Summary

On 29 June 2026, AGUNE members came together online for a webinar on institutional accreditation as a tool for quality assurance, transparency, and continuous institutional development in higher education.

The session combined a concise overview of the concept and process of institutional accreditation with a practical case example. Dr. Thomas Lichtenberg (ASIIN Consult) opened with an introduction to institutional accreditation and its core process elements, outlining how it differs from programme accreditation and what standards, evidence requirements, and review steps institutions can expect.

The webinar's highlight was a case presentation by Prof. Dr. Gulnara Zakirova and Gaziz Myltykbayev from the International Information Technology University (IITU), Kazakhstan, who shared IITU's own institutional accreditation journey with ASIIN. Their presentation offered valuable insight into the role of self-evaluation, institutional quality culture, documentation, resource management, and programme transparency in preparing for and succeeding in institutional accreditation.

The webinar closed with an engaged Q&A and discussion, in which participants exchanged questions and experiences around institutional accreditation in practice. The lively discussion made clear just how much interest there is across the AGUNE network in this topic — thank you to everyone who joined, and a special thank you to IITU for such an insightful and generous case presentation!

Agenda at a Glance

• Introduction to Institutional Accreditation and Core Elements of the Accreditation Process – Dr. Thomas Lichtenberg, ASIIN Consult
• Case Example: IITU Kazakhstan - Prof. Dr. Gulnara Zakirova and Gaziz Myltykbayev, International Information Technology University Kazakhstan
• Interactive Discussion and Q&A