The quality of educational programs and the learning experience of students at HKUST are underpinned by systems and policies for quality assurance designed to enable and encourage a collective effort to improve the University's work and maintain academic standards - the HKUST Quality Assurance Framework (QAF).

Quality Assurance is the cornerstone of IPO's continuous improvement of education for students. Working across and with all Schools, IPO programs bring together two or more different fields of disciplinary study together. To provide the breadth and depth of perspectives required for interdisciplinary study, IPO programs include disciplinary courses offered by different Schools, as well as interdisciplinary courses offered within each program that integrate knowledge from different academic disciplines. IPO's quality assurance framework therefore works in both horizontal and vertical dimensions, as follows:

Horizontally, IPO works closely with Schools to ensure that our programs adopt a broad and interdisciplinary perspective, and are kept abreast with the latest curriculum development of Schools and their departments. Associate Deans (UG/PG) of Schools serve as members of the Interdisciplinary UG/PG Studies Committee (IUSC/IPSC). Schools' involvement in IUSC/IPSC facilitates communications across schools and IPO, and enables issues and concerns be addressed effectively.

Vertically, IPO works closely with our Divisions and Programs to:

• monitor division-level and program-level processes for assuring the quality of educational delivery and the maintenance of academic standards and support departments in establishing effective processes,
• implement arrangements for the periodic review of educational programs, including external peer review, in line with University policy,
• allocate resources and provide incentives to encourage faculty and students to maintain and improve educational quality; and
• promote and share good practices

Under the leadership of the Director of IPO, IPO is responsible for school-level review and oversight of educational programs under IPO and for ensuring that the University's policies and procedures are being implemented by divisions and programs, in particular, policies for the assurance and improvement of quality and the maintenance of academic standards. On annual basis, IPO submits an Annual Report to CTLQ on the quality assurance and improvement of educational programs under IPO.