AAU-ADEA-TrustAfrica Webinar: Promoting Academic Mobility/Exchange Programmes and Standardization through the Harmonization of Higher Education Systems

Introduction 

The Association of African Universities (AAU) in partnership with TrustAfrica and the Association for the Development of Education’s Working Group on Higher Education (ADEA-WGHE) invite you to join the AAU-TrustAfrica-ADEA Higher Education Online Forum (Webinar) on “Promoting Academic Mobility/Exchange Programmes and Standardization through the Harmonization of Higher Education Systems”. This webinar seeks to inform, educate and create the platform for African Higher Education Stakeholders to discuss strategies to promote academic mobility, exchange programmes and standardization through the harmonization of the African Higher Education System. 

This webinar specifically focuses on the 2nd Priority Area of the 1st African Higher Education Summit’s Declaration and Action Plan which seeks to promote differentiation, diversification, and harmonization of the African Education Systems.

Webinar Objectives

The webinar seeks to discuss strategies to promote academic mobility, exchange programmes and standardization through the harmonization of African higher education systems at National and Continental levels by exploring the: 

  1. Legal framework and higher education act that oversee system structure, governance, study programmes, degree types and hierarchy as well as diversification and differentiation. 

  2. Criteria for categorizing institutions including research universities, comprehensive universities, university colleges and the vocational institutions such as polytechnics and community colleges. 
  3. Standards of national quality and accrediting agencies, including national higher education councils or commissions with powers to sanction institutions for non-compliance. 
  4. Capacity of differentiated institutions to develop clear criteria for moving from one type to another, and limit ‘mission creep’ and ‘academic drift. 
  5. Guidelines for a harmonized classification of tertiary education institutions and continental system for enhancing student mobility and institutional comparison. 

Expected outputs 

This webinar is expected to inform, stimulate mindset of participants and devise strategies to promote academic mobility, exchange programmes and standardization through the harmonization of higher education systems.

Information on the Webinar Presentation

Date: Thursday, 25th January, 2018 

Time: 12:00 GMT 

Venue: Online (Adobe Connect Platform) 

Organizers: This Webinar is organized by the Association of African Universities (AAU), ADEA Working Group on Higher Education (ADEA-WGHE) and funded by Trust Africa.

Target Audience

This Webinar is open to all stakeholders in Higher Education in Africa, such as:- Vice-Chancellors, Academics, Students, Consultants and Experts, National and Regional Councils of Higher Education, Participants of the 1st African Higher Education Summit-Dakar, and key organizations in Africa that include Trust Africa, the African Union Commission (AUC), Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP) , the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), the Association of African Universities (AAU), the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), AUWA, SARUA, IUCEA, CAMES, RUFORUM, and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. Summit International Partners: Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY), MasterCard Foundation, and the World Bank Group.

How to Participate 

  1. Confirm your participation by registering at https://www.aau.org/webinars/trustafrica.php
  2. The webinar will be livestreamed on: https://meet53484183.adobeconnect.com/aautrustafricatalks/
  3. Make sure you have the Adobe flash player installed on your device (i.e. computer, tablet and smartphone) 

Live Tweeting and Event Hashtag: 

  1. Join the conversation by following #TrustAfricaTalks, #AAUwebinars, #WGHETalks and share your comments and questions. 
  2. Follow our webinar via our social media channels: 

AAU  @AAU_67     |     TrustAfrica @TrustAfrica     |     ADEA  @ADEAnet 

AAU  AAU67     |     TrustAfrica  TrustAfrica     |     ADEA  ADEAnet

For any further information, please contact Mr. Kwesi Acquah Sam on (+233) 243298464 or via email: kasam@aau.org

Panelist

Dr. Damtew Teferra is a Professor of Higher Education and leader of Higher Education Training and Development at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. He is the founder and director of the International Network for Higher Education in Africa, earlier at the Center for International Higher Education (CIHE), Boston College. He has been with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, for over 10 years now. Prof. Teferra is the former director for Africa and the Middle East of the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program in New York. He is the (former) founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of African Higher Education (former) and the International Journal of African Higher Education and the Chronicle of African Higher Education. He is the author of Scientific Communication in African Universities: External Assistance and National Needs (Routledge Falmer, 2003) and lead (and sole) editor of the award-winning books. He has been consulting for and closely working with multiple regional and international organizations including UNESCO, African Union, European Union, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German agency for international development cooperation (GIZ), Association of African Universities, Inter-University Council for Eastern Africa, among others. He continues to present at numerous conferences and symposia as keynote speaker, panel member and speaker in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.