An historic agreement to establish a quality assurance organisation for engineering education in Central Asia has been signed with the help of Middlesex University's Department of Design Engineering and Mathematics.

The Khujand Accord brings together Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to ensure their respective national quality assurance agencies accredit engineering programmes across the region with the internationally-recognised EUR-ACE quality label.

As a result of the Accord an umbrella organisation, Central Asian Federation of Engineering Education Societies (CAFEES), was created to enable the four countries to work together.

Throughout the three-year EU-funded Quality of Engineering Education in Central Asia (QUEECA) project Middlesex University acted as the UK partner, with Professor of Design Engineering Mehmet Karamanoglu representing the University throughout discussions.

"It is a great honour to be associated with a project such as QUEECA where the outcome will clearly have a long-lasting effect on many young people," said Prof Karamanoglu.

As well as working with all parties to help set up the Accord, Prof Karamanoglu's role in the Accord involved working with local experts to maintain the quality standards put into place.

"I am grateful to all 28 partner organisations involved in the project for their trust and hard work in bringing the Khujand Accord to reality," he added. "I am proud to be a signatory witness to this historic agreement."

The newly formed federation will have its inaugural meeting in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 9 December 2015.

Image: Prof Mehmet Karamanoglu (second from right) with the other signatories and witnesses to the Khujand Accord.