Paper long abstract:

Almost five years have passed since Kyrgyzstan introduced independent accreditation of higher education institutions. The implementation of accreditation standards and criteria by accreditation agencies allows educational institutions to create mechanisms for the continuous improvement of quality of education. However, many university professors’ overall understanding of the quality assurance system is very low; they do not see quality assurance as a continuous process that can promote the quality of education. Part of the reasons for misunderstanding the accreditation purposes and standards is the poor management of the accreditation process at different levels, and the absence of institutional structures to support institutional assessment, to collect and analyze data about educational practices and internal quality control policy.

The purpose of the study is to explore the Agency for Quality Assurance in the Field of Education’s (EdNet) standards, and university professors’ perceptions of the accreditation process in Kyrgyzstan. This is a qualitative study with the focus on developing an in-depth description and analysis of accreditation process at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA), as well as professors’ perceptions of accreditation at several public universities. The author will describe the process, practice and quality management of accreditation from the perspective of educators and accreditors, specifically how accreditors evaluate academic programs based on student learning, what evidence of student learning the accreditors can accept, and what criteria EdNet uses to determine whether or not universities have a quality management system in place.

The author will present some findings from the research conducted from April to September, 2021 in Kyrgyzstan. The researcher will collect the data from multiple sources: semi-structured interviews with accreditors and university professors, review of the EdNet accreditation standards, and self-study reports of the academic programs.

Independent accreditation is a new quality assurance system in higher education of Kyrgyzstan that was started in 2016. This study will contribute to the improvement of the quality management process in higher education in Kyrgyzstan, provide recommendations to faculty and university administrations on the continuous institutionalization of a quality assurance system based on student learning outcomes, and provide recommendations to EdNet on updating its standards and approaches to accreditation, which will enhance the cultivation of quality culture at higher education institutions.

Key words: higher education, accreditation, professors, quality assurance, management