Members of the Advisory Board in a group photograph after the meeting.
The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Association of African Universities (AAU), the National Accreditation Board (NAB) and the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) towards quality assurance.
The MOU entailed project agreement with the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany to promote internal quality assurance in higher education institutions in Africa.
The signing ceremony took place at the UPSA after a two-day project advisory board meeting held from 9-10 July, 2014.
The project, ‘Train IQ Africa, is being funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).
According to the Project Coordinator and Head of the Centre for Higher Education Development and Quality Enhancement at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, Dr. Solveig Randhahn, the project involves the development of the capacity of internal Quality Assurance (QA) officers in universities in West Africa to ensure internal quality in higher education.
‘We plan to organise training sessions for QA officers of higher education institutions in Anglophone and Francophone West Africa,’ she indicated.
She noted that the project will focus on five related issues of internal quality assurance, including a focus on what it means to do effective quality assurance management in higher education institutions, the necessary tools and procedures used to implement quality assurance structures and the methods of data collection and evaluation.
‘We also have a module on curriculum design and evaluation, as well as a focus on teaching and learning. We will discuss issues such as the learning outcomes and their connection to quality assurance because there has been a shift from teaching to leaning, and the focus of outcome-based learning now dominates procedures. In addition, we will look at another module on information management, and finally how to develop a quality culture in universities,’ Dr. Randhahn said.
The Dean of Graduate Studies at the UPSA, Professor Goski Alabi, who is the main local facilitator of the project, noted that the University was identified by the project initiators and the funding partners to be the main implementing partner because of its expertise and capabilities in the area of QA.
‘In the past, we have participated in various quality assurance projects, workshops and conferences so the choice of our University came as a result of our experience and an appreciation of our commitment to developing quality management practices in the region,’ she stated.
Prof. Mrs. Alabi further noted that the UPSA was particularly enthused about the project because of its focus on quality management.
‘We happen to be the first university in Africa to introduce an MBA programme in Total Quality Management; that shows our commitment to developing the capacity for quality management practices in Africa.
The Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Accreditation Board in Ghana, Richard K. Adjei, believes that the internal quality assurance training project is timely because it will enhance the quality of tertiary education in Ghana in particular and the West African sub-region in general.
He said the Board will maximise the benefits of the project nationally.
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