MAIN CHALLENGES AND TRENDS IN QUALITY ASSURANCE IN CENTRAL

ASIA: THE EXAMPLE OF KAZAKHSTAN(Implementing Quality Assurance

within Higher Education Institutions)

Bissembay Iskakov, Professor of Kazakh National Technical University named after

K.Satbayev, Almaty

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CONTENT

● Brief information about Kazakhstan● State of QA● Trends● Still challenges● Implementation in other CA countries● Conclusion

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Brief information about Kazakhstan • Capital – Astana (since December 10, 1997)• Population – 17 + million • Territory – 2 724,9 km2 - the second largest country in the NIS and the world's 9th largest • Length of borders – 12 187 km (over 3,000 km (and two time zones) W-E & 2,000 km N-S• Highest mountain – Khan Tengri (6995 m) • Biggest lakes – Caspian sea, Aral sea, Lake Balkhash• Longest rivers – Yertis (4248 km), Yesil (2450 km), Zhaiyik (2428 km), Syr Dariya (2219

km)• Kazakhstan has 14 administrative regions, 2 cities of republican subordination, Baikonyr

city with special status, over 80 other cities, 159 districts, 241 towns and 2,042 auls (rural villages)

• Kazakhstan has 1,8% of world oil reserves (12th position ), 21st position for gas reserves & 8th position for coal reserves

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QA

HEIs

MinistriesIndependent Agencies

Ministry of Education and Scienceof Kazakhstan:

• Licensing (HEIs and programmes)• Attestation of HEIs• External peer review of the HEI graduate

students‘ LO• Monitoring the HEIs in implementing state

standards and regulations• Actualization of the register of IAs,

accredited HEIs and educational programmes by National Accreditation Council 6

Ministry of Healthof Kazakhstan:

• Licensing (medical HEIs and medical programmes)

• Attestation of medical HEIs• External peer review of medical HEIs

graduate students‘ LO• Monitoring medical HEIs in implementing

state standards and regulations

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Number and dynamics of HEIs in Kazakhstan (1991-2014)

Source: Ministry of education and science of RK, 2014

1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2014

55 63 101 153 166 182 175 176 140 145 149 131

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Number and dynamics of students’ population in Kazakhstan (2008-2013)

  2008/2009

2009/2010

2010/2011

2011/2012

2012/2013

BA 633814 610264 620442 629507 571691

MSc 11395 14216 16586 21159 25299

PhD 439 666 960 1337 1517

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HEIs:

● Internal peer review of educational programmes and processes● Assessing the quality of the student experience● Quality assurance of teaching staff● Learning resources and student support● Information system● Public information● Quality management (ISO 9000:2001)

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Independent Agencies:

● ABET (USA) www.abet.org● AQA (Austria) www.aqa.ac.at● ACQUIN (Germany) www.acquin.org● ASIIN (Germany) www.asiin.de● IAAR (Kazakhstan) www.iaar.kz● IQAA (Kazakhstan) www.nkaoko.kz

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Independent Agencies:•● Development of external quality assurance processes •● Criteria for decisions •● Goal-oriented processes•● Reporting•● Follow-up procedures ● System-wide analyses

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The important trends were outlined in QA at the national and institutional levels, accruing

after signing the Bologna Declaration by Kazakhstan

•First, it is the system approach to QA, that consists of:•● Development of a legislative basis for QA.•● Formation of the QA modern system through delegating the state body’s authority to the independent bodies responsible for QA.

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● Promoting Kazakhstan HEIs to a world-class universities’ level based on experience of Nazarbayev University.● Significant increase in academic mobility of students and staff on the basis of target state financing of HEIs.● International dimension of QA.● Establishing QA units in HEIs. ● Alumni units and endowment funds.

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● Motivation of internal evaluation within external assessment.● Increasing of human resources management.● Increasing of the impact of researches.● Increasing role of the International programme “Bolashak”.

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Secondly, state financing of scientific researches gradually increased from 0,26 % of GNP in 2011 to 2 % in 2016.

Thirdly, by 2020 all the HEIs will have gained an autonomy, including independence in drawing up academic programmes.

Main challenges in Quality Assurance on the HEIs level:

•● Convergence of the state and none state system of QA. •● Insufficient coverage of all the HEIs by an internal and external peer review.•● Iinsufficient participation of students in QA management.

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•● A low competition between HEIs in the regions and HEIs suspension from a competition at the global labour markets.•● A weak integration of CA HEIs.•● Absence of HEIs autonomy •in designing academic programmes.

Implementation in other CA countries:

National Accreditation Council will be formed at the state level in Kyrgyzstan.

Bishkek Academy of Finance and Economics uses the ESG and the other best practices acquired within the framework of Tempus projectsSource: www.bafe.edu.kg).

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The important trends in the other CA countries:

• Uzbekistan: University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Bukhara State University, Karshi State University, Samarkand Institute of Economics and Service, Samarkand State Foreign Languages Institute set up QA centres within the framework of Tempus project “QAPD: Enhancement of Quality Assurance System through Professional

• Development of Academic Leaders”. • Source: www.tempus.uz

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• Tajikistan: Delegating Ministry’s authority to ESG in licensing, attestation and accreditation of all HEIs.

• Source: www.soros.tj/ru/publikatsii/biblioteka?download=39:obespechenie

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THANK YOU FOR ATTENTION!

iskakovbisen@mail.ru