Accreditation
Accreditation of educational institutions
An independent external assessment of the quality of educational activities based on recognised standards.
Accreditation is a procedure of voluntary confirmation that an educational institution or educational programme complies with the established quality standards. CAAAE accreditation is carried out collegially by independent external expert commissions (EEC) on the basis of a self-assessment report and a visit to the educational institution.
Institutional accreditation
A comprehensive assessment of the educational institution as a whole: mission and strategy, governance and finance, human-resource policy, educational resources, the internal quality assurance system and engagement with society.
Programme accreditation
Assessment of individual educational programmes: bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, TVE and continuing-education programmes. The programme content, learning outcomes, teaching staff and resources are evaluated.
Stages of the accreditation procedure
- 01
Submitting an application
The educational institution submits an application to undergo accreditation and receives a package of documents about the procedure.
- 02
Concluding a contract
The timeline, type of accreditation and the terms for conducting the external assessment are agreed upon.
- 03
Self-assessment
The institution conducts a self-study and prepares a self-assessment report in accordance with the CAAAE standards.
- 04
Review of the report
Experts examine the self-assessment report and form preliminary conclusions.
- 05
Visit by the external expert commission
The EEC visits the institution: meetings with management, teaching staff, students and employers, and an inspection of the resource base.
- 06
EEC report
The commission prepares a report with an assessment of compliance with the standards and recommendations for improvement.
- 07
Decision of the Accreditation Council
The Council collegially decides on accreditation, its term or a refusal.
- 08
Inclusion in the registry and post-monitoring
The accredited institution is added to the public registry; throughout the accreditation period, the implementation of the recommendations is monitored.
Principles of external assessment
- Independence and objectivity of the expert commissions;
- Transparency of procedures and public disclosure of results;
- A focus on improvement rather than control;
- Consideration of the interests of students, employers and society;
- Alignment with international approaches to quality assurance in education.
The CAF Register
The CAF Register is the main database of recognised educational institutions and programmes that meet the established quality standards. It serves as an instrument of transparency and accountability of educational processes in Central Asia.
The Register includes universities and institutes, professional colleges and other educational institutions of all levels that have undergone external evaluation by a CAF-recognised agency, as well as academic and professional programmes that have confirmed compliance with the standards of content, teaching, infrastructure and student support.
The Register is maintained electronically, updated regularly, and is open and free of charge: for students — to choose recognised institutions, for employers — to verify qualifications, for universities — for development, and for state bodies — for monitoring. Search and filtering by country, programme type and accreditation level are available.
How to enter the CAF Register
- 01
Application
The institution or programme submits an application with documents: an internal quality evaluation report and confirmation of compliance with CAF standards.
- 02
External evaluation
A CAF-recognised agency analyses curricula, infrastructure, teaching staff qualifications, research and student services.
- 03
Conclusion
The agency prepares a conclusion on compliance with the quality standards and submits it to CAF.
- 04
Decision
The CAF Executive Committee reviews the results and decides on inclusion; the institution or programme receives official CAF recognition status.
- 05
Periodic reconfirmation
Inclusion is valid for a set period, after which a re-evaluation is conducted. Participants must maintain their accreditation and provide up-to-date information.
Conditions for agency recognition
Decisions are recognised by CAF if the agency meets the criteria of independence, transparency, impartiality and competence; is accredited or recognised by international or national bodies with the relevant competence; and undergoes regular periodic review. In case of violation of the standards, CAF may reconsider the agency’s recognition.
Ready to get accredited?
Submit an application — we will contact you and tell you about the procedure in detail.