The Role of Students in Education Quality: a Seminar at Al Ryada University

Al Ryada University hosts experts from the Quality Assurance Authority in a training workshop to strengthen the role of students in education quality

As part of its commitment to embedding standards of institutional excellence and strengthening a culture of quality, Al Ryada University for Science and Technology (RST) hosted a training workshop entitled “The Role of Students in Education Quality”, under the patronage of Dr Yehia Mabrouk, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Professor Reda Hegazy, President of the University, with the participation of a group of academic and administrative leaders and of students. The workshop forms part of the national initiative «A New Beginning for Quality Assurance in Education» launched by the National Authority for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Education. The speakers were Dr Hisham Abdel Nasser, Executive Director of the initiative and adviser to the Authority's President for policy communications, and Dr Hussein Khater, Director of the Authority's Training Department.

In his opening address, Professor Reda Hegazy said that quality assurance and accreditation are no longer merely a regulatory procedure but a cornerstone of developing the university education system and achieving institutional sustainability. He noted that academic accreditation requires maintaining outstanding levels of performance and linking learning outcomes to twenty-first-century skills such as critical thinking, teamwork and problem-solving, in line with the requirements of the global labour market. He added that the rapid changes the world is witnessing, particularly with the growth of artificial intelligence applications, make it essential to produce graduates with intellectual flexibility and multiple skills, and he affirmed that the concept of lifelong learning has become a core element in building human capacity, with the University continuing to support its graduates after graduation and to strengthen their professional and creative readiness.

For his part, Dr Hisham Abdel Nasser explained that the «A New Beginning for Quality Assurance in Education» initiative reflects the State's move towards a qualitative shift in higher education by embedding a culture of quality as a comprehensive institutional approach based on the participation of all parties to the educational process. He affirmed that education quality is a strategic investment in the country's future and helps produce people capable of innovating and competing globally, stressing the importance of enabling students to play an active role in developing educational programmes, taking part in evaluating them and shaping the related policies.

In the same vein, Professor Naglaa Abdel Mawgoud, Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Director of the University's Quality Assurance and Accreditation Centre, said that holding this workshop is a significant step towards embedding a culture of quality among students. She noted that the Centre works continuously to develop academic and administrative performance through self-assessment mechanisms and periodic review, supporting the achievement and maintenance of academic accreditation.

She added that achieving quality requires the roles of students, teaching staff and administration to work together in a framework of transparency and shared responsibility, which is reflected positively in the quality of education outcomes and strengthens graduates' competitiveness. Through this event Al Ryada University affirms its continuing commitment to adopting international best practice in quality assurance and to enabling its students to contribute effectively to developing the educational process, supporting the construction of a modern education system able to keep pace with rapid global change.