All over the world, Quality Assurance (QA) systems in higher education institutions were established, which aim to provide both internal and external frameworks to ensure that higher education institutions meet local and international standards. Undoubtedly, the assessment of a quality indicator is connected in some ways to setting normative criteria, as so QA assessments are inherently multidimensional and context specific. Supported by the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, the HESPRI project focuses on creating indicators for assessing and measuring QA. These indicators, namely Social Equity, Digitalisation, and Sustainability, are normatively set by different policy-makers. Although the indicators offer a valuable reference framework for evaluating institutional quality, practical application is often hindered by differences in interpretation and contextual adaptability. This study uses thematic and comparative analysis with MAXQDA, drawing on 17 interviews from six countries at the national, institutional, and staff/program levels, to examine cross-country similarities and differences in the understanding of the three core QA dimensions.

The initial findings show that the three dimensions are broadly recognised across countries and viewed as closely tied to institutional development, though national emphases vary. Germany places greater weight on social equity, while in Italy, sustainability is largely framed in environmental terms. Through a cross-national, cross-level qualitative approach, the study also seeks to assess and refine existing indicators to improve their clarity, contextual sensitivity, and comparability for wider international use.