The Harmonisation of African Quality Assurance and Accreditation for Regional and International Relevance

The Harmonisation of African Higher Education Quality Assurance (HAQAA) aims to promote a regional approach to quality assurance in Africa that would be recognised internationally. Launched in 2016, HAQAA has already produced very positive results: It initiated African-wide discussions about quality assurance, raised awareness about its importance and produced the African Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance. This article examines the aims and purposes of this initiative and how it unfolded. It concludes that future efforts must focus on continuous engagement with the sector to ensure buy-in from the higher education sector and to develop more robust and effective quality cultures in higher education institutions.