The Sharjah Private Education Authority and the Sharjah Education Academy, in cooperation with the British Quality Assurance Agency, organised a seminar entitled “Enhancing Academic Excellence, Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education” at the academy’s headquarters in the University City.
During the seminar, Khawla Al Hosani, Deputy Director of the Sharjah Education Academy, stressed the importance of developing quality standards and academic excellence to achieve the vision of the Emirate of Sharjah as a leading educational destination regionally and internationally and the importance of cooperation in promoting innovation and sustainability of education quality, with a focus on the role of leadership in building a distinguished educational environment.
Dr. Mohammed Yousef Bani Yas, Advisor for Higher Education Affairs at the Sharjah Private Education Authority, said that the seminar aimed to focus on the latest educational trends and international standards, with a focus on developing higher education outcomes and the importance of having clear career paths for students, which contributes to preparing them effectively for their future jobs and exploring the best ways through which universities can improve the quality of education and ensure that their academic programmes are compatible with the requirements of the labour market.
He added that this seminar seeks to achieve professional excellence for faculty members by enhancing their roles as practising university professors capable of contributing to practical training for students within the educational process, which supports building distinguished generations capable of keeping pace with future challenges.
The seminar discussed the higher education strategy of the Sharjah Private Education Authority, the standards of the British Quality Assurance Agency and its role in international accreditation, and the importance of integrating quality assurance practices into various institutional processes, starting from academic planning and reaching the path of students and graduates.
For her part, Julie Till, Global Director of the British Quality Assurance Agency, said that the agency looks forward to establishing a fruitful and long-term partnership with the Sharjah Private Education Authority and the Sharjah Education Academy to enhance quality assurance in higher education, which contributes to improving the educational experience and developing its outcomes for the benefit of students and graduates.
She also touched on the benefits of international accreditation for universities, reviewing models of universities that have successfully achieved international accreditation from the British Quality Assurance Agency. She also explained the agency’s international accreditation methodology and the standards on which it is based.
Additionally, she emphasised the fundamentals of quality assurance in achieving excellence in learning outcomes, developing educational systems, and reviewing the most prominent future trends, challenges and opportunities facing higher education institutions in the country to achieve academic excellence.
