Quality Assurance Systems in Higher Education in Uzbekistan

TerSU / TSAU

Z.Djumaev, S.Islomov

S.Adilov

Contents

- Quality Assurance System in Uzbek HEI

- Internal Quality Assurance System

- External Quality Assurance System

- Assessment

Quality Assurance System in Uzbek HEI

According to the NPPT, the key element to improve the quality of learning and teaching is the creation of a competitive environment in HEIs. This is to be implemented by advancing a system of continuous professional education and recruitment; introducing a rating system for teaching staff and HEIs; and an accreditation and evaluation process (including self-assessment).

The following criteria are used to assess the quality of education:

• Level of teaching staff qualification;

• Relevance of educational programs for the contemporary

requirements of the labour market;

• Availability of educational resources – libraries, learning and

methodological materials, etc;

• Availability of adequate financial and technical resources

Quality Assurance System in Uzbek HEI

One of the ways of committing to HE quality is to recruit teaching staff on a competitive basis. Regulations on competition (in line with the Resolution of the CM) define the main rules of competition for re-election or new academic positions.

The provision of continuous professional training and retraining of teaching staff in HEIs needs a timetable, and requirements about who should attend training courses as well as other parameters.

The most important quality indicator for teaching staff is their involvement in scientific research

Responsible Agencies for Quality Assurance

The main agencies of assessment and quality assurance system of higher education are

the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education, Departments of Education Management and Administration of

other sector ministries and agencies Department of Quality Assurance of Personnel Training and

Teaching Staff and HEIs State Testing Centre of the CM. All HEIs established departments of marketing to research

labour market demands with employers, about placements and the perceived quality of higher education.

Quality Assurance Types

Internal Quality Assurance System

External Quality Assurance System

Internal Quality Assurance

The internal control - carried out by the higher educational institution. The internal control is spent on the basis of Position about the rating monitoring system, the management confirmed by an authorized state structure of higher education;

The state exams including the state certification for disciplines and defence of final work according to the state educational standard;

State-public control carried out by the authorized state structure of management of higher education, public organizations and consumers of shots when due hereunder;

Assessment

During the academic year there are several phases of assessment undertaken for Bachelor and Master students regarding each academic subject taught during the semester.

A rating system (minimum - 55 points, maximum - 100 points) was introduced for all types of HEIs in Uzbekistan. The system requires a separate allocation of academic hours for student independent learning and the assessment of the students’ knowledge at the end of each semester.

The following marking scheme is applied:

86-100 – excellent (5);

71- 85 - good (4);

55-70 – satisfactory (3); less than 55 - unsatisfactory.

Progression

On the basis of the assessment results a decision is made about the transfer of successful students to the next year of the educational programme. It is impossible to be transferred to the next year if the requirements of the curriculum are not met.

At the end of the educational programme in all types of HEIs graduates have to take compulsory final state examinations with participation of the employers who have an opportunity to assess the relevance and quality of the curricula.

Certification and Degree

At the end of a Bachelor programme, the students also have to undergo an assessment (defence) of their final qualification work. Master students have to prepare and defend a dissertation.

Upon completion of the Bachelor programme, graduates are awarded the degree of Bachelor and a state diploma, which entitles them to start professional activity. It should be emphasised that only students who have studied for a Bachelor degree in a certain field may apply for the corresponding Master course.

Master degree holders are awarded a state diploma, which entitles them to work in the relevant profession. They may also proceed further to the post-graduate study programme.

External Quality Assurance

The external control carried out when due hereunder Management of quality assurance of a professional training, certification of pedagogical shots and educational institutions at the State Testing Center under the auspices of the Minister Cabinet of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Attestation

Attestation of educational establishments is organised and conducted by the STC. The educational establishment is subject to an attestation procedure every 5 years.

The process includes comprehensive analysis of the educational establishment’s activities over the previous three years broken down by types of education, with special attention paid to established criteria. The procedures and outcomes of the quality assurance process

have to be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. After consideration and the approval by the Cabinet of Ministers the quality assurance report is made available to the university administration so that it can be discussed in the Academic Council to develop necessary measures.

Accreditation

Accreditation and state attestation of educational institutions is organised and conducted in accordance with the Regulation on State Accreditation of Educational Establishments in the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Accreditation of an educational institution is effected by the STC. Attestation is the prevailing method of state control aimed at assessing the educational establishment and deciding whether the content, level and quality of personnel training is in line with State Educational Standards.

State accreditation includes recognition of the educational establishment’s activities’ compliance with the criteria and requirements laid down in the State Educational Standards and the granting of the right to issue an educational certificate of the approved national format to the graduates of the establishment.

State Testing Centre

The State Testing Centre (STC) which comes under the auspices of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan (established in May 1994) is authorised to undertake a review (state attestation procedure) of all educational establishments in Uzbekistan regardless of their status or type of ownership. The main objectives of the STC are the following:

- organizing inspections and assuring the quality of education and

training, fairness of test scores and rating points; - organising and effecting accreditation and state accreditation of educational establishments regardless of their corporate subordination and ownership form, defining ratings of educational establishments; - reviewing State Educational Standards and state requirements and, based on these, reviewing syllabuses and curricula for all types of education for approval in due course.

State Testing Centre

The State Testing Centre is also responsible for accreditation/validation of all levels of education qualifications. International and bilateral agreements, State Educational Standards and normative documents are taken into consideration. In the case of diplomas received in the framework of interstate agreements or governmental programmes recognition is automatic.

Licensing of non-governmental educational establishments is done in accordance with the Regulation on licensing the activities of non-government educational establishments. Decisions on granting and cancelling licenses, including suspension, are made by the Committee for licensing the activities of non-governmental educational establishments under the auspices of the Cabinet of Ministers. Licenses permitting educational establishments to operate are granted for 5 years. Recently (as of October 2009), the Singapore Management Development Institute in Tashkent was granted a higher education license. 

STRUCTURE OF EXTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM IN UZBEKISTAN

HEI

STATE TESTING CENTER

CABINET OF MINISTERS

ACCESSORSEXPERTS

Ministry of HSSE

Structure of Quality Supply Centre

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