The three-day workshop, organised in collaboration with the British Accreditation Agency, aimed to establish a professional team of auditors based on modern scientific principles. These principles take into account global developments in higher education and quality assurance. Special programmes were designed to equip participants with additional skills and scientific expertise related to the NCQAA's institutional accreditation standards and policies. Essential skills covered included how to formulate questions for educational institution members, report writing, and making recommendations.
Chairperson of the NCQAA Dr Mazen Hasna noted that all workshop participants were faculty members from various Qatari universities and educational institutions. He mentioned that 140 academics applied to join the workshop and evaluation team, with the first group already trained. Different workshops will be held to qualify the remaining groups. This initiative marks the first step towards building a local database of auditors, which will later be shared with Gulf countries as well.
In a press statement, Dr Hasna announced that the first field visit for the participants would take place in October. They will visit two educational institutions to assess their status and provide recommendations to the accreditation committee.
Several participating university professors emphasised the importance of the workshop, which included both theoretical and practical sections. They highlighted the significance of quality in setting standards in Qatar and expressed their eagerness to form a committee that would conduct visits to GCC countries, other Arab nations, and even internationally. Given that the workshop was conducted in English, it adhered to international standards.
The professors considered the workshop an excellent opportunity to hone academic skills in quality assurance and interact with academics from various institutions. They noted that the training, focused on the NCQAA's academic standards, would assist in evaluating the academic performance of educational institutions and programmes.
Established in 2022, the NCQAA oversees the National Qualifications Framework. It is responsible for accrediting qualifications (certificates and degrees) awarded by higher education institutions in the country to ensure their alignment with the National Qualifications Framework. Additionally, the NCQAA contributes to the development of higher education institutions by setting quality assurance standards and implementing accreditation policies.
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