THEQC and MQA Sign an MOU for Cooperation in Higher Education

Prof. Ümit Kocabıçak, THEQC President, and Prof. Ramazan Bayındır, THEQC Vice President, attended the 2nd Meeting of the Türkiye – Malaysia Joint Committee on Higher Education, organised by the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) and the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia.

The meeting, held in Malaysia on 28 April 2026, started with the opening speeches by Zambry Abd Kadir, the Malaysian Minister of Higher Education, and Prof. Erol Özvar, CoHE President. The meeting included promotional presentations by the rectors of universities in Malaysia and the rectors of universities participating from Türkiye. Vice President Bayındır also made a presentation introducing THEQC at the meeting. Prof. Naci Gündoğan, CoHE Deputy President; Prof. Erol Arcaklıoğlu, CoHE Executive Board Member; rectors of İTU, METU, Gebze Technical University, İbn Haldun University, and Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of İbn Haldun University, also attended the meeting.

Within the scope of the meeting, President Kocabıçak and Dato’ Prof. Mohammad Shatar Sabran, MQA Chief Executive Officer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding aiming to expand joint initiatives between the two agencies, facilitate the mutual recognition of academic programs and qualifications, and advance quality assurance practices both at the national and international levels. Prof. Ts. Dr. M. Iqbal Saripan, MQA Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Quality Assurance, and THEQC Vice President Bayındır were also present at the signing ceremony. The Memorandum of Understanding also aims to strengthen bilateral relations between Malaysia and Türkiye, and to create new opportunities for knowledge sharing, capacity building, and sustainable excellence in higher education.

Focus Group Discussion for Strategic Cooperation

Following the signing ceremony, a three-hour Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was held between the two agencies to translate strategic objectives into concrete cooperation steps. During the meeting, where topics of international accreditation, program accreditations, and micro-credentials were discussed, THEQC shared its experience and good practice examples, while MQA presented its ongoing activities and policy orientations. The meeting provided an important platform for mutual experience sharing, comparison of approaches, and identification of new areas of cooperation aimed at strengthening quality assurance systems responsive to global higher education trends. Through this platform, the joint commitment of THEQC and MQA to foster innovation at the international level, enhance mutual learning, and advance excellence in higher education quality assurance was once again demonstrated.

Following the meetings, the THEQC delegation also visited MQA’s headquarters in Malaysia. Established in Malaysia under the Malaysian Qualifications Act of 2007, MQA is a statutory body that accredits the academic programs of institutions offering education at the post-secondary and higher education levels. It also facilitates the accreditation and articulation of qualifications. The presentations and on-site reviews regarding the activities of MQA, headquartered in Cyberjaya, contribute to further deepening the cooperation between the two agencies at the institutional level.