Quality Assurance is the core of higher education in Africa, and stakeholders must work to ensure a fully harmonized and functional accreditation mechanism, Professor Etienne Ehile, Secretary-General of the Association of African Universities (AAU), has said.

He disclosed that in line with the African Union (AU) Executive Council’s Decision on establishing a continental Accreditation Agency for Higher Education, the AU Commission had initiated the development of a Pan-African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework (PAQAF), in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and the AAU.

“PAQAF can only work if universities, as well as national and regional quality assurance accreditation agencies acknowledge its necessity,” Prof Ehile said in Accra at the opening of a two-day validation workshop on PAQAF for Higher Education experts in Africa.

“PAQAF will surely work, if the legal framework for supporting the process is endorsed by political structures and held in high esteem, as demonstrated by their commitment to this course,” he added.

The Secretary-General said: “I am confident that we can count on your full support judging from how all stakeholders involved have embraced this initiative and offered their support from the very onset.

“We look forward to a continuation of this support from all, throughout the successful implementation of this all important framework.”

He reiterated the commitment of the AAU and its partners to continuously engage in effective collaborations with Higher Education stakeholders, to implement quality and strategic programmes targeted at improving the quality of education on the continent.

The instrument of PAQAF, among others, is to ensure that agreed continental qualifications framework, standards and guidelines for quality assurance and accreditation are incorporated.

PAQAF also embodies components of African Quality Rating Mechanism and will also ensure the collation of a register for national and regional quality assurance agencies.

The EU will be providing support for PAQAF over the next three years.

Mr Ignacio Burrull, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Ghana, said investing in education directly impacted economic growth and the development of society, stating that 'it is an effective way to fight poverty and to raise the standards of living.'

He disclosed that the EU had invested €78 million in Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa, over the period 2007-13.

Mr Burrull noted that the importance of a more holistic approach to education, ensuring quality at all levels, had now been recognized by all, and was made evident in the post-2015 development agenda.

“In present days, higher education policy is increasingly important on national agendas. High-quality and relevant tertiary education is now recognized as a major driver of economic competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy,” he stated.

“We have also learnt that improving the quality and level of education is the best way to gain a competitive edge and that the countries with high proportions of graduates and more effective education systems also tend to have higher levels of foreign direct investment,” he said.

Mr Burrull said: 'Higher Education requires a solid framework which builds on institutional, national and regional specificities and at the same time, provides a common language and understanding of each other’s systems to build up mutual trust and transparency.'

He said the EU sought to continue its constructive partnership with global cooperation within its member-states, and with all its partners worldwide.

Dr Yohannes Woldetensae of the AU Commission, pointed out that harmonization of Higher Education in Africa was essential, due to differences in the educational structures.

He said the main goals of harmonization were to bridge the gap between educational systems that existed as a result of colonial legacies; facilitate the mobility of students and academic staff across the continent; promote the development of effective quality assurance mechanisms; and to contribute to the AU’s vision of building an integrated Africa.