The Association of African Universities (AAU), in collaboration with the African Quality Assurance Network (AfriQAN) presents a Virtual workshop for Institutional Quality Assurance for Impact.

Date 29-30 April 2025

Venue: ZOOM

Target audience

Quality Assurance Officers from universities, colleges, and other higher education institutions (HEIs), Directors/Heads of Quality Assurance Units, Higher Education Institution Leaders, National QA Agencies, Accreditation Bodies, Institutional Researchers, Monitoring & Evaluation Officers, Curriculum Developers and Academic Program Reviewers, Ministry of Education Officials / Policymakers Involved in national education policy and QA regulatory frameworks, Postgraduate Students and Researchers.

Registration link: http://bit.ly/4jrGnwX

Registration is FREE

General overview of the workshop

In an increasingly complex global landscape, there is a growing need for institutions to demonstrate their impact amid increasing worldwide demands for transparency and accountability. In higher education, Quality Assurance (QA) is essential not just for meeting standards but for driving broader outcomes like improved educational quality, institutional development, and societal progress. In sub-Saharan Africa, unique challenges and opportunities exist in aligning QA with meaningful impact. The upcoming workshop, “Institutional Quality Assurance for Impacts,” aims to provide participants with strategies, tools, and insights to strengthen QA processes and better measure, assess, and communicate institutional impacts across multiple dimensions.

Objectives

The primary objectives of the workshop are:

• Enhance Understanding: To deepen participants’ understanding of institutional quality assurance and its role in driving impactful outcomes.
• Tool and Strategy Development: To provide practical tools and methodologies for assessing and enhancing institutional impact through quality assurance.
• Best Practices Sharing: To facilitate the exchange of best practices and experiences among institutions to strengthen quality assurance frameworks.
• Action Plan Creation: To guide participants in developing actionable plans to implement or enhance quality assurance processes within their institutions for greater impact.

Workshop Structure

The workshop will be organized over three days, featuring a mix of keynote presentations, panel discussions, interactive sessions, and group activities.

Day 1: Introduction to Institutional Quality Assurance

1. • Overview of quality assurance frameworks
   • The role of quality assurance in institutional effectiveness
   • Aligning quality assurance with institutional mission and goals
   • Defining and operationalizing “impact” within institutions

Day 2: Enhancing Quality Assurance for Greater Impact

1. • Best practices in quality assurance for impact
   • Leveraging technology in quality assurance
   • Strategies for communicating impact to stakeholders
   • Tools and techniques for impact measurement

Methodology

The workshop will employ a mix of instructional methods to engage participants actively:

• Lectures and Presentations: Delivered by experts in quality assurance and institutional development.
• Interactive Discussions: Facilitated discussions to explore challenges and opportunities in institutional quality assurance.
• Case Studies: Real-world examples to illustrate the successful implementation of quality assurance for impact.
• Group Work and Exercises: Collaborative activities to apply learning to participants’ contexts.
• Action Plan Development: Guided sessions for participants to develop tailored action plans for their institutions.

Expected Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

• Have a clear understanding of the importance of quality assurance in achieving institutional impact.
• Be equipped with practical tools and methodologies to assess and enhance institutional impact.
• Gain insights into best practices and successful strategies from other institutions.
• Leave with a draft action plan to implement or improve quality assurance processes in their institutions.

For further information, contact: obadinaw@aau.org and CC: lodzebe.gidisu@aau.org