes to strengthening both the research base as well as the higher education sector's innovative capacity, key factors for a country's competitiveness in the knowledge-based global economy. It fosters international cooperation as well as intercultural exchange. The cross-border mobility of ideas, students, teachers and financial resources changes the environment in which HEIs operate, together with the developments taking place in Information and Communications Technology. 

At national level, the concept of competition in higher education and the diversification of education and training opportunities ensure ever greater heterogeneity, which is then further consolidated by ever-increasing internationalisation. This loss of homogeneity calls for measures capable of delivering greater transparency and comparability. Accreditation is a crucial tool in this respect. Consequently, accreditation and evaluation have, in the course of many years, become key terms in higher education policy discussions and debates. 

Along with the growing importance of accreditation as such, particularly in the international context, the requirements and standards which have to be met are also increasing, and especially so vis-à-vis the method and procedure of such review and assessment processes. Accreditation must no longer be seen as a simple plausibility check. Indeed, it requires expertise on the object to be evaluated as well as know-how, and also requires an understanding of how assessments can be made on the basis of objective and objectifiable criteria. FIBAA already recognised this development at a very early stage. 

In line with FIBAA's image and identity, an international orientation plus an understanding of international employability are absolute musts for qualifications awarded at Bachelor's, Master's and PhD level in the context of the Bologna Process. FIBAA grasps internationality in academic education and training as a means of delivering skills and competencies in the field of scientific theories, social and intercultural behaviour patterns and institutional rules and regulations in the international context. 

FIBAA is actively networked with relevant bodies and working groups in the field of quality assurance in higher education at national and European level in order to advance the development of quality standards for its clients and to make the experience it has gained in the higher education and accreditation scene in various countries productive for its accreditation processes. 

The acquired development status of the specialist know-how and the FIBAA Tool Kit makes it highly inter-connectable with various national agencies operating across many countries. FIBAA's clients profit from this. They can be sure that a FIBAA Quality Seal will serve as a sign of cross-border qualification.

FIBAA is recognised in many european countries as an quality assurance agency (⇒ Recognition in Europe).

FIBAA facilitates international exchange in the field of quality assurance in higher education through its membership of international bodies and Networks (⇒International Network).

With a view to amplify its expertise FIBAA co-operates with other networks and accreditation agencies (⇒ Partnerships).