Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani led the inaugural meeting of the Kurdistan Accrediting Association for Education (KAAE) in Erbil on May 12. KRG Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani also attended the meeting.

The KAAE’s primary objective is to establish best-practice standards that ensure the quality of education in the Kurdistan Region, the KRG said in a press release.

It aims to cultivate a culture of transparency, assessment, and continuous improvement at both the academic program and institutional levels.

At the meeting, the KAAE outlined its vision, mission, purpose, and plans, in alignment with legislation ratified by the Kurdistan Region Parliament in June 2022.

Discussions focused on establishing a Board of Trustees consisting of accreditation experts, outlining the Association’s development plan and initial budget, identifying pilot institutions, and appointing a Secretary-General, the KRG said.

The initial implementation steps include a needs assessment of various academic institutions and proposing draft standards for review by the KRG’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. 

#KRG inaugurated the Kurdistan Accrediting Association for Education. It's to establish robust education standards and support academic institutions in cultivating a culture of transparency and continuous improvement. Education reform cannot happen without standardization. pic.twitter.com/OCjkhxTIel

— Honar Issa (@honarissa) May 12, 2024

Honar Issa, a member of the Board of Trustees at The American University of Kurdistan who attended the meeting, posted on X that the aim is “to establish robust education standards and support academic institutions in cultivating a culture of transparency and continuous improvement.” 

“Education reform cannot happen without standardization,” he concluded.