Globalization, digitalization, and evolving national regulations have intensified the need for rigorous quality-assurance systems to secure accreditation in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This study asks: What theoretical contributions underpin HEI accreditation, and how have research themes evolved? Employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Bibliometric Analysis via Biblioshiny and Vantage Point, we examined 1,252 documents indexed in Scopus® (781) and Web of Science™ (471) from 2012 to May 2025. Findings delineate three production phases—Foundation Consolidation (2012–2017), Expansion and Diversification (2017–2020), and Sustained Transformation and Innovation (2020–2025)—and three thematic perspectives: (a) Teaching and Learning Quality, (b) Technology and Sustainability as Quality Catalysts, and (c) Governance, Management, and Accountability. Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) identified three Motor Theme clusters—[1] Sustainable Development and Institutional Change, [2] Technological Pedagogy and Student Experience, and [3] Governance and Regulation—led by Spain, the United States, Chile, Colombia, the UK, Australia, and India. Conclusions underscore accreditation’s dual role as a strategic lever for institutional improvement and a competitive mechanism, with emerging focus on competency, e-learning, employability, machine learning, and sustainability. Future research should explore cross-border accreditation dynamics; the impact of AACSB and NAAC standards on business-school curriculum design and program quality; accreditation’s pedagogical effects; and leadership practices for effective implementation.

This study synthesizes academic literature on Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) and stakeholder engagement in higher education, focusing on systems operating beyond formal accreditation. Using a PRISMA-guided Systematic Literature Review (SLR), this research analyzed 22 studies published between 2010 and 2025 from four major databases (Scopus, Taylor & Francis, ScienceDirect, and ERIC) through thematic synthesis and bibliometric mapping. The findings reveal that IQA is conceptualized as an autonomous, improvement-focused system that fosters a quality culture through diverse models. Effective multi-stakeholder engagement, involving faculty, students, and staff, is identified as crucial for success. While challenges such as leadership and resource constraints exist, they can be overcome by enablers like strong leadership and participatory cultures. This review contributes uniquely by synthesizing IQA practices outside formal accreditation, emphasizing participatory engagement for developing an intrinsic quality culture, and highlighting emergent research from Global South contexts. The findings can inform policymakers, higher education leaders, and practitioners in creating effective IQA systems and guide future research.

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed higher education, creating both opportunities and challenges in cultivating students’ critical thinking skills. This study integrates quantitative bibliometric analysis and qualitative systematic literature review (SLR) to map global research trends and identify how critical thinking is conceptualized, constructed, and developed in the AI era. Scopus served as the primary data source, limited to publications from 2022 to 2024, retrieved on February 8, 2025. Bibliometric analysis using Biblioshiny R and VOSviewer followed five stages—design, data collection, analysis, visualization, and interpretation—while the SLR employed a deductive thematic approach consistent with PRISMA guidelines. A total of 322 documents were analyzed bibliometrically, and 34 were included in the qualitative synthesis. Results show that Education Sciences and Cogent Education are the most productive journals, whereas Education and Information Technologies have the highest citation impact. Several influential documents and authors have shaped global discussions on AI adoption in higher education and its relationship to critical thinking. Thematic mapping identified five major research clusters: pedagogical integration, ethical and evaluative practices, technical and application-oriented AI models, institutional accountability, and socio-technical systems thinking. Conceptually, critical thinking is understood as a reflective, evaluative, and metacognitive reasoning process grounded in intellectual autonomy and ethical judgment. Across the reviewed literature, strategies for fostering critical thinking converge into three integrated approaches: ethical curriculum integration, pedagogical and assessment redesign, and reflective human–AI collaboration. Collectively, these strategies ensure that AI strengthens rather than replaces human reasoning in higher education.