Doha, June 17 (QNA) - The National Committee for Qualifications And Academic Accreditation (NCQAA) has granted institutional accreditation to the Community College of Qatar (CCQ), making it the first national higher education institution in the country to receive such recognition.

During a press conference held Tuesday in the presence of HE Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi, NCQAA Chairperson Dr. Mazen Omar Hasnah said that this achievement marks a significant milestone in the history of higher education in the State of Qatar, pointing to the expansion in higher education institutions that the country has been experiencing over the past 15 years, which necessitated the establishment of NCQAA; the first of its kind to be responsible for granting such national accreditation internally.

Dr. Hasnah noted that NCQAA has spent the past period developing institutional accreditation standards and creating a set of models, data, and procedures to carry out this process. He said that are five main accreditation standards: the institution's mission and structure, integrity assurance, availability of institutional resources and planning, institutional effectiveness, mission fulfillment, and finally a standard regarding the institution's impact on its environment, its engagement with relevant partners, and their satisfaction with it and its performance, along with 48 sub-standards.

The Chairperson of NCQAA congratulated CCQ on receiving this institutional accreditation, which he emphasized is mandatory, a continuous process, and a quality assurance mark. He highlighted the College's efforts that led to NCQAA's decision to grant it accreditation in May of this year, upon demonstrating that all essential elements for success and mechanisms for constant improvement were satisfied.

Dr. Hasnah said that NCQAA has set the initial institutional accreditation's validity at a maximum of five years, adding that 13 universities will undergo the institutional accreditation process next year, with the ultimate objective of including all higher education institutions in the country.

For his part, President of CCQ Dr. Khalid Mohamed Al Horr expressed his happiness about the College receiving this five-year accreditation, as the first national institution to do so.

Dr. Al Horr stressed that this achievement is not just a certificate, but a reflection of tireless institutional work CCQ has undertaken since its establishment in 2010, adopting quality standards, self-evaluation, and continuous development as pillars for providing and improving services, especially to its students and the community.

He said that the State of Qatar's higher education system is recognized both locally and internationally for its high quality, adding that this accreditation process will benefit and elevate the system as a whole.

The President of CCQ noted that the Community College will continue to improve its work by taking into consideration the recommendations put forth by NCQAA experts and members in order to meet societal expectations and align with international standards.

Dr. Al Horr also underscored CCQ's efforts to obtain this accreditation since having filed the application back in October 2023 and all the work it has put in as to meet the required standards.

Established in October 2022, NCQAA is responsible for the overall supervision and, when necessary, the updating of the National Qualifications Framework in accordance with state general policies. NCQAA is also tasked with accrediting qualifications (certificates and academic degrees) granted by higher education institutions in the country to ensure their alignment with the National Qualifications Framework, through quality assurance standards and by reinforcing compliance with the academic accreditation system it has developed. (QNA)