The Australia Awards South Asia & Mongolia program is seeking technical proposals from Registered Training Organisations in Australia, or Australian tertiary institutions as defined in the Higher Education Support Act, 2003 Table A, B and C, to design and deliver a Short Course on Building Capacity in Higher Education Regulation and Quality Assurance (Bhutan).
Australia Awards – South Asia & Mongolia (the Program) is seeking a cost-effective training program for up to 20 participants. This Short Course will be delivered via blended delivery over six months, commencing in November 2025 and completing no later than April 2026.
The proposed Short Course aims to enhance the leadership, policy-making, and regulatory capabilities of civil servants working in three of the four Councils under Bhutan Qualifications and Professionals Certification Authority (BQPCA) – Medical and Health Professionals Council (MHPC), Engineering Professionals Council (EPC) and Higher Education Quality Council (HEQC). The program will deepen participants understanding of Australia’s higher education quality assurance ecosystem, with a focus on accreditation systems, institutional audits, quality assessment tools (including digital platforms) and stakeholder engagement mechanisms that could inform Bhutan’s evolving professional education landscape.
The Short Course objectives are to build participants’ skills and knowledge to:
Develop advanced skills in evidence-based policy analysis, formulation, and implementation, with a focus on competency-based licensing, continuous professional development (CPD), ethics, and quality assurance.
Strengthen the use of data and digital tools for evidence-based decision-making in professional regulation, including the design of CPD tracking systems, certification databases, and real-time monitoring of professional service standards.
Equip participants with strategic foresight capabilities to anticipate technological disruptions, global trends in professional mobility, and emerging challenges in professional education and practice.
Enhance leadership and institutional governance capacities, empowering the three Councils to navigate regulatory complexities, ensure professional accountability, and advocate for inclusive and sustainable professional development in Bhutan.
Facilitate cross-cultural policy dialogue and peer exchange with Australian regulatory institutions and universities, promoting long-term institutional partnerships, alumni engagement, and collaborative knowledge networks.
Align BQPCA’s regulatory and operational frameworks with international benchmarks, contributing directly to Bhutan’s pursuit of quality, innovation, and accountability in professional services.
Applications Close: 5pm local time in Adelaide 22 September 2025
