The Eurasian Centre for Accreditation and Quality Assurance (ECAQA) is a non-profit organization based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Established in 2017.
ECAQA is recognised by the decision of the Republican Accreditation Council of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan and included on the National Register of Recognised Accrediting Agency (Register 1) of the Ministry of Education and Science since 2018. ECAQA recognized by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) in the territories of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan until 2032 and the Asia-Pacific Quality Register (APQR).
ECAQA is included in the Directory of Organizations that Recognize/Accredit Medical Schools (DORA) by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) in partnership with the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) for the recognition of accrediting bodies for basic medical education.
ECAQA is also listed in the International Directory of the International Quality Group of the US Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA/CIQG) as a member of the International Quality Group (CHEA CIQG International Directory).
ECAQA implements Memorandums of Partnership in the field of quality assurance and the implementation of international quality principles in higher education with 17 foreign education organizations, accreditation bodies, and quality associations, including in 2019, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between ECAQA and the Association of Medical Schools in Europe (AMSE). The ECAQA operates autonomously and is responsible for its operations without the influence of third parties.
The ECAQA’s primarily purpose is to ensure and improve educational quality and training of health professionals as well as promoting the establishment and development of transparent national Quality Assurance System on Healthcare Professions Education through the introduction of the international principles of good practice in Quality Assurance (WHO/WFME, CHEA IQG, ENQA, INQAAHE, APQN).
ECAQA's mission is to enhance the quality of Health Professions Education to meet national health system needs and maintain public confidence. The ECAQA’s Standards and criteria that are applied for external and Internal Quality Assurance of education are based on the internationally recognized WHO/WFME Guidelines for accreditation of medical education, Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) and the INQAAHE Guidelines of Good Practice.
ECAQA’s Standards for Institutional and Specialized (Programmatic) accreditation are harmonized and comply with ESG and medical education and other health professions education specific standards such as: the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) Global Standards for Quality Improvement in Basic, Postgraduate Medical Education (Residency programmes and Master degree programmes in Health Sciences) and CPD, Organisation for PhD Education in Biomedicine and Health Sciences in the European System (ORPHEUS), Association of Medical Schools in Europe (AMSE) and WFME that includes higher education institutions and National Health Care System needs and priorities.
Since 2022, ECAQA has obtained official authorization from the competent authorities in the field of education of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Moldova to conduct international accreditation of educational programs of medical educational institutions.