VIII Eurasian Forum on Quality Assurance in Higher Education Theme: «Strategies under pressure: new technologies and challenges for universities»

On September 26, 2025, the VIII Eurasian Forum on Quality Assurance in Higher Education was held under the theme “Strategies under Pressure: New Technologies and Challenges for Universities”, organized with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

            The Forum was held in a hybrid format at Maqsut Narikbayev University and brought together a wide audience of participants, including rectors and vice-rectors of Kazakhstani universities, public figures, national and international experts, heads of foreign accreditation agencies, faculty members and staff of university structural units, as well as representatives of universities from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan.

The key topics of the Forum covered:

• digital transformation of higher education institutions,
• implementing AI in education process,
• micro-credential’s development,
• modern approaches to quality assurance in education.

With a welcoming address to the Forum participants, Vice Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Talgat Eshenkulov, highlighted the importance of both internal and external quality assurance in education, as well as Kazakhstan’s involvement in shaping the global ESG agenda.

Opening the Forum, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of IQAA, public figure, professor, and Ex-Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Zhaksybek Kulekeyev, emphasized that, in line with the Address of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, “Large-scale digitalization and the active introduction of artificial intelligence technologies set the task of modernizing the economy for the state.” These processes directly affect the mission of universities and their social responsibility, transforming not only educational approaches but also internal governance mechanisms and the organizational structure of higher education institutions.

The moderators of the four Forum sessions were: Askar Khikmetov – Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Associate Professor at Astana IT University; Bakhytkul Abdizhapparova – Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor, Head of the Accreditation and Quality Assessment Department at M. Auezov South Kazakhstan University; Margarita Kadyrova – Candidate of Economic Sciences, Professor, Chair of the Accreditation Council at IQAA, Director of the Institute for Professional Development of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Sholpan Kalanova – President of IQAA, Professor, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Candidate of Chemical Sciences.:

The Forum featured presentations by:

• • Sergey Pen, Rector of M. Narikbayev KAZGUU University, Candidate of Juridical Sciences, Associate Professor, emphasized the importance of developing processing skills and the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing the quality of the educational process.
• • Miras Daulenov, President of Coventry University Kazakhstan, PhD, stated that the Forum has become the most authoritative educational platform in the country. In his opinion, at the core of the new quality paradigm are leadership and creative thinking skills, which cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence.

• • Aleksandar Šušnjar, Director of the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) emphasized that the core of their work lies in the ESG agenda. He also presented an overview of the situation regarding micro-qualifications and highlighted the need for universities to adapt to the growing demand for targeted knowledge.

• • Franci Demšar, Member of the IQAA Supervisory Board, Director of NAKVIS (Slovenia), Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, spoke about the use of artificial intelligence in the activities of the accreditation agency and the opportunities it offers for enhancing the efficiency of quality assessment.

• • Anar Makhmetova, Rector of the University of International Business, Candidate of Economic Sciences and Nurkhan Zhaksylyq, Vice-Rector for Digitalisation of the UIB: shared their experience of the university’s digital transformation.
• • Saule Sagintayeva, Rector of A. Saginov Karaganda Technical University, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, presented digital solutions for internal quality assurance, including corporate governance, staff development, and student engagement.
• • Rinat Iskakova, Vice-Rector for Science and Innovation of S. Utebayev Atyrau University of Oil and Gas, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, shared the experience of implementing and recognizing micro-qualifications at Atyrau University of Oil and Gas.

• • Gulvira Akybayeva, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of Astana IT University, Candidate of Economic Sciences, highlighted the features of next-generation educational programs and strategies for overcoming challenges in the educational environment.

• • Yerlan Shulanov, Provost of Narxoz University presented cases of using generative AI in academic work, including curriculum improvement, motivational analytics, and student support.

In conclusion, the President of IQAA, Professor Sholpan Kalanova, summarized the outcomes of the Forum, emphasizing the key role of international cooperation and knowledge exchange in the context of rapid technological progress.

VIII Eurasian Forum confirmed the status of a leading expert platform for dialogue between universities, accreditation agencies, and experts in the field of quality assurance in education, demonstrating the high importance of joint solution-seeking in the era of digital transformation.