African Union convenes first online meeting of the PAQAA Interim Council, marking a new phase in continental quality assurance governance
On 19 February 2026, the African Union Commission (AUC), through its Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI), convened the first online meeting of the Interim Council of the Pan-African Quality Assurance Alliance (PAQAA), marking a decisive step in the institutional consolidation of continental quality assurance in higher education.
The meeting brought together representatives from 18 AU Member States (Algeria, Angola, Cabo Verde, Egypt, Guinée, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa and South Sudan) as well as regional partners (IUCEA, SARUA, and CAMES). The strong participation reflects growing political ownership of PAQAA across the continent.
PAQAA is a central instrument for implementing the Pan-African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Framework (PAQAF), adopted under the auspices of the African Union in 2016. While previous phases of the HAQAA initiative focused on developing continental standards, building capacity and piloting QA methodologies (including the African Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ASG-QA) and agency reviews) the establishment of the Interim Council signals a transition from technical groundwork to governance consolidation.
In her opening remarks, the AUC reaffirmed its leadership in steering the process and underlined that PAQAA must evolve as an African-owned and African-led structure, aligned with broader AU Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI) priorities.
The Interim Council is conceived as a transitional governance body tasked with providing strategic guidance, ensuring Member State ownership, and overseeing the development of core institutional instruments, including the statutes of PAQAA.
HAQAA3: supporting institutionalisation
The meeting also highlighted the role of HAQAA3 (an initiative funded by the European Union and implemented in close cooperation with the African Union Commission), in supporting this new phase.
Under HAQAA3, technical assistance, financial and operational support are being provided through the PAQAA Interim Technical Unit, ongoing agency reviews against the ASG-QA, External Quality Assurance (EQA) training, and structured assistance to the governance set-up process. The objective is to ensure that PAQAA’s institutionalisation is accompanied by credible procedures, transparent governance arrangements and operational readiness.
A key milestone ahead will be the drafting and adoption of the PAQAA statutes. A team of five PAQAA Technical and Policy Advisors, representing different African regions, will accompany the Interim Council in the coming months. Their role includes preparing draft versions of the statutes and facilitating structured consultations with Council members to ensure that the final proposal reflects regional perspectives and collective ownership.
The progress on the drafting process of the statutes are expected to be presented at the first in-person meeting of the Interim Council, foreseen to take place at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa in June 2026.
PAQAA contributes to continental integration
While PAQAA is rooted in higher education quality assurance, its strategic relevance extends beyond the sector itself. By fostering mutual trust in national quality assurance systems, supporting comparable standards and strengthening recognition practices, PAQAA contributes directly to developing mutual trust, facilitating academic mobility, skills development and labour market integration across borders. These elements are essential to broader continental ambitions, including the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), youth employment strategies and knowledge-driven economic transformation.
In this sense, PAQAA represents more than a technical initiative: it is part of a wider architecture for African integration, supporting mobility, cooperation and trust among Member States.
A shared commitment towards June 2026
During the exchange session, Interim Council members discussed immediate priorities, working modalities and the roadmap towards June. There was broad agreement on the importance of maintaining momentum, widening participation, ensuring inclusive consultations and delivering a robust draft of the statutes within the agreed timeline.
The 19 February meeting therefore represents a foundational moment: the formal installation of a governance structure that will shape the future of continental quality assurance in Africa.
With strong leadership from the African Union Commission, sustained support through the EU-funded HAQAA3 initiative, and active engagement from Member States and regional partners, PAQAA is entering a new phase aimed at securing long-term institutional sustainability and reinforcing Africa’s collective capacity to lead and to ensure quality, credibility and integration in higher education.
