Key HAQAA2 Meetings hosted in Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire (6-10 June 2022)

The Harmonisation of African Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation Initiative phase two (HAQAA2) Implementing Team, consisting of OBREAL Global, the Association of African Universities (AAU), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), on behalf of the European Union Commission and the African Union Commission are hosting the HAQAA2 Advisory Board Meeting, an “ACTS re-launch workshop” and Policy Data Unit Development Team meeting in Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire  from 6-10 June 2022.

The meetings started off with a HAQAA2 project management team meeting scheduled on Monday 6^th June involving OBREAL Global, AAU, DAAD and ENQA.

The following meetings are scheduled back-to-back to optimize the time:

The HAQAA2 Advisory Board

The HAQAA2 Implementing Team set up the Advisory Board for the HAQAA2 contract to seek strategic advice and ensure the buy-in and ownership of the African higher education community. The Advisory Board is a key element of the governance structure and also offers a policy dialogue forum that can help to deliver upon the specific objectives of the initiative. The Advisory Board is composed of key stakeholders in the African continent that are active at continental and regional level. It ensures that the activities of the action are in-line with other continental and regional initiatives and projects of a similar nature. It provides the necessary political linkages to the different African regional communities and processes. The Abidjan meeting will be the first physical meeting of the Advisory Board since its conception in 2020.

African Credit Transfer System (ACTS)

A political definition of an African Credit Transfer System (ACTS) was developed in 2018 by a group of national and regional bodies lead by the European Commission and African Union Commission. Since 2018, no concrete follow-up activities were identified in relation to the African Credit Transfer System. As part of its Policy Component and linked to one of the Specific Objectives of HAQAA2 to both support the implementation of PAQAF and CESA, the HAQAA2 implementing team has decided, in consultation with the European Commission, to revitalise the ACTS discussion in Africa over the course of 2022. A launch workshop will be held in Abidjan to this effect, followed by virtual activities.

Policy Development Unit (PDU) Development Team

Given that the CESA will reach its deadline in 2025, and the fact that comprehensive and consistent data on higher education across the African continent remains essentially missing, it has been proposed that HAQAA2, as part of its Policy Component, should contribute to the set-up of a Policy Data Unit (PDU) for African higher education. The HAQAA2 implementing team in its work plan revision of June 2021, provided funds to drive the planning for the set-up of the PDU, and the establishment of its work plan. This is being done by a small representative, and highly qualified PDU Development Team, nominated by the HAQAA2 Implementing Team and approved by the European Commission. As a follow up to the Barcelona meeting held in March 2022 the objective of this meeting is to validate the focus group reports and outcomes.

Written By: Ms Nodumo DHLAMINI, Director ICT Services, Communications & Knowledge Management at AAU

Reviewed By: Mrs Felicia Kuagbedzi, Senior Communications Officer