Amman, Sept. 7 (Petra) -- Lebanon's Minister of Education and Higher Education, Rima Karami, and her accompanying delegation reviewed Jordan's experience in accreditation and quality assurance, as well as the development of its accreditation system and the mechanisms of the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission (AQAC), during an official visit to the Kingdom.

The visit took place on Monday during a tour of AQAC's headquarters, where Karami met with its president, Dhafer Sarayreh, in the presence of the Commission's vice president, Dr. Saad Bani Mohammad, as well as a number of department directors and specialists.

Sarayreh outlined the establishment and development of Jordan's accreditation and quality assurance system, saying it began with the expansion of private higher education and evolved through successive legislative frameworks until the creation of an independent accreditation and quality assurance commission.

He said the system had recently expanded its mandate following the merger of the Vocational and Technical Skills Development Commission, bringing vocational and technical education and training under its remit alongside higher education.

He explained that the system had moved beyond a focus on quantitative requirements, such as student and faculty numbers, facilities, and equipment, towards a more comprehensive framework that combines quantitative and qualitative standards and addresses the quality of the educational process, its outcomes, and its impact, with continuous monitoring to ensure sustained quality.

Licensing and accreditation are two complementary regulatory stages, he said. Licensing is granted by a decision of the Higher Education Council in accordance with applicable legislation, while the Commission handles accreditation procedures and verifies compliance with the required standards. Obtaining a license does not automatically mean that an institution has received accreditation.

Quality is assessed at the institutional, faculty and program levels, while outcomes are measured through various tools, including competency tests. Accreditation is a continuous process that includes follow-up, evaluation, and renewal, he added.

Sarayreh also highlighted the system's orientation towards international standards and practices, particularly in medical disciplines, which has strengthened the focus on qualitative standards and the development of assessment tools. It has also encouraged universities to obtain prestigious international and regional accreditations while ensuring the credibility of accrediting bodies and avoiding commercial entities that do not provide genuine academic value.

He said the Commission was developing standards that keep pace with developments in information technology, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence in cooperation with the private sector, helping align academic programs with labor market needs.

Accreditation standards are subject to continuous review to keep pace with scientific and technological developments, he added.

Sarayreh said the Commission monitors institutions' compliance with standards and takes the necessary measures in cases of shortcomings, stressing that accreditation is not merely a regulatory tool but also a means of development, improvement, and fostering innovation.

He called for the periodic review of curricula, linking them to labor market needs and ensuring their effective implementation, stressing that the quality of faculty members, including their qualifications, experience, and research output, is a fundamental pillar of educational quality.

He also stressed the importance of the accuracy of data submitted to international ranking bodies and a proper understanding of their methodologies. New standards should be introduced gradually by giving institutions sufficient time before moving to the stage of verifying compliance, he said.

The Commission's role extends to guidance and support, rather than oversight alone, making it an effective tool for improving the quality of education and its outcomes, he added.

For her part, Karami praised Jordan's experience in accreditation and quality assurance, stressing the importance of exchanging expertise among Arab quality assurance bodies and institutions and benefiting from different experiences while taking into account the cultural and social specificities of each country.

She cautioned against the literal adoption of external models without adapting them to the local context.

Karami stressed the importance of involving employers, practitioners, and professionals in the development of academic programs and quality standards, linking educational outcomes to labor market needs, expanding practical training opportunities for students, and drawing on professional expertise alongside academic experience in the educational process.

She also highlighted the importance of strengthening scientific research, academic publishing, and institutional capacity building, and benefiting from studies that identify gaps between graduates' skills and labor market needs.

Such efforts would help develop programs, curricula, and accreditation standards that are more closely aligned with reality and development needs, she said.

Sarayreh and Karami discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between Jordan and Lebanon in accreditation and quality assurance, including the exchange of expertise, studies and best practices, enhancing direct communication between specialists and technical committees, and organizing meetings and technical visits.

They also discussed supporting academic cooperation, student and faculty exchanges, and using virtual meetings to follow up on technical issues and exchange knowledge.

The two sides stressed the importance of establishing direct channels of communication between institutions and relevant bodies and designating technical focal points to accelerate the exchange of information and expertise and follow up on areas of cooperation.

Such measures would enhance mutual benefit from the Jordanian and Lebanese experiences in developing education, accreditation, and quality assurance systems, they said.

//Petra// AF