Prof. Dr.  Aamir Ijaz, Director QEC, University of the Punjab, Lahore, attended an international conference on “Innovations in External Quality Assessment: Chain of Quality” organized by Asia Pacific Quality Network(APQN) in collaboration with “office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment”  (ONESQA) Thailand, that was held in Bangkok, Thailand on 13-14 February, 2013. High ranked officials and administrators from different member countries of APQN participated in the conference. The main objective of the conference was to share and discuss the External Quality Assessment (EQA) trends and innovations.

 

During the conference Director, QEC in a meeting with other participants manifested the importance and effective role played by Higher Education Commission (HEC) to meet the international standards of education in Pakistan. Director also briefed the participants that how Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC), PU is conducting self assessment activities in the university and shared good practices and problems in performing self assessment activities.

 

It was observed in the conference that almost all universities of Asia Pacific region are facing the same kind of problems in initiating External Self Assessment (EQA) procedure as heads of the universities are conscious about expected virulent reaction. It was suggested in the conference that centralized higher education bodies like HEC in Pakistan should play their role in initiating and exploring External Self Assessment (EQA) activities in all affiliated higher education institutes.

 

At the end of conference APQN members were encouraged to establish collaborative network with each other to uplift the quality of higher education.