WORKSHOP REPORT: DEVELOPING A QUALITY ASSURANCE STRATEGY – A COLLABORATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

The report of this workshop introduces a collaborative model of developing quality assurance strategies in institutions of higher learning, as part of the Erasmus+ CBHE QUARTZ project. Understanding that successful quality assurance involves more than just formal adherence to external standards, the workshop invited QA experts, institutional heads, and the academic staff of the Uzbek higher education institutions, along with the European partner universities to collaboratively create a practical and replicable model of QA strategies formulation. The report records some of the main principles that came up during the workshop such as the strategic adoption of pre-designed drafts as structured starting points, the significance of initiating processes with central coordination and later moving to collaborative creation, the need to engage various institutional units and finally the importance of aligning the strategies of QA to the institutional mission. The QA strategy document has three-part structure, which consists of principles, which govern the quality policy (academic excellence and continuous improvement, student-centred focus, transparency and accountability, and quality culture), mission-aligned goals (teaching and student community, research, and third mission and society), and assessment and review approaches (degree programmes, PhD programmes, and third mission). Workshop facilitation, pre-workshop preparation, post-workshop refinement and implementations are some of the practical recommendations that universities should consider to implement. The report recommends that a proper development of QA strategies should involve a combination of structured but flexible strategies, participatory activities leading to institutional ownership, all-encompassing coverage of every area of the mission, contextualization of international standards, and long-term dedication to build a true quality culture. The framework will be used by QA officers, university leaders, and policy formulators interested in transforming the quality assurance of higher education in Uzbekistan and other similar environments.