Wittenborg Leads the Way at IQAinAR Final Conference in Baku

The IQAinAR Conference in Baku Concludes with Focus on Project Management

From 2 to 6 December 2024, representatives from Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences played a central role in the IQAinAR Final Conference, held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The event marked the culmination of the Erasmus+ research project Internal Quality Assurance in Azerbaijan and Russia (IQAinAR), funded by the European Union.

Wittenborg's CEO Maggie Feng, Head of the School of Business Rauf Abdul, and Financial Administrator Amal Abi Orm attended the conference, which sought to enhance internal quality assurance (IQA) practices in higher education institutions across Azerbaijan and Russia.

This initiative brought together international partners, including Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Nakhchivan State University, Azerbaijan Technical University, Fundación Universitaria San Antonio from Spain and the Education Quality Assurance Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (TKTA).

Driving Quality Assurance Excellence

Abdul described the most impactful aspect of the project as “seeing international benchmarks in Internal Quality Assurance and the endorsement of our system at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences.” He emphasised Wittenborg's leadership in implementing structured IQA approaches across three Azerbaijani universities and establishing a training hub for TKTA, the national education quality assurance body.

Highlights of the Conference

The five-day conference featured a blend of training sessions, workshops and research presentations, with a strong focus on knowledge sharing and collaboration. Feng also delivered a keynote presentation that reflected on the project’s achievements and its transformative impact on higher education institutions in Azerbaijan.

Abdul noted, “The moment that stood out was the achievement of the project's key goals across partner universities and the significant impact it had on Azerbaijani higher education, with TKTA poised to continue playing a vital role.”

A public dissemination conference on 4 December attracted external universities and emphasised the importance of quality assurance in higher education. Abdul presented a co-authored research paper titled Exploring Stakeholders’ Perceptions on Internal Quality Assurance Mechanisms in Azerbaijani Higher Education. The paper investigated stakeholder perceptions in two Azerbaijani universities and explored challenges such as weak communication and resource constraints.

Findings and Future Directions

The research revealed that while Azerbaijani universities have robust IQA practices, there is room for improvement, especially in fostering a pervasive quality culture and leveraging emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI). “Although recent developments in AI technologies can offer benefits for IQA, faculty training on using AI tools is essential,” Abdul said.

Looking ahead, he emphasised the importance of ensuring sustainability: “The next steps involve TKTA and Azerbaijani HEIs implementing the IQAinAR hub sustainably, ensuring long-term benefits and continuous improvement in quality assurance practices.”

A Legacy of Collaboration and Innovation

Orm summed up the event’s success, stating, “The public conference on 4 December stood out, attracting numerous external universities and highlighting the significance of internal quality assurance in higher education institutions.”

The conference not only celebrated the project’s accomplishments but also laid the groundwork for continued progress in the years to come, with Wittenborg at the foarefront of innovation and quality assurance in higher education.