On November 1-2, 2019, the APQR review panel visited The Eurasian Centre for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Health Care (ECAQA) in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to review the ECAQA for compliance with the APQN Membership Criteria and Chiba Principles and consider inclusion of the ECAQA in the Asia-Pacific Quality Register (APQR).

In this regard, the ECAQA had submitted the Self-Evaluation Report (SER) and supporting documents to The Asia-Pacific Quality Register Council (APQRC). The SER provides information on the ECAQA mission and objectives, organisational structure, operations carried out during the period from 2017 to 2019, regulations, accreditation standards and procedures, national and international collaboration.

The APQR review panel included the following experts:

• Prof/Dr. Jianxin Zhang (Chair & Facilitator): APQN President, Chief Expert of Yunnan Higher Education Evaluation Centre (YHEEC) and tenured professor of Yunnan University, Kunming, China;
• Vd. Jayant Deopujari (Co-chair), President of the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), Ministry of AYUSH, RAV Guru India;
• Prof. Rie Mori, Professor of the National Institute for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education (NIAD-QE), Tokyo, Japan.

The peer review started with the first private meeting of the review panel upon arrival in Almaty on October 31, 2019.

On November 1, 2019, the second day of the APQR site visit proceeded at the ECAQA office where the participants were introduced. Following the introduction, the ECAQA Director General Saule Sarsenbayeva presented the operation of the quality assurance agency and the ECAQA Self-Evaluation Report. The meeting continued with questions and answers session which involved ECAQA leaders and staff.

During the second day of the APQR review, the experts conducted a meeting with a member of the Association "Kazakhstan Medical Council", visited the institutions accredited by the ECAQA – the Kazakh Medical University of Continuing Education and the Kazakh-Russian Medical University. Later that day a focus-group with selected external reviewers, a meeting with members of the Accreditation Council, and a meeting with representatives of professional associations-partners of the ECAQA were organised. During the peer review the ECAQA confirmed and demonstrated that its operation was based on the fundamental principles of the WHO and WFME, Guidelines for accreditation of medical education as well as the Standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015).

On November 2, 2019, the third day of the peer review included presentation of the ECAQA website (www.ecaqa.org), Skype-meeting with the Chair of the ECAQA Accreditation Council, observation of the SER attachments and ECAQA documentation, a focus-group with Internal QA Unit Members, meeting with the WHO Executive Board Member, member of the ECAQA Accreditation Council.

The third private meeting of the review panel was followed by briefing and wrap-up meeting where the APQR international experts provided recommendations on improving the ECAQA operation and recommendations for the APQRC to include the ECAQA in the APQR as an organisation corresponding to the Chiba Principles. During the site visit and when examining the ECAQA SER, the APQR review panel received evidence of the professional qualification of ECAQA employees in quality assurance and accreditation.

The Eurasian Сentre for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Health Care took part in the 10th General Assembly of The European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), which was held on October 17-18, 2019 in Yerevan, Republic of Armenia. The event was organised by ENQA in cooperation with the National Centre for Professional Education Quality Assurance Foundation (ANQA) with which ECAQA had previously concluded a Memorandum of Cooperation and Understanding.

Being an affiliate of The European Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), ECAQA seeks to have a productive dialogue and effective cooperation with foreign accreditation agencies, as well as to exchange information on best practices in accrediting educational institutions and introduce modern approaches to quality assurance in its activities.

https://enqa.eu/index.php/events/10th-enqa-general-assembly-17-18-october-2019-yerevan-armenia/

On October 2, 2019, The Eurasian Centre for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Health Care (ECAQA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The Association of Medical Schools in Europe (AMSE). The Memorandum was signed by the Director General Saule Sarsenbayeva on behalf of the ECAQA and by the President Peter Dieter on behalf of the AMSE.

The Association of Medical Schools in Europe was established as The Association of Medical Deans in Europe in 1979. 71 medical schools (universities) in Europe, the UK and the CIS countries are members of the Association. http://www.amse-med.eu/about-amse/

The AMSE seeks to stimulate cooperation between medical schools-members of the association, as well as initiates and maintains relations with other professional, governmental and non-governmental organizations in education, research and health care. The AMSE in cooperation with An International Association for Medical Education (AMEE) creates discussion platforms for medical faculties (universities) to share experiences in education, research and management. From 2004 till 2013, the President of the AMSE was Professor David Gordon who is currently the President of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME). Since 2014, the President of the AMSE has been Professor Peter Dieter.

On June 11, 2019, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Eurasian Centre for Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Higher Education and Health Care, Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, and the Certification Association “Russian Register”, Russian Federation, St. Petersburg (https://rusregister.ru/news/russian-register-and-eurasian-accreditation-center-signed-memorandum-of-cooperation/)

“Russian Register” was established in 2001 and has the largest amount of international, national and sector accreditations, notifications and recognitions among Russian Certification Bodies, including accreditation of the RF Federal Accreditation Service and members of the International Accreditation Forum IAF, which allows its clients to solve any tasks related to business development and entry into new markets by means of ensuring their maximum recognition.

The Mission of “Russian Register” is to help organizations achieve international, national and sector market success by means of providing superior services on expert assessment and certification.