In today’s beauty industry, professional status is becoming an increasingly important part of the development of both individual specialists and professional organizations. International accreditation provides an opportunity to demonstrate professional standards and present one’s work within an international professional environment.
The beauty industry has long moved beyond local markets. Specialists receive training in different countries, educators participate in international projects, academies work with students from different regions, and professionals take part in championships, judging and educational programs.
In this environment, an important question arises: how can a specialist or educational organization demonstrate its professional level and present it within an international context?
One of the tools is professional accreditation.
WHAT IS IBIA?
The International Beauty Industry Association (IBIA) is an international professional association focused on professional accreditation, expert assessment, professional development and international cooperation within the beauty industry.
IBIA works not only with academies. Its professional accreditation system also covers individual specialists, salons, studios, schools, academies and educational programs.
The accreditation process considers professional experience, qualifications, achievements and other established professional criteria. Accreditation results are recorded within the IBIA professional register.
Official International Beauty Industry Association website https://ibia-beauty.com
WHY IS INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION IMPORTANT?
For an individual professional, accreditation can provide an additional confirmation of professional status, experience and qualifications.
For an academy or school, it has a broader significance. An educational organization is responsible not only for its own professional activities, but also for the quality of its educational programs, the level of its educators and the preparation of specialists.
International accreditation therefore provides an opportunity to present an academy within a professional system based on defined assessment criteria.
Importantly, accreditation does not replace professional experience, education or actual results. Instead, it provides an additional level of professional recognition, allowing the achievements of a specialist or organization to be presented within an international professional environment.
WHAT DOES IBIA ACCREDITATION PROVIDE?
Receiving IBIA accreditation can have several important professional implications.
Professional positioning.
An accredited specialist or organization can officially present its professional status within the IBIA system.
International professional recognition.
Accreditation is connected with an assessment of professional level and compliance with established criteria.
Representation within the international professional register.
Accredited professionals and organizations may be represented within the relevant IBIA professional registers, creating an additional point of professional visibility.
Professional reputation.
For a specialist or organization, IBIA accreditation can become an additional element of a professional portfolio and professional communication.
International professional environment.
IBIA brings together professionals and organizations working in different areas of the beauty industry and from different countries, creating opportunities for professional interaction and international cooperation.
WHY IS ACCREDITATION PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR ACADEMIES?
For an academy, professional status is connected not only with its own achievements but also with the quality of its educational system.
During the accreditation of an educational organization, various aspects of its activities may be considered, including educational programs, their structure and content, the professional level of educators and compliance with established professional criteria.
Receiving the status of IBIA Accredited Academy allows an educational organization to
present itself as an accredited participant within the international professional environment of IBIA.
This is why such a status can be significant not only as an official designation, but also as an element of the academy’s long-term professional positioning.
SHOLEH ACADEMY AS AN EXAMPLE OF INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A notable example of this development is Sholeh Academy, based in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
The academy was founded in 2016 by Sholeh Dehghani and specializes in professional beauty education, particularly in areas such as eyelash extensions, eyelash lift, eyebrow lift, brow styling and modern beauty techniques.
Today, the academy also has a representative office in Dubai, UAE, and develops international connections with beauty professionals and educational organizations.
Official Sholeh Academy website sholeh-academy.com
A MULTI-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
One of the features of Sholeh Academy is its multi-level professional education system.
The academy provides training for professionals with different levels of experience, from beginners to experienced masters and future educators. Its educational structure includes Basic and Advanced levels, as well as Assistant, Master and Grand Master levels, alongside specialized training in eyelash extensions, lash lift, eyebrow lift, UV technologies and brow-related disciplines.
The educational programs combine theoretical preparation with practical training. The academy also provides professional support after training, allowing graduates to continue developing their skills.
As a result, Sholeh Academy’s work extends beyond individual courses and represents a structured approach to professional beauty education.
INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY
The academy’s development is also connected with international professional activity.
Representatives of Sholeh Academy participate in international beauty championships and professional projects and have experience serving as judges at international competitions. The academy’s professional activities include participation in WBC, IEEBA, IBA and SHE International Championships.
Its educators also undertake additional professional training with international experts and participate in conferences, educational forums and beauty exhibitions, including Beautyworld Dubai.
This creates an international professional environment around the academy, where education, practical expertise, judging and professional exchange become part of a broader development process.
THE FIRST IBIA-ACCREDITED ACADEMY IN IRAQ
It was against this background of professional development that Sholeh Academy received the status of IBIA Accredited Academy, becoming the first academy in Iraq to receive IBIA accreditation.
For the academy, this means becoming part of the international professional accreditation system of IBIA and being officially represented within its accreditation network.
The official Sholeh Academy profile is published on the IBIA website and provides information about the academy, its educational programs, professional activities and international areas of work.
Official IBIA accreditation page for Sholeh Academy
The accreditation represents an important step not only for the academy itself, but also for the development of IBIA’s international network, bringing its professional accreditation system to Iraq.
INTERNATIONAL STATUS AS PART OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The story of Sholeh Academy demonstrates that international accreditation is most meaningful when it is supported by real professional activity.
For an academy, this includes educational programs, educators, students, professional projects and international cooperation.
For an individual specialist, it may include experience, qualifications, professional achievements and continuous development.
Accreditation becomes a professional tool that allows this experience and activity to be presented within an international professional system.
This is why IBIA’s development is focused not only on professional accreditation, but also on building an environment in which specialists and organizations from different countries can be represented, connected and developed within an international professional context.
Sholeh Academy has become a concrete example of this development by receiving the status of the first IBIA Accredited Academy in Iraq.
For the academy, it represents a new stage of professional positioning. For IBIA, it represents the expansion of its international network of accredited organizations. And for the beauty industry, it is another example of how professional education and international cooperation continue to develop across borders.