Kyrgyz Medical Universities Urge President for Accreditation Transition Amidst Quality Concerns

The Association of Medical Universities of Kyrgyzstan has voiced serious concerns regarding the new state accreditation process, urging President Sadyr Zhaparov to consider a transitional period. The core of their appeal lies in the unrealistic timelines imposed by the cabinet's recent decree. Universities are being given less than a month to prepare for a comprehensive evaluation that, by its nature, demands significant systemic restructuring, meticulous documentation, and infrastructure upgrades. This compressed schedule, the association argues, transforms the accreditation from a tool for quality enhancement into a significant risk factor that could force many institutions to cease operations. Furthermore, the universities contend that the new criteria exceed previous licensing requirements, necessitating a profound institutional transformation rather than mere procedural adjustments. The lack of public discussion surrounding these changes also raises questions about their legitimacy and implementation. From our perspective in Kyrgyzstan, this situation is particularly critical. We rely heavily on our medical universities not only to train domestic specialists but also to attract foreign students, a vital source of revenue and international prestige. The current accreditation chaos sends a signal of instability to the global academic community, potentially diverting students to neighboring countries like Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, which are actively cultivating more predictable educational environments. This is not just an academic issue; it's an economic one, impacting foreign currency inflows and the export potential of our education sector. We need a stable, transparent, and realistically timed accreditation process that genuinely aims to improve quality, not one that jeopardizes the very existence of our higher education institutions and our nation's standing in the international educational landscape.

“

In these conditions, the implementation of accreditation within the current deadlines is objectively perceived not as a tool for improving quality, but as a risk factor for the cessation of activities of a significant part of educational organizations.