VIII CENTRAL ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON QUALITY ASSURANCE IN EDUCATION

On October 4, 2024, the VIII Central Asian International Forum on Quality Assurance in Education titled: “Enhancing the Quality of Education – a Phenomenon of Strategic Development of Universities in the Information Space” was held. The Forum, held annually by the Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating (IAAR), was held at Astana IT-University.

At the opening of the International Forum, the IAAR General Director, Dr. Alina Zhumagulova, spoke about the results of the Agency's activities, modern trends and prospects for the development of the quality assurance system in Central Asian and European countries.

The Forum was attended by the President of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) Douglas Blackstock and the President of the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) Stéphane Lauwick, representatives of government agencies, international networks for quality assurance in higher education, heads of higher education institutions from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, France, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Türkiye, Moldova, Armenia, Latvia.

The Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Akmaral Alnazarova, delivered a welcoming speech, especially noting the role of the Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating in improving the quality of medical education.

Vice-Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan Darkhan Akhmed-Zaki delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, noting the special role of quality assurance in higher education and the increasing importance of accreditation in the context of digital transformations.

President of the National Engineering Academy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Prof. Bakytzhan Zhumagulov, in his greeting noted the stages of forming a mechanism for quality assurance in higher education and emphasized the great progress of the state and the IAAR in developing accreditation.

The main goal of the International Forum is to ensure the quality of educational services of universities in Central Asia and Europe, employment and demand for graduates.

The international Forum included a productive exchange of experience on current issues of improving the quality of higher education, which allowed us to determine the direction of positive transformations in the education system, and identify ways to enhance the quality of education in Central Asian and European countries. The Panel Discussions discussed key issues of improving the quality of education, external and internal assessment of quality assurance, modern mechanisms for expanding internationalization, implementing joint programs and developing partnerships, the impact of artificial intelligence on the development of education system architecture, its advantages and prospects. Special attention was paid to quality assurance of medical education, integrating science and practice, introducing simulation training technologies, as well as improving the level of training of medical personnel.