WORK AREA

Higher Education Data for Policy

Higher Education Data for Policy takes forward a road map published under HAQAA2, which advocates building more comparable Africa HE data from the regions up, supporting and establishing regional data hubs based in existing and emergent processes, and building capacity for relevant data collection and analysis at the level of authorities and HEI.

The main outputs for this work area are as follows:

  • Proposal for Regional Higher Education Data Units: HAQAA3 will develop a comprehensive proposal for the establishment of four Regional Higher Education Data Units, strategically covering five regions across Africa. These units will serve as centralised hubs for higher education data collection and analysis.
  • Train officials in higher education data collection: At least 100 officials at the national and regional public authorities’ level will receive specialised training in higher education data collection. This training will ensure accuracy, consistency and standardisation of data collection processes.
  • Capacity building for university staff: At least 250 university staff will be trained in data collection and analysis methods.
  • Policy indicators for regional data collection: HAQAA3 will collaborate to agree on policy indicators for collection at the regional level. These indicators will provide valuable insights for comparative continental analysis and guide evidence-based decision-making in higher education.
  • First publication: An inaugural publication entitled “Trends in African Higher Education” will be launched, presenting key findings and trends based on aggregated data from different regions.
  • Facilitation of virtual meetings: HAQAA3 will actively facilitate virtual meetings for the African Higher Education Data Network to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders. The network will be rooted in the regional data units, allowing for seamless data sharing and collaboration.

This Work Area builds upon a Road Map and Policy Brief for the higher education data in Africa, published under HAQAA2