6th International Conference and Workshops on Quality Assurance in Higher Education in Africa and General Assembly of the African Quality Assurance Network (AfriQAN)
Objectives of the Conference and Workshop:
The conference will
• review national and continental developments in quality assurance in higher education in Africa up to 2014;
• document best practices in higher education quality assurance from other regions of the world and draw lessons for the African context for the promotion of quality culture;
• forecast post-2015 developments in quality assurance in higher education in Africa from initiatives by bodies at the continental (e.g. African Union); and global (e.g. UNESCO) levels;
• deepen understanding of the concept and implementation paradigm of the African Higher Education and Research Space (AHERS) and the African Union Pan-African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework;
• foster the acquisition of skills in (a) the implementation of the revised Arusha Convention; (b) measurement and modelling of quality in higher education; (c) quality assurance of open and distance learning delivery systems: (d) strengthening effective implementation of LMD reforms; (e) quality assurance of emerging non-traditional higher education delivery systems; (f) setting up and running effective quality assurance units at the institutional level; and (g) Tuning and Credit Transfer;
• identify challenges to quality in higher education in Africa and propose sustainable solutions; and
• identify roles that all stakeholders should play in the implementation of the post-2015 initiatives in order to guarantee success.
Sub-themes:
• National and continental developments in quality assurance in higher education in Africa
• Post-2015 imperatives for enhancing quality in higher education in Africa
• Quality and Regional Harmonisation: Lessons from Other Regions
• Sustaining Quality through AHERS and Pan-African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework
• Implementation of the revised Arusha Convention
• Quality, ICT and LMD Reforms
• Accelerating and assuring quality in research capacity development, science and technology, private higher education and cross-border higher education
Expected outcomes:
The following are the expected outcomes of the conference:
• Participants who have deepened their understanding of post-2015 developments in quality assurance in higher education in Africa.
• Participants whose capacity have been developed to be change agents in the implementation of an agenda of improving quality in higher education in Africa for global competitiveness.
• Blueprint for supporting the implementation of post-2015 goals regarding improvement in quality of education as agreed by partners.
• Blueprint for supporting the 2014-2017 Action Plan of the African Union Commission in the area of higher education.
• Better trained quality assurance practitioners for national quality assurance agencies and a networking between them.
• Documentation of the refined perspectives on concept and implementation paradigm of the African Higher Education and Research Space (AHERS) and the African Union Pan-African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework.
• Communique reflecting the conclusions and action plan arising from the debates and deliberations of the conference.
Expected Participants:
The conference will be of interest to all stakeholders in quality assurance in higher education in Africa as well as policy makers and practitioners in quality assurance from other regions of the world. Participation is open but not limited to:
• Ministers in charge of Education/Higher Education/Science and Technology/ICTs and Labour
• Permanent Secretaries/Directors-General of Education and Senior Officials
• Heads and management teams of national and regional quality assurance agencies
• Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts of higher education institutions
• Officers and Members of AfriQAN
• Officers in charge of higher education at the African Union Commission
• UNESCO officials from headquarters in Paris and at the regional and muti-sectoral offices in Africa
• Quality Assurance practitioners
• Experts in ICT, teaching and research in higher education
• Civil society
• Staff Unions
• Students and Students’ Associations
• Professional associations
• Employers or employers’ associations
• Development Partners including the ADEA and the European Union
• Stakeholders in education in Africa
• Stakeholders in higher education from other regions of the world
Partners:
• Association of African Universities(AAU)
• Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi-Africa)
• African Quality Assurance Network
• African Union Commission
• University of Ghana, Legon
• Institute for African Culture and International Understanding of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library
• Okebukola Science Foundation
• More partners are encouraged
Conference website:
The conference website is located at www.okebsf.org/2014icqahea. Please visit the site to register and receive updates on the conference, workshops and the AfriQAN General Assembly.
Please download below the concept note:
