Academic Integrity as a factor in ensuring the quality of higher education
Seminar on Academic Integrity in Higher Education
On March 15, 2024, the Higher Education Development National Centre held a seminar on the basis of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University for representatives of higher education institutions on "Academic Integrity as a factor in ensuring the quality of higher education", aimed at promoting the principle of "Law and Order".
The event was opened with a welcoming speech by Zhanna Yesinbaeva, Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Higher and Postgraduate Education of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan: "Academic Integrity today continues to be a relevant topic. There are a number of issues that have not yet been resolved and require discussion. In this direction the Ministry has adopted a number of documents, including conceptual and methodological. The League of Academic Integrity, which includes 18 higher education institutions of the country, is also working. As a result of the seminar we expect concrete statements and recommendations".
The seminar was continued by Karlygash Sakenova, Head of the Department of External Evaluation and Analysis of the Committee for Quality Assurance in Science and Higher Education of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the topic of the report "Academic Integrity - aspects of regulatory support".
The meeting was attended by more than 300 representatives of Kazakhstani universities, represented by vice-rectors for academic affairs, heads of departments for academic affairs and teaching staff of universities.
Sergey Pen, Provost of Maqsut Narikbayev University, spoke about the basic principles of academic integrity of students. Olga Yanovskaya, Advisor to the Director-General of the Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating, made an interesting report on the topic of promoting the culture of quality assurance of education and academic integrity of students. In the course of the seminar were also discussed: the issues of academic integrity on the case of master's thesis defense by Askhat Chukurov, Vice-Rector of Khalel Dosmukhamedov Atyrau State University; modern approaches to academic integrity by Gulmira Bekmanova, Director of the Department of Digital Development and Distance Learning of L.N. Gumilyov ENU and academic integrity in the age of artificial intelligence by Beibit Abdikenov, Assistant Professor at Astana IT University. The moderator was Aydos Mukhataev, scientific director of the project of programme-targeted funding to improve the competitiveness of higher education institutions of Kazakhstan through re-engineering of the national system of quality assurance of higher education.
Based on the results of the discussion of the presented reports, the seminar participants recommended that Kazakhstani universities pay special attention to: developing among students, teaching staff and university staff an uncompromising attitude towards all types of offenses and a culture of respect for the law, developing honesty in everyday life, as well as strict adherence to the principles of the Code of Academic Integrity. From a broader perspective, the experts' proposals are aimed at strengthening the principle of "Law and Order" in the higher education system.
