EKKA assessing continuous education in Tajikistan

For the first time in the history of the Estonian Quality Agency for Higher and Vocational Education (EKKA), the Agency is assessing a continuous education study programme. Moreover, this is done in Tajikistan and not in Estonia.

The study programme under assessment is a one year blended learning program at the OSCE Border Management Staff College’i (BMSC). The majority of this study programme is conducted online, supplemented by contact learning sessions.

The programme is called Border Security and Management for Senior Leadership Course and is designed for 25 current and future mid to senior level officers of border, customs, immigration, police, drug control, phyto-sanitary, and trade/transport services and agencies of 57 OSCE participating States and 11 Partners for Co-operation.

BMSC is located in the capital city of Tajikistan – Dushanbe. The assessment visit took place 23-24 October and the assessment panel included Helen Thomas from the UK, Krista Haak from Estonia and Sergiu Vasile from Romania as experts and Maiki Udam from EKKA (Estonia) as the coordinator.

The assessment is based on Requirements and procedure for accreditation of study programmes in continuing education adopted by the EKKA Assessment Council on 11 April 2017. The assessment process follows the traditional logic: the educational institution first prepares a self-assessment report for the study programme under assessment, followed by an assessment visit giving the expert panel an opportunity to interview representatives of all major stakeholders and the drawing up of the assessment report on the basis of those interviews and the information provided in the self-assessment report.

BMSC has applied for accreditation of the study programme in compliance with level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework (in higher education level 7 corresponds to Master’s level study programmes). A positive result in the accreditation would give graduates of the programme the opportunity to transfer the credit points earned to equivalent level of academic studies or to be treated similarly to alumni of Master’s programs in professional situations.