QAA confirm Kazakhstan’s first International Quality Review with M. Narikbayev KAZGUU University

QAA can confirm that it will undertake its first International Quality Review (IQR) in Kazakhstan with M. Narikbayev KAZGUU University.

The news comes after QAA’s Director of International and Professional Services, Eduardo Ramos, met with Professor Talgat Narikbayev, Chairman of the Board at M. Narikbayev KAZGUU University, at the UK-Kazakhstan 9th Intergovernmental Commission in London on 1 February.

The event was also attended by the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, His Excellency Sayasat Nurbek, and a large number of delegates from UK and Kazakhstani universities and sector bodies. The minister went on to invite QAA to visit Kazakhstan and meet for further discussions.

Based in Astana, M. Narikbayev KAZGUU University will now commence a rigorous IQR application process which benchmarks global higher education institutions against international quality assurance standards set out in Part 1 of the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG).

Eduardo Ramos, Director of International and Professional Services, said: ‘I am delighted that QAA is contributing to the quality enhancement of higher education in Kazakhstan through the signature of the first International Quality Review service provision agreement in the country with Mr Narikbayev of M. Narikbayev KAZGUU University. The demand for quality education is increasing among Kazakhstan’s young and entrepreneurial population, and also among international students who flock to the country’s excellent universities, including recently opened campuses of UK universities such as De Montfort Leicester and Heriot Watt. QAA is ready to support UK and Kazakhstan universities as they develop high quality education to meet this demographic opportunity.’