The Independent Kazakhstan Quality Assurance Agency in Education (IQAA) is an independent quality assurance agency in Kazakhstan. IQAA conducts accreditation of higher education institutions in Kazakhstan. IQAA also provides rankings of higher education institutions of Kazakhstan. IQAA provides workshops and consultations to higher education institutions of Kazakhstan on various themes related to quality assurance and improvement of the higher education system in Kazakhstan. IQAA is open for international cooperation with quality assurance organisations and agencies from different countries of the world.
The Independent Kazakhstan Quality Assurance Agency in Education was established in 2008. The activity of the agency is based on the principles of social partnership with the higher education institutions, Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Association of Higher Education Institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, associations of employers and consumers of educational service.
The work of the agency is aimed at improving the mechanisms of the system of accreditation and higher education in Kazakhstan, on the systematization of the process of the proper assessment and evaluation of the activity of higher education institutions of Kazakhstan.
Mission
Raising the competitiveness of higher education institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan on national and international levels by conducting the procedures of accreditation and academic ranking, and providing other services related to the quality assurance of higher education institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Tasks
- Systematic development and perfection of methodology, standards and criteria of institutional and specialized accreditation on the basis of international standards;
- Development and perfection of the standards and indicators of academic ranking on the basis of Berlin principles;
- Organization and conduction of institutional and specialized accreditation of higher education institutions;
- Organization and conduction of educational audit, assessment of organizations of education;
- Organization and conduction of ranking of higher education institutions;
- Assistance and consultation for higher education institutions in raising of effectiveness, competitiveness and stability in different directions of educational activity;
- Stimulation of higher education institutions to use the latest innovations and developments in educational process and scientific research;
- Assistance to the constant improvement of the quality in the training of specialists;
- Development of the culture of quality in higher education institutions and public awareness;
- Consideration and protection interests of society and consumers' rights by the way of providing them with reliable and timely information about the quality of educational service of higher education institutions;
- Public distribution of information about higher education institutions, who have successfully completed accreditation;
- Public distribution of information about higher education institutions, who have high indicators of quality in ranking.
Methods
- Organization and conduction of educational courses, seminars, trainings in the field of education, management and control of educational organizations;
- Preparation of the experts and their certification (including seminars abroad, involving foreign experts);
- Participation in international programs, projects with international organizations in the sphere of education and science;
- Providing service to the organizations of education for passing international accreditation (preparation of needed documentation and realization of necessary procedures in assistance to higher education institutions in completing accreditation in authoritative foreign accreditation agencies);
- Analysis and evaluation of the quality of educational service, provided by higher education institutions;
- International cooperation in various activities related to quality assurance with international organizations;
- Organization and conduction international, national and regional conferences, symposiums, exhibitions.
In the work with the higher education institutions the experts of IQAA use:
- Legislative, normative, legal documents of the Ministry of Education and Science of RK;
- State general obligatory standards of education of RK;
- Standards and criteria of institutional accreditation of RK;
- Standards and major principles in quality assurance of education in Europe (ENQA);
- Guidance for good practice of INQAAHE;
- Recommendations of ENQA, APQN;
- Standards of IQAA.
Supplementary services, provided by IQAA
- Assistance to higher education institution in conduction of self-evaluation of educational activity in accordance with the requirements of the standards and criteria of institutional accreditation of RK, standards and criteria of IQAA;
- Educating internal experts (staff) of higher education institutions;
- Assistance to higher education institution in optimization of the indicators of educational activity;
- Assistance to higher education institution in the development of perspective directions in the field of newest technologies, organization of educational activity and management of quality on internal higher education institution level;
- Calculation of the indicators of higher education institution stability and providing them with consultations on raising their competitiveness (assessment of quality);
- Development of recommendations, based on the realization of innovative projects, directed on improving the reputation of higher education institution and strengthening its position on regional market of educational services.
Independent Kazakhstan Quality Assurance Agency in Education is ready for cooperation with all organizations, funds and agencies in the field of quality assurance of educational organizations. The basis of education of the future is assurance and guarantee of constant quality improvement of education, on which competitiveness of national system of education depends.
IQAA has an associate status at the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA).
IQAA is a co-founder the International Rankings Experts Group (IREG), and is also a member of the executive committee of IREG.
IQAA is a full member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE).
IQAA is an intermediate member of the Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN).
