Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Conference of Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research
Date: 04-05 October 2011
Venue: Riyadh - Saudi Arabia

The Islamic Conference of Ministers of Higher Education and Scientific Research held its Extraordinary Session, under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, in Riyadh-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 4-5 October 2011 with the participation of OIC Ministers of Higher Education, observer states, OIC institutions, and higher education specialists from the OIC Member States. Mr. Huseyin Hakan Eryetli, Director of Publications and IT Department, represented the Centre thereat.

The opening session started with an address by the Ministry of Higher Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, H.E. Dr. Khaled Al Ankary, wherein he conveyed to the participants the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdulah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, welcoming them to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He stated that the conference presents an ample opportunity to find new mechanisms likely to help upgrade higher education institutions to global standards and contribute to speed up progress, which requires the Islamic world’s countries to step up their efforts aimed at developing their universities, boosting enrolment rates, supporting their research centres and improving their output quality.

The Extraordinary Session adopted the document on “Key Performance Indicators: A Guide for Assessment and Quality, Enhancement for Universities in the Islamic World” which serves to help improve the quality, research and performance of universities in the Islamic world through the use of key performance indicators (KPIs), guidelines and procedures taken from those of international experiences or best practices around the world. The document was prepared in pursuance to the decision of the Fifth Session of the Ministerial Conference of Higher Education (Kuala Lumpur, 19 – 20 October 2010) that requested the OIC General Secretariat and ISESCO to present it to the Extraordinary Ministerial Meeting.

The Extraordinary Session also provided the ministers the opportunity to exchange views and share knowledge and experiences. Among the country cases mentioned, the assistance of Turkey to enhance the education level of Somalia drew attention of the participants. The Turkish government and civil society organisations donated scholarship opportunities to hundreds of Somali students who recenty graduated from the high schools and universities in the country for receiving higher education in Turkey. Besides the case of Somalia, Afghanistan and Pakistan also had exchange of views at the university rectors level with the Higher Education Board of Turkey to establish quality assurance in higher education.

The Resolution the Conference called for the organisation of seminars and workshops to generate awareness and understanding of the document on “Key Performance Indicators: A Guide for Assessment and Quality, Enhancement for Universities in the Islamic World”. It also called upon the Member States to accord due priority to Key Performance Indicators and urges them to facilitate their higher education quality assurance system to bring about excellence in university education and establish academic linkages to capitalize scientific and technological innovation, quality and accreditation drivers in attaining global educational excellence.

Equally, it requested ISESCO and the OIC to organize regularly a high level Quality and Accreditation Experts Meeting consisting of Member States and concerned Islamic Organisations to set up appropriate mechanism for the follow up of the implementation of Key Performance Indicators for valorising scientific and technological innovation, global quality and accreditation in the universities of the Islamic world.

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