Cross border education is not a new phenomenon, and in some aspects pre-dates the development of modern education systems. In modern times there is a long tradition of students travelling to study abroad and there has also been an ongoing exchange of scholars and researchers. The nature and scale of cross-border education, however, has changed in the last few decades. The traditional educational transfers have been supplemented by an increasing emphasis on the commercial potential of education – the “export” of education from one country to another (UNESCO-APQN). This approach of higher education has interested opportunities of access and human resources development of countries that are involved in promoting cross border higher education.

Depending on who or what crosses the border, cross-border education can take different forms: a person can go abroad for educational purposes (people mobility); an educational program can go abroad (program mobility) or an institution or provider can go or invest abroad (institution mobility) (Antony, 2006)1.

Since its establishment in 2003, the Higher Education Relevance and Quality Agency (HERQA) has been working to assure quality and relevance of higher education through accreditation and institutional quality audits. These were, however, limited to regular and distance programs offered by local HEIs. Recently, the number of local and foreign HEIs applying to engage in Cross-border higher education (CBHE) especially at Master’s degree level has increased. In addition, there is increasing need for qualified personnel capable of implementing the Growth and Transformation Plan of the country. A foreign provider is allowed only to provide higher education programs at second and third degree levels as these programs are envisaged to foster technology transfer. The Agency therefore, with the aim of meeting the needs of its stakeholders, has developed these guidelines for the accreditation and quality assurance of CBHE.