Today, the second and key working day of the Forum “Quality Assurance in Higher Education: Current State and Development Prospects” took place at Nazarbayev University.

The central highlight of the day was the address by the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sayasat Nurbek, who summarized the outcomes of 2025 and outlined the strategic priorities for the further development of the higher and postgraduate education system. In his speech, the Minister emphasized the need to move from formal control mechanisms to sustainable internal quality assurance systems, to strengthen universities’ responsibility for educational and research outcomes, and to integrate digital and AI-based tools into management and quality control processes.

Within the framework of the Forum’s thematic sessions, participants discussed new approaches to assessing the quality of research outcomes and PhD training, the role of dissertation councils and academic supervision, improvements to state regulation and risk management in higher education, as well as international best practices in quality assurance and global academic competitiveness.

The plenary session, attended by the leadership of the Ministry, university rectors and vice-rectors, and international experts, provided a platform for in-depth and constructive professional dialogue.

The Forum once again confirmed that ensuring the quality of higher education is a continuous and systemic process requiring coordinated efforts by the state, universities, and the academic community.