Mongolia: Higher Education Reform Project

Education / Tertiary

Quality and relevance of higher education programs improved

Effectiveness of HEIs' management and financing improved

Access to higher education improved.

- A total number of managers in public HEIs including directors, deputy directors, branch school directors, branch school deputy directors, academic affairs director was 210 (75/35.7%) in 2017. The number of female board members and manager increased by 6.8% from 2009 to 2017. The draft advocacy plan for increase of women's share in HEIs' board and top management as well as policy recommendation for promotion of gender equality in higher education is prepared.

- On 25 January 2018, MECSS officially opened the five distance education centers at MSUE. MSUE has successfully taught several trial classes by connecting learners in Arkhangai, Dornod, Zavkhan and Khovd locations. Two individual consultants to assist in development of e-Learning Platform, and implementation of e-Learning at the distance education centers have been working since December 2017.

- Six individual consultants were recruited to develop Higher Education Management Information System in January 2018. Foundation Frameworks subsystem and enterprise components subsystems of HEMIS are being developed.

- The accreditation of 20 programs are being done by the National Center for Education Accreditation (NCEA). Currently, 4 programs (Teacher, primary education program of MNUE, Zoo-engineering and Agronomy programs of MULS, and Information technology of NUM) are audited by national experts and their reports discussed at respective Field Committees that made decisions for accrediting those 4 programs.

- So far 6 programs have been accredited internationally: (i) the General medicine program of Mongolian National University of Medical Science (MNUMS); (ii) the Geodesy program of the Mongolian University of Science and Technology (MUST); (iii) the Software Engineering (and Information Technology as a cluster) of National University of Mongolia (NUM); (iv) the Telecommunications Engineering Technology (and Wireless Communications Engineering Technology as a cluster) of MUST.

- Labor Market study, Employers Satisfaction survey and Graduates Tracer study were conducted at selected 6 HEIs (the NUM, the MNUE, Institute of Engineering and Technology, Etugen University, Shine Anagaah Medical School, Gurvan Erdene Institute) in 2016. Additional trainings have been conducted for the HEIs on the methodologies for these studies.

- The twinning program between the Accreditation Agency for Degree Programs in Engineering, Informatics, the Natural Sciences and Mathematics of Federal republic of Germany (ASIIN) and the NCEA, are progressing with good results. Under the Twinning program, the new criteria and procedures for institutional, program and initial accreditation were developed and approved by Governing Board of the NCEA in May 2017. The guidelines and manuals for institutional, program and initial accreditation were developed in May 2017. In total, 492 (of which 359/72.9% female) experts of professional council, school faculty members and administration attended the ASIIN supported workshops and trainings on new standards, procedures and internal quality assurance. The NCEA successfully conducted pilot initial, institutional and program accreditations at selected 6 HEIs.

- The project provided the following grant through the competitive selection process: (i) 13 partnership grants were awarded to 104 researchers from 6 HEIs with aim to promote Industry and HEIs partnership; (ii) 2 grants for the joint research and capacity building partnership with foreign universities; (iii) 60 research grants were awarded to 312 teachers and students from 12 HEIs to strengthen a research capacity at the HEIs; (iv) 117 grants to support students' initiatives.

- The project supported improving the teaching and learning environment at schools: (i) the office furniture and equipment were supplied to 7 rural HEIs in 2014; (ii) minor renovation was done at 8 HEIs; (iii) lab equipment were supplied to 6 HEIs; (iv) 6 software applications were supplied to Mechanical and Transportation School of MUST and the distance learning center at MNUE; and (v) laboratory equipment and tools will be supplied to 2 rural HEIs in the second quarter of 2018.

- The MECSS has signed a cooperation agreement with MUST for implementation of CDIO standards in telecommunication, textile and industrial automation technology in August 2016. Renovation work of 8 CDIO workshop rooms were completed in May 2017. 43 course syllabus of Industrial automation program, 30 course syllabus of Textile technology program, 25 course syllabuses of Telecommunication program were selected to be revised in accordance with the CDIO standards. Initial training on program revision was conducted at Textile technology program. 11 lecturers from MUST, NUM, MULS, MNUAC and 2 MECSS officials took part in CDIO 2017 Forum in Singapore. A guideline for lecturers, administrative staffs on implementation of CDIO in HEIs was developed in August 2017. A set of 6 training manuals were printed and distributed to HEIs for use in training. A closing ceremony of initial phase of CDIO standards implementation was conducted on 16 March 2018. MECSS is planning to commence _Advancing CDIO_ in April 2018, which aims to advance the application of CDIO Teaching and Learning framework with a strong focus on edu-tech applications, multi-disciplinary projects, and faculty capability to sustain CDIO initiatives.

- A report on _Gender sensitivity of liberal arts courses_, policy recommendations to improve the gender sensitivity of the core curriculum and liberal arts courses of Mongolian universities, report on "Gender analysis on higher education legislation and policy documents", policy recommendations for increasing gender sensitivity in higher education legislation and policy documents, manual and guideline on _Ensuring gender equality in higher education_ have been completed and ready for publication.