The National Center of Public Accreditation (NCPA)

2011
2010
2009

IAU 2011 International Conference "Strategies for Securing Equity and Success in Higher education", Kenyatta University,
Nairobi, Kenya, 16-18 November 2011

The International Association of Universities and Kenyatta University are holding the IAU International Conference 2011, which will take place at Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya, from November 17 to 18, 2011.

The theme of the Conference is in line with the IAU Policy Statement on Equitable Access and Success in Quality Higher Education adopted at the IAU General Conference in Utrecht, the Netherlands in 2008. It has been chosen in order to provide higher education leaders with an opportunity to actively take part in a global reflection on strategies that should be elaborated in order to ensure increased equitable access to higher education and guarantee the best possible success to the students enrolled.

Participants at the IAU 2011 International Conference will have an opportunity to learn about and discuss:
- government and institutional policies that aim to broaden and increase the participation rates in higher education;
- the links between higher education choices and the needs of societies;
- the reasons why so often the notion of wider participation is pitted against the notion of quality of education;
- the practical measures required and undertaken by higher education institutions in areas such as: outreach services, innovative processes of assessing prior learning, alternative modes of delivery and admissions and academic mentoring and related programs to ensure high levels of retention and success;
- designing strategies for equitable access and success in view of the demographic make up of the population in terms of ethnicity, languages, race and age.
- Finally, building on the IAU's Policy Statement and access and success pilot project the conference will also serve to launch the Association's action plan and new services in this policy area.

The IAU invites all higher education leaders to come and participate in this important Conference to move from statement to action and discuss the Association's action plan and new services in this area.

More http://www.iau-aiu.net/

World University Rankings Seminar "Identifying Excellence and Diversity in International Education: Rankings and Beyond",
18 May 2011, Paris, France

At a time of intense global interest in university quality and performance, how this is measured continues to be a topic of hot debate. This year's seminar brings together world-leading authorities on higher education quality to examine the role and contribution of rankings; their strengths and limitations; and most importantly, how they are developing and evolving over time.

Join high profile speakers including Jan Sadlak from IREG Observatory, Richard Yelland from OECD, Monique Canto-Sperber from ENS, Yasushi Adachi from Elsevier BV, Ben Sowter and Nunzio Quacquarelli from QS Quacquarelli Symonds and Kevin Downing from City University of Hong Kong, as they share valuable insight and debate issues crucial to universities in their quest for excellence and international recognition.

Results of the 2011 QS World University Rankings® by Natural Sciences disciplines will also be announced, revealing the top ranked universities for Earth and Marine Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Metallurgy and Materials, Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry, and Mathematics. This rankings and evaluation seminar will take place at: ENS Paris, 45, rue d'Ulm / 29 rue d'Ulm, F-75230 Paris cedex 05. Room number will be revealed at a later date.

Limited places filling fast. Reserve your seat now by registering below. This event is free to the academic community.

More http://www.topuniversities.com/professional/seminars?dotmailer=email&dm_i=76

Annual ENQA Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) Seminar,
16-17 June 2011, Helsinki, Finland

ENQA, in cooperation with FINHEEC, will organize a seminar on theme "Learning from each other – using benchmarking to develop IQA" to be held on 16-17 June, 2011 in Helsinki, Finland. This marks the annual meeting of the ENQA IQA Group.

The overarching theme of the seminar is how to use benchmarking, applied in practical level, in developing an agency's internal quality assurance. Agencies will compare their own practices with others (emphasized on a certain focus area) during January-May 2011 and report about it in the seminar.

The following themes for benchmarking are planned:
- Benchmarking of resources
- Benchmarking of performance indicators
- Benchmarking of on the follow-up of feedback
- Benchmarking of staff competence/development

Further information will be made available soon.

More http://www.enqa.eu/eventitem.lasso?id=361&cont=eventDetail

14-16 July 2011, Sibiu, Romania
3rd International Conference on Institutional Strategic Quality Management (ISQM 2011)

The 3rd International Conference on Institutional Strategic Quality Management (ISQM 2011) will be held from 14-16 July 2011, in Sibiu, Romania, organized by the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education - ARACIS.
The exchange of information and experiences on topics related to quality assurance in higher education has so far proved to be of a great importance for developing appropriate mechanisms and procedure in the field. By organising the envisaged conference, ARACIS intends to provide opportunities for exploring jointly with you new developments and approaches in the area of academic quality assurance.
All interested parties are invited to submit a paper to the upcoming 3rd International Conference on Institutional Strategic Quality Management (ISQM 2011), to be held from 14-16 July 2011, in Sibiu, Romania, organized by the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education - ARACIS.

The selected papers will be published in the ISQM 2011 Proceedings which will include different chapters dealing with various aspects of the main topics:
- The impact of international cooperation in Quality Assurance of Higher Education
- International evaluation in Higher Education Institutions
- New environments and challenges in Higher Education
- The Best Practices in Quality Management, new policies and practices in Higher Education
- Transnational Education on the Quality Assurance of Higher Education Evaluation
- Labour market and Bologna graduates
- Accreditation and recognition of the joint study program.

IMPORTANT DATES:
Paper Submission: March 31, 2011
Notification of paper acceptance: April 30, 2011
Receipt of final paper: June 01, 2011
Final Registration: June 20, 2011

More http://isqm2011.aracis.ro/cms/

13-15 April 2011, Aarhus University, Denmark
INVESTING TODAY IN TALENT FOR TOMORROW

The European University Association’s Annual Conference 2011 at Aarhus University, Denmark marks the 10th Anniversary of the EUA.
The anniversary provides the opportunity to take stock and consider where to go next. The EUA Annual Conference 2011 will launch discussions of future priorities and the most important milestones for EUA in the next decade.
The theme of the conference is talent development – a topic of high relevance for the future competitiveness of Europe. We face the challenge of making the European area for higher education and research an attractive destination for the best researchers and students in the world without, however, compromising the provision of mass education. With the Bologna Process a united Europe has already demonstrated that the European model is extremely competitive and durable. Now it is time to identify ways of using this position to attract and develop the bright minds of tomorrow.
Participants in the EUA Annual Conference 2011 will:

Contribute to the discussion of EUA’s priorities for the next decade
Discuss ways for Europe to increase its attractiveness for research talent
Become acquainted with best practice in the organisation of career development paths for young researchers
Consider the challenge of balancing talent development with the obligation to provide more young Europeans with higher education learning opportunities
Exchange ideas on how to strengthen collaboration across borders on the management of quality and content in the third Bologna cycle
Learn about state-of-the-art approaches to attracting and retaining talent internationally

The EUA Annual Conference 2011 and EUA 10th Anniversary at Aarhus University will bring together university leaders, researchers, students, policymakers and stakeholders to discuss the challenge of nurturing the talent present in Europe’s higher education institutions. Please join us at Aarhus University for EUA’s Annual Conference 2011 and EUA 10th Anniversary and share your thoughts and ideas with colleagues from all over Europe.

More http://www.eua.be//aarhus.aspx

25-27 May 2011, Vancouver, Canada
Levelling the International Playing Field: A New Global Regionalism for Sustainable Partnerships, Student Mobility and Open and Distance Learning

The Global Forum on Cross-Border Higher Education is set to bring together global leaders from higher education, government, and business to engage in strategic policy discussions about the major issues, policies, and practices facing borderless higher education.
The theme for the 2011 Global Forum, ‘Levelling the International Playing Field: A New Global Regionalism for Sustainable Partnerships, Student Mobility and Open and Distance Learning’, will address various dimensions of cross-border higher education and the political, cultural, social, economic and educational impacts on the host country and region.
The 2011 Global Forum will examine four primary subthemes that are transforming borderless higher education. These include:
A. New Global Regionalism
The emergence of regional higher education networks for building partnerships, facilitating interregional student mobility, and fostering greater awareness and connections of common cultural, social, language, and heritage across the region.
B. The Student Experience
The services that enhance the holistic student experience for international students and successful models for providing these services. How are issues of culture, language and social 'norms' of international students addressed in curriculum and assessment?
C. Open and Distance Learning
Global applications of open and distance learning systems in borderless higher education at the regional and global levels. Moreover, the use of ODL delivery systems to provide HE access to underserved student populations, working adults, and geographically isolated rural communities and cultures.
D. International Quality Assurance
The shifting and changing landscape of quality assurance and assessment models for ensuring quality in borderless higher education programmes. Will the challenging fiscal environment for higher education be a catalyst for more diploma mill providers and low-quality providers attempting to take advantage of this depressed market?

Who should attend . . .

Senior leadership and management staff (e.g., Presidents, Pro Vice-Chancellors, Rectors, Provosts, public relations Vice Presidents, Finance Officers, etc.) at universities planning or currently engaged in leading transnational higher education programmes;
Representatives from quality assurance agencies and ministries of education with oversight responsibilities for cross-border higher education, accreditation, qualification frameworks, and assessment standards;
Deans, Directors and department faculty chairpersons with academic programme oversight responsibilities for potential cross-border delivery;Student and academic support professionals with responsibilities for providing services to international students and facult;
Open and distance learning Directors, Managers, instructional designers, evaluation specialists, and marketing professionals; and
Corporate leaders who are planning and/or are currently partnering with universities in the delivery of international programmes.

Organised by The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education in collaboration with ICEF, the 2011 Global Forum will take place in May 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver, in Vancouver, Canada.

More http://www.obhe.ac.uk/the_2011_global_forum__canada/overview

6–8 December 2010, Lahore, Pakistan 3rd International Conference on Assessing Quality in Higher Education (ICAQHE, 2010)

From 6th - 8th December, 2010 the 3rd ICAQHE to be held in Lahore, Pakistan. The conference will be jointly organized by the Institute of Quality & Technology Management, University of the Punjab, Lahore, National Textile University, Faisalabad, University of Management & Technology, Lahore and Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro - Pakistan. There will be an interactive as well as attractive and rigorous scientific program around the theme "Quality Modeling in Higher Education". This is in recognition of the growing significance of TQM Quality Approaches, Customer Services Relationship and Evaluation Model in context of Higher Education. Similarly to understand concepts of Higher Education, its needs and trends in global context is significant. The conference theme is relevant to academicians, researchers and practitioners. Papers on other related topics will also be considered for presentation. The International Conference on Assessing Quality in Higher Education aims to bring together academic scientists, leading engineers, industry researchers and scholar students to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of Assessing Quality in Higher Education, and discuss the practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted.

More http://www.icaqhe2010.org

18-20 November 2010, Lyon, France 5th European Quality Assurance Forum "Building bridges: making sense of QA in European, national and institutional contexts"

Co-organized by ENQA, ESU, EUA and EURASHE and supported by the Lifelong Learning Program of the European Commission, the forum will be hosted by the University Claude Bernard , Lyon, France on 18–20, November 2010. The EQAF provides a unique platform for the higher education and QA communities to follow, shape and anticipate developments in the area. The main purpose of the event is to foster a dialogue on quality assurance that bridges national boundaries and leads to a truly European discussion on QA in higher education (notably through the Bologna process higher education reforms), and to create a common European understanding of QA through a dialogue among different stakeholder groups.

More http://www.eua.be/EQAF-Lyon.aspx

20-23 October 2010, Palermo, Italy European University Association (EUA) Annual Conference: Diversities and Commonalities – the changing face of Europe’s universities

In response to the multiple demands of to-day’s knowledge societies, universities across Europe are moving to sharpen their distinctive institutional profiles while also maintaining their common cultural heritage and shared values. The Palermo conference will explore the evolving nature of Europe’s universities. It will take account of the impact both of external pressures to respond to different demands at system level and of internal developments, examining the complex interplay of factors shaping the modern university. Goals and Objectives The Palermo conference will address the various forces pushing for institutional change and in particular for greater diversification in European higher education, how these impact on universities, and what this means in relation to the common values upheld by universities that constitute a unique contribution to our societies. The key objective is to assist institutional leaders in understanding better and in responding to the different pressures they face, in particular to focus and sharpen their specific institutional profiles. The Conference will highlight examples of strategies and practices adopted by university leaders in different contexts and designed to enhance specific institutional missions, as well as to attract and retain high quality staff, cater to diverse student profiles, and consider incentives for developing diverse research strategies and research portfolios. The current economic crisis, increasingly limited financial resources and serious government cutbacks in many countries make consideration of these topics crucial, with many institutions under pressure to make difficult decisions as a result of mergers or other change processes as well as fierce global competition. The conference should be of interest to institutional leaders (Rectors, vice rectors, heads of administration, students), as well as other bodies with an interest in higher education policy. Hosted by: the University of Palermo

More http://www.eua.be//palermo.aspx

14-16 October 2010, Sinaia, Romania Second International Conference on Institutional Strategic Quality Management (ISQM 2010)

The Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ARACIS) cordially invites you to attend and/or submit a paper to the upcoming 2nd International Conference on Institutional Strategic Quality Management (ISQM 2010), organised by ARACIS and held on 14-16 October 2010, in Sinaia, Romania.
Conference aims
The exchange of information and experiences on topics related to quality assurance in higher education has so far proved to be of great importance for developing appropriate mechanisms and procedure in the field. By organising the envisaged conference, ARACIS intends to provide opportunities for jointly exploring new developments and approaches in the area of academic quality assurance.

Call for papers
The selected papers will be published in the ISQM 2010 Proceedings which will include different chapters dealing with various aspects of the main topics.

The deadline for abstract submissions is 5 May, 2010

For further information, including conference topics, aims and paper abstract details, please see here.

More http://www.enqa.eu/eventitem.lasso?id=314

15 October 2010, Brussels, Belgium

"Everyone wants a world-class university. No country feels it can do without one. The problem is that no one knows what a world-class university is, and no one has figured out how to get one." This is the verdict on the ‘world-class university’ of one of the renowned speakers at this ACA European Policy Seminar and leading experts on the issue, Philip Altbach of Boston College. As Altbach points out, the ‘concept’ is as hotly debated as it is vague and little understood. In short, it is a challenge. This one-day seminar aims to familiarise participants with the state-of- the-art thinking on what constitutes a ‘world-class university’ and what it takes to build one. More in detail, it will address the role of internationalisation, funding, and governance in the creation of internationally excellent higher education institutions analyse the link between the world-class concept and the recent emergence of global rankings ask – and answer – the question who needs one – or more – world class universities; explore the link between world-class universities and the entire higher education system, by asking the question which “undergrowth” of other institutions an internationally leading university needs in order to thrive;explore alternative concepts of excellence beyond that of the research university; scrutinise the role of teaching and learning in excellence.

More http://www.aca-secretariat.be/index.php?id=433

23-24 September 2010, Helsinki, Finland Seventh ENQA General Assembly

The Seventh ENQA General Assembly will be hosted by the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC).
The General Assembly is open to all ENQA members, associates, affiliates and invited guests.
Year 2010 marks the 10th anniversary of ENQA. Hence, day one will be devoted to a seminar celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Association. Day two will be reserved for all organisational and administrative matters (including the election of the new ENQA Board) in which only full and candidate members are able to actively participate. All other participants may attend day two as observers.

More http://www.enqa.eu/eventitem.lasso?id=321&cont=eventDetail

9-10 September 2010, Vienna, Austria ENQA Workshop - Quality Assurance and Learning Outcomes

ENQA, in cooperation with FHR - Fachhochschulrat, is organising a workshop on quality assurance and learning outcomes which will be held on 9-10 September 2010 in Vienna, Austria.
The workshop will address the question of what stakeholders expect from quality assurance agencies in connection with learning outcome orientation. The opportunities and challenges of the learning outcome orientation in the higher education sector will be discussed from different perspectives. The workshop will try to define the role that learning outcomes should play in external quality assurance and how they can or should be considered within the scope of external quality assurance.
The workshop is addressed mainly to ENQA members, associates and affiliates.

More http://www.enqa.eu/eventitem.lasso?id=317&cont=eventDetail

20 May 2010

The third, final round of the Open International Student Internet-Olympiad in Mathematics
The shortlist of finalists can be found here www.i-olymp.ru

30 April 2010

The Altai State Technical University team became the absolute winner in the team championship of the Open International Student Internet-Olympiad in Mathematics (www.i-olymp.ru)

22 April 2010

The 15th anniversary of the Accreditation System in Russia

March 2010

The best educational programs of the Krasnodar region, the Rostov region, and of the Republic of Tatarstan were selected. (www.best-edu.ru)

November 2009

The project “The Best Educational Programs of Innovative Russia” was launched.