Thursday 2nd JULY, 2020 (11.00am-1.00pm) GMT
The Association of African Universities (AAU) invites all Higher Education Stakeholders to the above-mentioned Webinar on quality assurance which will combine a presentation and insights from renowned support speakers. The Webinar will be graced by the AAU Secretary General Prof Etienne E. Ehile and Her Excellency, Prof Sarah Agbor Anyang, who is the current Commissioner of the African Union’s Human Resources, Science and Technology (HRST) Department. Details of the Coordinator and Presenters as well as the 5 panellists are provided in the flyer above. Kindly use the following link to register for the event: https://bit.ly/2N7z1BI (Make sure your e-mail address is correct for further communication and receiving resource materials).
Invited participants include, but are not limited to;
- Regional and National Regulatory and Quality Assurance Agencies,
- Quality Assurance Personnel,
- Institutional Leaders and Administrators,
- Deans and Directors,
- Heads of Department and Chairpersons,
- Lecturers,
- Programme and Course Designers,
- Information and Communication Technologies Personnel,
- Educational Technologists
- Support Staff,
- Students and
- Parents
The Association of African Universities (AAU) lined up a number of activities including Webinars and workshops to support the African Higher and Tertiary Education institutions since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the associated lockdowns which led to the subsequent closure of most academic institutions, the AAU relentlessly encouraged and supported these institutions so that they could continue to have their doors open, through contingent measures to facilitate Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). Some organizations and other stakeholders in Higher and Tertiary Education across the globe, were also offered support and advice on alternative ways of teaching and learning during the lockdown periods.
It was apparent that the aspect of quality assurance (QA) was not fully addressed yet it was supposed to be embedded in these support activities from the onset. Therefore, Higher and Tertiary education stakeholders should be reminded of the integral and central role that QA should continue to play in all aspects of institutional operations and services in the digitized “New Normal” that academic institutions are drifting into. In Africa, some of the major challenges in the traditional academic institutions, always have to do with the lack of capacity and trained personnel because fewer Higher and Tertiary Education staff have the knowledge and technical skills to effectively drive QA systems in these institutions, among other issues.
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a move towards alternative ways of institutional operations which is highly digitized and ICT driven – including changing the mode of teaching and learning to Online and Open and Distance Learning (ODeL). Online learning and ODeL have long been disputed and rejected by many traditional universities even before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, with regards to its levels of credibility. This therefore, compelled the AAU to hold this Webinar so that quality assurance becomes the centre of everything in the academic institutions more than ever before. This will help to build and increase the levels of stakeholders’ trust and confidence that the Online and Open and Distance Learning systems can yield credible results through transparency and accountability, among other aspects. Higher and Tertiary education stakeholders need to be reminded that QA should continue to play a critical role, even more than before, in this NEW NORMAL of the digitized academic space. The Webinar will give room to the presenter and panellists to discuss the continued need for a universal approach to quality assurance and the need to cover both the academic and academic support aspects. It is against this background that this Webinar has been organized.
During the event, the African Standards and Guideline on Quality Assurance (ASG-QA), one of the products of the Harmonization of African Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation Initiative (HAQAA1), will be disseminated to the audience with a special mention of the ODeL part that can help to guide both institutions and quality assurance agencies with regards to the quality assurance, accreditation, audits and general management of a digitized academic institution. If all attendees and institutions are to adopt them, the impact could be great in terms of harmonizing African Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation in ODeL and the digitized higher education terraine. The HAQAA Initiative is a brainchild of the African Union funded by the European Union under their political partnership. It is implemented by 4 partners in a Consortium (Obreal Global-Coordinator, Association of African Universities (AAU), the Germany Academic Exchange Services (DAAD), the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA)). HAQAA2 period-2019-2022.
Contact Information:
Name: Association of African Universities (AAU)
Website: https://www.aau.org/
Blog: https://blog.aau.org/
Email: info@aau.org; secgen@aau.org; vmakuku@aau.org
Twitter: @AAU_67
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AAU67
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/association-of-african-universities/
