Quality in education is a system of values, a position and a culture. It changes the existing form and permanence of the evolutionary efforts. Quality is a process. The concept of quality enhancement is more important than simple quality assurance and quality control.
As with other former Soviet Union states, Azerbaijan had an historical commitment to higher education. That commitment however, was relatively rigid in process, with minimal scope for institutional innovation, initiative and self-reliance. Teaching was fundamentally didactic in form with little attention paid to the learning needs and processes of the students.
This is changing. Led by Azerbaijan's oil and other material resources, it is at the forefront of substantial economic and social developments, including higher education. But such transformation is not easily accomplished in the short term. Adequate financial resources are currently unavailable to the Education sector. Azerbaijani higher education needs opportunities to 'learn by example' according to international 'best practice'. This Center is established to impact national context through direct application within Khazar University as well as through wider dissemination.
Tempus Projects
2011-2014
Documentation for Quality Assurance of Study Programmes
The project aims to define and to implement an on-line documentation system for the QA of SPs in the Partner Countries (PCs), consistent with the European Standards and Guidelines for QA.
Project coordinator:
Project participants:
Ministry of Edication of Azerbaijan
Kazakh Leading Academy of Architecture and Civli Engineering
Kazakh "Ablai Khan" University for International Relations and World Languages
Kazakh National Technical University N.A. K.I.Satpayev
Eurasian National University N.A.L. Gumilyov
Independent Kazakhstan Agency for Quality Assurance in Education
National Center for Assessing Quality of Education
Ministry of Education and Science of Republic of Kazakhstan
Kyrgyz National University N.A. Jussup Balasagyn
Bishkek Academy of Finance and Economics
Ministry of Education and Science of Kyrgyz Republic
Tajik Institute of Entrepreneurship and Services
Technological University of Tajikistan
Ministry of Education of Republic of Tajikistan
CRUI - Conference of Italian University Rectors
Consorzio inter-universitario calcolo automatico italiano N.O.
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava
Outcomes:
DoQuP Model for the quality assurance of study programmes
2008
Tempus project “Designing Quality Assurance Systems in Azerbaijani Universities” enhanced the Quality Assurance Center at Khazar University by establishing Centers for Quality Assurance at Baku State University and State University of Languages.
Intensive cooperation with the University of Winchester (UK) Carlos III University (Spain) and the University of Warsaw (Poland) resulted in Azerbaijani training, supervision and expert support in quality assurance.
1999-2001
The Tempus Tacis Compact Project “Quality Assurance Centre Development at Khazar University” was implemented in cooperation with Nottingham Trent University (UK) and Haarlem University (Netherlands).