NAUSS Conference on Academic Quality and Accreditation Guidelines

The Department of Quality and Academic Accreditation at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS) in cooperation with the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) is holding a conference on academic quality and accreditation in universities of the Arab and Islamic world. The conference is due to take place on campus from 20 – 22/12/2010.

Prof. Abdul Aziz Ibn Sagr Al-Ghamdi, President of Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), highlighted that the university, as the academic organ of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, seeks to continuously provide academic conferences and high level research both on a regional and international scale. He emphasized that this is essential in the fight against crime and in facing the many challenges in society.

Prof. Al-Ghamdi said that among the goals of the university is the development and advancement of quality in higher education, both regionally and internationally, to keep pace with the latest developments in this important field and provide the highest standards of education and research.

He added that this conference, in cooperation with the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW), is part of the future vision of the university and its continual efforts in the field of quality in education to produce the highest standards of educational content, efficiency and effectiveness. The president stressed that this is one of the major factors in creating an effective academic and technological force capable of contributing to the successful development of modern day society.

Prof. Al-Ghamdi highlighted the essential contribution made to the university by His Majesty Prince Naif Ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of The Executive Committee of the Board of Governors at NAUSS - in addition to the Council of Arab Interior ministers, in developing and supporting the university. This support has been the major factor in the success of the university in assuming a central role in security teaching and research.

Title of the symposium:	Third Conference on “Quality in University Education in the Islamic World” on the theme: Applying regional and international indicators for quality and academic accreditation at Islamic world universities to achieve excellence: a means rather than an end
Organizers:	Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS) and the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW)
Venue of the symposium:	NAUSS, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Date of symposium:	14 - 16 Muharram 1432 / 20-22 December 2010
Working languages:	Arabic and English
Participants:	Universities of the Arab and Islamic world

Rationale for the conference

The recommendations of the International Conference on Quality and Academic Accreditation (Umm Al-Qura University: 5-7 Jumada I 1429/11-13 May 2008), which called for holding a series of annual conferences in the Member Universities in order to promote a culture of quality in the Islamic world, and the recommendations of the International Conference on Strategic Planning and Quality Assurance in Higher Education in the Islamic world (International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), 27-29 Rajab 1430 / 20-22 July 2009) which welcomed the proposal of NAUSS to host the third conference on 14-16 Muharram / 20-22 December 2010 in its headquarters in Riyadh.

Objectives of the conference

The conference will seek:

To anchor the concept of quality and academic accreditation and its applications in the universities of the Islamic world.
To understand the role of regional and international indicators in improving quality in education.
To determine methods and tools of measuring regional and international indicators in the universities of the Islamic world.
To understand the role of regional and international indicators in improving scientific research.
To emphasize the need to apply regional and international indicators using ICTs.
To understand the challenges of applying regional and international indicators in the universities of the Islamic world.

Topics of the conference

The conference will tackle the following key topics:

Topic one: improving quality in higher education and building academic accreditation capacities in line with national, regional and international standards and indicators.

The role of national, regional and international standards and indicators in boosting the quality of education and learning in the universities of the Islamic world.
The role of national, regional and international standards and indicators in boosting the quality of administrative and academic services in the universities of the Islamic world.
The role of national, regional and international standards and indicators in boosting research quality in the universities of the Islamic world.
The role of national, regional and international standards and indicators in consolidating ICT structures and services of the universities of the Islamic world.
The role of national, regional and international standards and indicators in boosting the quality of graduates and aligning outputs with the needs of the labor market.
The role of national, regional and international standards and indicators in enhancing cooperation in higher education, research and services.

Topic two: cases and experiences in terms of the application of international standards and indicators in improving quality and academic accreditation by the universities of the Islamic world.

Experiences and cases of quality enhancement by universities through application of national, regional and international standards and indicators.
Practical strategies and plans implemented in a bid to boost quality and academic accreditation.
Methods of measuring performance and quality in the universities of the Islamic world.
Achievements and added value resulting from the application of national and international standards and indicators.
Evaluating the extent of success in the application of national, regional and international standards and indicators in the universities of the Islamic world.
Obstacles and challenges to the consolidation of quality and academic accreditation in the universities of the Islamic world.

Topic three: strategies for boosting quality in the universities of the Islamic world

Strategies and plans for strengthening cooperation with the FUIW on quality enhancement and academic accreditation.
Analyzing and defining the needs and potentials of the universities of the Islamic world in terms of expertise and knowledge sharing, quality enhancement, and academic accreditation.
Strategies and plans of the universities of the Islamic world in building capacities and skills needed for quality management and enhancement.
Future trends in the consolidation of cooperation in the areas of quality, academic accreditation in the universities of the Islamic world.

Submitting papers to the conference:

Papers and working documents are reviewed for approval.
Abstracts of papers and working documents will be compiled into a book to be distributed during the conference.

Criteria for submitting papers:

Titles of papers should be typed in bold 15.
The subjects tackled in the papers should be relevant to one of the conference’s topics.
Papers should meet all recognized academic criteria and standards in terms of methodology, resources and references.
Papers should be typed in Simplified Arabic 15 pt., interline spacing of 24 pt., with a 4-cm margin on the right and left of the page, and 5 cm at the bottom.
Each paper should not exceed twenty five (25) pages.
Participants are required to send their full papers together with a photo and a copy of the paper on a CD.
Each paper should contain an abstract of no more than three pages.

Workshop:

Ahead of an experts’ panel on quality and accreditation, a preparatory workshop will be held concurrently with the conference. It is aimed to produce a background working document to serve as reference resource for the experts’ panel whose function will be to define practical steps for meeting the needs of the universities of the Islamic world in terms of training and qualification in the field of quality and academic accreditation. The objectives and topics of the workshop will be communicated to the experts expected to participate in its proceedings.

Accommodation:

NAUSS will ensure reception, lodging and transportation in Riyadh for all invited participants from the universities of the Arab and Islamic world. Travel expenses will be undertaken by the participating universities and institutions.