Experts Validate the Pan-African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework

Call: Workshop on Promoting Sustainable University-Stakeholder Linkages
July 31, 2015
University in Focus – Kenyatta University, East Africa
July 31, 2015
Call: Workshop on Promoting Sustainable University-Stakeholder Linkages
July 31, 2015
University in Focus – Kenyatta University, East Africa
July 31, 2015
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Experts Validate the Pan-African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework

Daily Graphic 3A two-day workshop (29-30 July 2015) to validate the Pan-African Quality Assurance and Accreditation framework has just ended in Accra, with about 60 higher education experts form 28 countries in attendance.

The workshop, jointly organized by the Association of African Universities (AAU), the African Union commission and the European Commission, forms part of strategic efforts to establish a continental accreditation agency for higher education in Africa.Participants at this august workshop included representatives of Ministries of Education, The African Union commission, CNAQ Mozambique, the Association of African Universities, European Commission, Inter University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), CAMES, PAN African University Council and European University Council among others.

The meeting featured presentations on Regional frameworks by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) and CAMParticipants discuss operational modalities and instruments of PAQAFES (Conseil Africain et Malgache pour L’Enseignement Superieur). The implementation of the African Quality Rating Mechanism (AQRM), the operational modalities and instruments of PAQAF, as well as the mandates, roles and functions of a continental QA and Accreditation Agency were also deliberated on by participants.

In his closing remarks, the Secretary General of the AAU, called on all stakeholders of higher education to collaborate and be committed to ensuring that PAQAF works.

“ PAQAF will only work if all stakeholders – Universities, National and Regional Quality Assurance and Accreditation Agencies, Political institutions and all other stakeholders of Higher Education are fully committed and play our part in making it successful. I invite all hands to be on deck on this route to comprehensively implementing PAQAF”, said Prof. Etienne Ehile, Secretary General of AAU.

Background

To implement the AU Executive Council Decision on establishing a continental Accreditation Agency for higher education, the African Union Commission (AUC) hasinitiated the development of a Pan-African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework (PAQAF), in collaboration with the European Commission (EC) and the Association of African Universities (AAU). A study has been conducted with the support of the Joint Africa EU Strategy Support Mechanism.

On the basis of the study, a consultative meeting was held in Accra (Ghana) from 21-22 May 2015, to brainstorm and reach consensus on the process of establishing aPAQAF and possible operational modalities. The meeting was attended by representatives from the following stakeholders: African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES), African Council for Distance Education (ACDE),

Association of African Universities (AAU), African Quality Assurance Network (AfriQAN), African Union Commission (AUC), European Commission (EC), Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), International Tuning Academy, National Council of Higher Education Quality Assessment (CNAQ) of Mozambique, Southern African Regional University Association (SARUA), and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

As a follow up to this consultative meeting, a workshop has just been organised in Accra (29-30 July 2015) to provide the platform for experts to validate the Pan-African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework.

Please read the tweets that were shared during this workshop

 

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