«Academic Integrity as the Foundation of Education Quality»

On May 8, 2026, the Department of Public Health and Healthcare at the South Kazakhstan Medical Academy (SKMA) organized a specialized seminar titled "Academic Integrity as the Foundation of Education Quality." The event aimed to foster a culture of honesty, fairness, and professional responsibility within the academic environment, as well as to provide a practical overview of SKMA's official Code of Academic Integrity.
During the seminar, Senior Lecturer Aidana Khamza, thoroughly presented the core principles of academic integrity: honesty, trust, openness, respect, equality, truthfulness, responsibility, objectivity, fairness, and zero tolerance for violations. Participants were informed about mutual rights and responsibilities in accordance with the Code, and various types of academic misconduct were analyzed, including plagiarism, cheating, data falsification, collusion, and unauthorized assistance.
Faculty representatives emphasized the mandatory use of the Antiplagiat system during assessments, proper source citation in academic papers (quoting, referencing, bibliography formatting), and best practices for selecting reliable information sources. Additionally, the procedure for reporting violations to the Compliance Officer or the Ethics Council was explained, along with the mechanisms for conducting internal investigations and the right to appeal decisions.
In conclusion, attendees highlighted that academic integrity is not merely a set of internal regulations, but the cornerstone of the professional reputation of future physicians and healthcare specialists, as well as the competitiveness of the education system. The seminar concluded with an open discussion, during which real-life scenarios from the academic process were examined.