Visually-Impaired Version 
The 9th Eurasian Forum on Quality Assurance in Higher Education was held at Maqsut Narikbayev University (MNU), bringing together university leaders to discuss digital transformation in higher education.
MNU once again served as a platform for professional dialogue among representatives of the higher education sector and quality assurance experts. The Eurasian Forum brought together more than 200 experts from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. The event was organized jointly with the Independent Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (IQAA) and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The central focus of the discussions was artificial intelligence and the digitalization of higher education. Participants explored how the rapid development of technology is transforming the educational process, approaches to assessment, and academic activities, as well as what measures are needed to maintain high quality standards amid digital transformation. Adlet Toibaev, Chairman of the Committee for Quality Assurance in Science and Higher Education of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, noted that Kazakhstan’s higher education system is currently undergoing significant changes, including those driven by the development of digital technologies and the adoption of generative AI.
“Finding a balance between the opportunities offered by generative artificial intelligence and fundamental academic values is becoming increasingly important for higher education. Kazakhstan today has an opportunity not only to follow global digital trends, but also to shape its own model of a modern university — one that is open to the world and grounded in academic freedom, ethics, and responsibility,” said Adlet Toibaev.
Forum participants emphasized that digital transformation requires a rethinking of approaches to quality in higher education. Anar Ibrayeva, Provost of MNU, highlighted the value of individual digital services in building an integrated university ecosystem. The university is consistently introducing digital solutions, developing its own infrastructure, and creating new educational opportunities.
“Our university has always been committed to initiatives aimed at enhancing academic quality, as this remains one of our priorities. The Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence has not simply been a challenge for us — it has become part of our everyday work. Today, we are developing our own digital products and have also launched the new AI + X program, which combines artificial intelligence with law, finance, journalism, business, and research,” said Anar Ibrayeva.
The forum highlighted the importance of developing effective solutions in response to the impact of digitalization and artificial intelligence on quality assurance in higher education.
