World Bank’s Modernizing Higher Education Project discussed
On July 16 this year, an online meeting dedicated to the results of the next World Bank mission on Modernizing Higher Education Project was held.
It was attended by the head of the State Inspectorate for Supervision of the Quality of Education Ulugbek Tashkenbaev, Deputy Minister of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education Rakhimjon Khakimov, Senior Specialist in Global Education Practice of the World Bank, Project Manager Diego Ambasz, Consultant on Education Quality Javier Botero, and Senior Education Specialist and the Education Statistics Coordinator Husein Abdul Hamid.
Several issues related to improving the quality of the education system in Uzbekistan, introducing a management information system in universities, and granting them academic independence were discussed at the meeting.
Ulugbek Tashkenbayev, head of the Education Inspectorate, recognizing the practical support of international experts in these processes, gave information on the work carried out under the project:
– At the initiative of the President, great attention is paid to the radical reform of the higher education system in Uzbekistan. These processes are planned to be carried out in stages, where the initial stage is aimed at increasing the coverage, improving the financial situation of the university, and material support for professors and teachers.
In this regard, the Head of the state is not limited to numbers only. One of the priority areas is the regular improvement of quality indicators in universities.
Modernizing Higher Education Project, which is supported by financial and technical support from the World Bank, is of particular importance in the implementation of these objectives.
Over the past two years, in cooperation with responsible ministries and higher education organizations, an information system for the management of higher education has been developed and gradually introduced. In addition, the systems for ensuring the internal and external quality of education are being improved taking into account the advanced foreign experience and national characteristics.
At the same time, great steps are being taken to give academic independence to educational institutions, to promote their responsibility for the quality of education. Academic independence also requires a quality assurance system for education. External standards for outer quality assurance in education have been developed to support and stimulate these processes.
This, in turn, requires the perfection of the system of internal quality assurance of education in higher education institutions. On the one hand, this gives them great freedom, but on the other, it places great responsibility for ensuring the quality of education, — said the head of the Inspectorate for Education.
In turn, the head of the project implemented by the World Bank, Diego Ambasz, recognizing the results achieved by Uzbekistan in modernizing the higher education system, touched upon future directions of cooperation.
– Uzbekistan has achieved good results within the framework of Modernizing Higher Education Project. Now, before investing in new projects, we must determine the priority areas of cooperation. If acceptable to all parties, the organization of a higher education forum in October, in collaboration with the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Inspectorate of Education, ministries, and partner agencies, could be an important step in defining plans for the future.
At the same time, to accelerate these processes, the development of regional cooperation in higher education is of great importance. These ties of cooperation will serve to increase the quality indicators of education not only in one country, but also in the region, enhancing partnerships in higher education, increasing mobility between teachers and students, and mutual coordination of processes to ensure the quality of education.
When this project is completed, we hope that, by the end of 2022, we will achieve the creation of a new accreditation system aimed at ensuring the quality of education in Uzbekistan
Following the meeting, an agreement was reached to continue cooperation on the issues raised.
