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UNESCO, ZIMCHE Will Host Workshop to Strengthen QA in Zimbabwe

Quality Assurance

Business Honor
15 October, 2024

UNESCO and ZIMCHE will host a workshop in Zimbabwe to strengthen quality assurance in higher education.

This includes a two-day capacity-building workshop series within Harare, Zimbabwe, during October 16-17, 2024, jointly presented by the UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa (UNESCO ROSA) and the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE). The overall goal is to enhance the quality assurance (QA) practices in higher education institutions within Zimbabwe. These will cover both internal and external QA mechanisms as well as emerging trends such as digital transformation.

The workshop series will cover a number of critical topics that are crucial for enhancing QA in higher education. These are the Foundations of Quality Assurance, National, Regional, and International Quality Assurance Frameworks, Quality Assurance in Digital Transformation, Assessment Methods, Curriculum Design, and the relation between Internationalization and Quality Assurance. A mix of lectures, discussions, and group activities designed to take participants through an enhanced understanding of QA and improving the ability of implementing effective practices within their respective institutions.

Quality assurance plays a critical role in maintaining academic standards, supporting youth empowerment and sustainable socio-economic development. Despite the gains made in the SADC region, limited institutional capacity and fragmented QA practices still pervade its implementation, hence the need for sustained capacities building.

This is part of UNESCO's Campus Africa Flagship Programme, aimed at enhancing QA practice in Southern Africa. Following the pilot initiative to be conducted here in Zimbabwe, similar workshops shall be rolled out across other nations in SADC. The occasion will bring together 24 directors of quality assurance, pro-Vice Chancellors, government representatives and QA experts from 20 accredited institutions from Zimbabwe.

UNESCO's work toward a culture of continuous improvement and strengthening of QA frameworks will thus contribute to high-quality, innovative, and knowledge-based societies in the region.