Exploring the challenges of implementing internal quality assurance: expert insights and contextual illustrations from the Netherlands and Azerbaijan

Higher education institutions increasingly rely on internal quality assurance to enhance teaching, learning and accountability, yet effective implementation remains challenging across contexts. This study examines how contextual, procedural and cultural factors shape the implementation of internal quality assurance in practice, rather than focusing solely on system design. Using mixed methods, the study triangulates expert interviews with survey data from students, alumni, faculty and employers at two higher education institutions in contrasting quality assurance environments: the Netherlands and Azerbaijan. Findings show that challenges persist across different levels of system maturity and stem less from the absence of formal structures than from bureaucratic pressures, limited stakeholder engagement, weak feedback loops and fragile quality cultures. The study identifies reducing bureaucracy, strengthening communication and making improvement actions visible as key enablers of enhancement-oriented internal quality assurance. It contributes to quality assurance scholarship by positioning it as a relational, enacted process dependent on trust and shared commitment.