Webinar Islamic Quality Assurance (IQA)

BACKGROUND The Covid-19 pandemic is forcing a rethink in higher education accreditation. Higher education institutions (HEIs) are pushed to move all learning processes to online platforms, while still ensuring the delivery of education with quality standards. More importantly, the pandemic has also urged the external quality assurance agencies (EQAAs) to adopt a range of strategies to maintain the quality of HEIs. As the Covid-19 pandemic affects the quality of educational processes within HEIs, there is a need for agility to rediscover the model of quality standards. In such circumstances, two aspects are necessary to consider. First, there is a need for a response to the crisis which focuses on how EQAAs adjust policies and strategies in the practice of higher education accreditation. Second, seeing how the current phenomenon might reshape the roles and functions of EQAAs, it is also paramount to discuss the way forward to the new norm in higher education accreditation. It is also important to recognize that the challenges and practices of higher education accreditation are varied, even prior to the COVID-19. The pandemic poses an additional challenge in quality assurance and therefore makes it even more important for EQAAs to address and share insights and experiences. Inspired by these concerns, the IQA intends to organize a series of webinars on the importance of managing quality assurance in Islamic higher education. This event aims to pursue the mutual interests of universities and agencies altogether. It would also allow the exchange of knowledge between panelists and participants about their excellent knowledge and experiences. OBJECTIVES This webinar series is aiming:

1. To provide a forum for EQAAs in discussing potentials of strategies and policies for higher education accreditation as well as the contemporary standpoint of the quality standards in response to the pandemic.
2. To provide universities’ policy makers with the updated perspective on the quality assurance management of higher education during the pandemic.
3. To provide a forum to discuss the best practices and options in developing quality standards in Islamic studies.
4. To stimulate all members to take part in the agendas of IQA, especially about initiation to establish an international council on Islamic studies and Arabic accreditation.