The Quality Enhancement Cell (QEC) at LUMS plays a pivotal role in the way quality is interpreted, recognised, implemented and measured at the University. It ensures that academic curricula and teaching methods constantly adapt to the diverse expectations of stakeholders across a wide range of academic programmes through international collaborations and recognitions. In line with this aim, on March 9 -10, 2018, the QEC staff attended a two-day training in Islamabad. The theme of ISO 21001 professional training, organised by QSi – USA, a not-for-profit organisation, was ‘Management Systems for Higher Educational Organisations - Requirements with Guidance for Use.’
ISO 21001, Educational Organisation Management Systems, is an international standard of quality developed by the International Organisation for Standardization. It is intended to provide a common management tool for organisations providing educational products and services.
ISO 21001 is a stand-alone management system standard, based on ISO 9001 and aligned with other ISO management system standards. The difference being that ISO 21001 focuses on the specific interaction between an educational organisation, the learner, customers and other relevant interested parties.
The certified programme was intended to equip QEC Heads/HEIs professionals to align their daily activities effectively with the mission, vision and strategic themes of their institutes as well as comply with Higher Education Commission (HEC) requirements.
Upon completion of the training, QEC staff was also required to attempt an exam. As per the results announced on March 16, 2018, all three participants from QEC successfully achieved the relevant certification of EOMS.
Additionally, Assistant Manager QEC, Hiba Khurshid, secured the highest marks in the certification examination thereby marking LUMS as a titleholder of the only ‘Outstanding IPS-QSi EOMS Certification’ in the region.
Ms. Khurshid not only secured top most marks in Pakistan but also Milwaukee, USA where the same session was being run simultaneously that weekend. LUMS is currently the only university that holds such an accolade amongst their staff within the country.
