Ukrainian Education Quality Forum (UQAF–2024)

On September 25-26, a delegation of the Zaporizhzhia Polytechnic National University consisting of the Chairman of the Academic Council Volodymyr Bakhrushyn, Vice-Rector for Scientific and Pedagogical Work and Development Prospects of the University Ruslan Kulikovsky, Head of the Department of Prospective Development, Licensing, Accreditation and Education Quality Alena Stadnik, and Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering Mykola Antonov took part in the Ukrainian Education Quality Forum (UQAF–2024).

The forum brought together experts, scientists, representatives of educational institutions and state bodies, which ensured an active exchange of experience and best practices in the field of higher education. The event brought together over 800 participants from all regions of the country, and foreign educators also joined the forum.

The participation of our delegation in the forum allowed us to gain important knowledge and directions for further development of the university’s internal quality assurance system.

One of the key issues of the forum was the reform of the system of external quality assurance of higher education in Ukraine. The speakers emphasized the importance of creating a flexible accreditation and evaluation system that would meet the requirements of the time and innovative approaches to education. Universities were recommended to actively use IT technologies for monitoring and internal quality assurance of educational programs, which allows increasing the transparency and efficiency of management processes.

The forum paid considerable attention to European experience in the field of education quality, in particular the role of independent agencies that provide accreditation and evaluation of university programs. Ukrainian universities received recommendations on adapting internal quality management systems to European requirements. This will allow us not only to raise our educational standards, but also to promote integration into the European educational space, which opens up new opportunities for international cooperation.

The forum also became a platform for establishing international relations and cooperation in the field of ensuring the quality of education. The participants discussed the possibilities of participating in European projects and academic mobility programs, which will allow universities to gain access to the best world practices, as well as attract resources to improve the educational process. The participation of higher education institutions in international initiatives will contribute to increasing our competitiveness and development at the global level.

UQAF–2024 showed that the key areas for Ukrainian universities are digitalization, adaptation to European standards, and strengthening international cooperation. Ukrainian universities can significantly improve their quality assurance systems by using European experience and innovative approaches to educational process management.