The Annual Academic Conference of the Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN), titled “Embracing Industrial Collaboration for Quality Higher Education,” was held on 20-23 November, 2025, in Hong Kong. Organized by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ), the event brought together over 400 representatives from accreditation agencies and higher education institutions across 45 countries.
The opening ceremony featured a welcoming address by Dr. Choi Yuk-lin, JP, Secretary for Education of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. She emphasized the crucial importance of international cooperation to address global challenges and commended the conference’s role in uniting global experts. Participants were also welcomed by Prof. Kwok Kit Richard Yuen, Council Vice-chairman of HKCAAVQ.
A keynote address by APQN President Dr. Galina Motova focused on the transformation of higher education. She outlined modern trends in education-labor market interaction, the new mission of education in the era of globalization and AI, and the opportunities and limitations of using AI in quality assurance. Her core message was the necessity of aligning accreditation procedures with technological advancements, advocating for the smart use of AI to complement rather than replace expert evaluation. This address set the tone for subsequent discussions on improving accreditation systems.
Featured Presentations:
The conference featured major presentations from international leaders, including:
- Mr. Albert CHOW, Executive Director of HKCAAVQ, on “Development of Universities of Applied Sciences in Hong Kong.”
- Dr. HATTORI Yasunao, President of Japan's NIAD-QE, on “Bridging the Academia-Industry Gap: Insights from Japanese Universities and the Role of QA Agencies in Asia.”
- Mr. Bert VERHOEVEN, Program Director, University of Newcastle, Australia, on “AI as a Pedagogical Shift: Rethinking Assurance of Learning in Higher Education.”
- Dr. Fengchun MIAO, Chief of Unit for Technology and AI in Education, UNESCO, on “Human-centred AI Competency Development.”
- Dr. Lucas KAVLIE, Provost, American National University, on “From Compliance to Co-Creation: Reimagining Quality Assurance in the AI Age.”
Conference Sessions:
The agenda was structured around plenary and parallel sessions delving into core themes:
Plenary Sessions focused on:
- Higher Education with Industry Collaborations
- Industry Collaboration and Quality Assurance
- Collaborations for International Accreditation
Parallel Sessions explored topics such as:
- Driving for Excellence in Higher Education: Role of External Quality Assurance
- Fostering Quality of Flexible Learning Pathways
- Innovation and Quality in Higher Education Curriculum and Pedagogy
- Professional Relevance and Quality of Higher Education: Collaboration with Industry
Representing the National Centre for Public Accreditation (NCPA), Oksana Tanikova, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences and Deputy Head of Accreditation Office, presented at a parallel session on “Accreditation and Rankings as Two Ways to One Target: TOP Accreditation of the TOP Universities.” Her presentation on the innovative “Top-Accreditation” technology for leading Russian universities—which uses open data analysis, expert evaluation, and AI tools—was well-received by the international expert community.
On November 21, the APQN Annual General Meeting (AGM) was also held, featuring reports from President Dr. Galina Motova and the APQN committees.
APQN 2025 underscored the crucial synergy between higher education, quality assurance agencies, and the labor market in ensuring high educational standards and graduate employability in the Asia-Pacific region. The conference provided a vital forum for the international community to discuss necessary shifts in quality assurance paradigms, empowering institutions to innovate in response to a rapidly changing global landscape.
Event Link: https://apqn2025.hkcaavq.edu.hk/