Establishment of the National Bureau for Academic Accreditation and Education Quality Assurance.
After reading the constitution,
And Law No. 29 of 1966 in regards regulating the Higher Education and the laws amending it,
And Law No. 31 of 1978 with the rules for preparing public budgets and supervising their implementation and the final account,
And Law No. 63 of 1982 regarding the establishment of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training and the laws amending it,
And Law No. 34 of 2000 establishing private universities,
And Law No. 9 of 2010 issuing the development plan for the years 2010/2011 – 2013/2014,
Based on the proposal of the Minister of Higher Education,
And after the Council of Ministers’ agreement,
We charted the following:
Article (1)
Definitions:
The Minister: Minister of Higher Education.
The Bureau: The National Bureau for Academic Accreditation and Education Quality Assurance.
The Institutions of the Higher Education, including: Kuwait University, the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, and private universities and other institutions of the Higher Education.
The Board: Bureau Director Board
The General Director: General Director of the National Bureau for Academic Accreditation and Education Quality Assurance.
The Academic Accreditation: It includes institutional and program accreditation for the Higher Education institutions.
Article (2)
A body called the National Bureau for Academic Accreditation and Education Quality Assurance shall be established and report to the Minister of Higher Education.
Article (3)
The bureau aims to improve the level of programs of the Higher Education institutions in the State of Kuwait and to identify the Higher Education institutions in other countries that allow the accreditation of the qualifications of their graduates, through continuous evaluation processes for these institutions and their programs in accordance with the standards of international accreditation bodies in order to control the quality of Higher Education.
Article (4)
In order to achieve its objectives, the Bureau shall work on the following:
Evaluating the programs of the Higher Education institutions in the State of Kuwait in order to raise their standards.
Strengthening the cooperation with the international academic accreditation bodies to keep pace with global academic and institutional development.
Activating university planning in the Higher Education institutions in order to enhance its self-confidence.
Qualification of national cadres with the Authority capable of carrying out evaluation and accreditation work for the Higher Education institutions.
Encouraging and supporting research, conferences, and exchanging experiences in the field of academic accreditation.
Periodically analyze and publish data and information related to academic accreditation.
Determining Higher Education institutions in other countries whose qualifications are allowed to be accredited, in order to ensure the quality of education in these institutions.
Article (5)
The agency is managed by a council formed under the chairmanship of the minister and the membership of:
Bureau General Director.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health
Secretary-General of the Council of Public Universities.
Secretary-General of the Council of Private Universities.
Five qualified faculty members representing the public Higher Education institutions.
Two members with academic qualifications representing private Higher Education institutions.
Three experienced members representing the private sector, and the formation of the Council shall be issued by a decision of the Council of Ministers.
Article (6)
The board of directors is the supreme authority that manages the bureau and for that it has the following:
Setting rules, standards and controls of evaluation and quality, and academic programmatic and institutional accreditation in Higher Education institutions.
Determining the procedures and infrastructure required for Higher Education institutions to obtain academic accreditation.
Granting academic and institutional accreditation to institutions of Higher Education.
Reviewing the global academic performance regarding the accreditation of the programs of Higher Education institutions in order to benefit from it.
Coordination with international academic accreditation bodies regarding the accreditation of programs of Higher Education institutions.
Preparing the organizational structure of the bureau.
Approval of the final annual report of the agency prepared by its general manager.
Article (7)
The board meets at least four times a year, periodically and at the invitation of the head of the bureau. The board may meet in an unusual way at the invitation of the head of the bureau or at the request of half the number of members. The validity of the meeting requires the presence of the majority of members, including the chairman, and decisions are taken in it by an absolute majority. In the event of a tie, the side on which the chairman is in shall pass.
Article (8)
The council may form from its members or others permanent or temporary committees and define their terms of reference and the tasks assigned to them.
Article (9)
The council shall set an internal bylaw that organizes its work and the procedures it follows in carrying out these works.
Article (10)
The Bureau shall have a general manager and he shall be assisted by one or more deputies. A decree shall be issued appointing them and determining their rank. The terms of reference of the general manager and his deputies shall be determined by a decision of the minister.
Article (11)
The Bureau shall have its own appropriations (allocations) included in the budget of the Minister of Higher Education.
Article (12)
Ministers – each within his/her jurisdiction – shall implement this decree, and it shall come into force from the date of its publication in the Official Gazette.
