Recently, universities are under increasing public and government pressure to demonstrate the implementation of quality processes. In the present study we analyze what represents the concept of quality in higher education, how we differentiate the services offered by universities in terms of quality, what is the role of risk management in quality assurance. Several researches provided by various scientific sources, international standards in the field of quality, the experience of some foreign universities regarding the implementation of risk management are analyzed. The experience of the public institution, the Academy of Economic Studies from Moldova, was also presented, although not very extensive in the analyzed field. The conclusions we reached relate to the need to promote an effective communication in the field of quality assurance and risk management at the institutional level, the implementation of a risk culture at the institution level. Only in such conditions, the efforts made by the management of the institution can bring the expected results.