Prof. Nadia Badrawi Secretary General Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education

1. Arab Cooperation in Quality Assurance of Higher Education Prof. Nadia Badrawi Secretary General Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education Board Member International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education Member of the Advisory Committee Quality Assurance support program for African Higher Education Board Member Quality Assurance Commission of the Association of Arab Universities

2. Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher Education • Introduction • Legal status • Description of ANQAHE • Challenges

3. Introduction • The Arab Network for Quality Assurance for Higher education was an idea generated by some experts in quality assurance in the Arab World in a conference organized by the NQAAC in Cairo, Egypt in July 2004

4. Introduction • A round table discussion on how quality assurance bodies in the Arab States might work together took place.The brain storming produced three possible scenarios: • to create a network; • to start an NGO for Quality Assurance; • to develop a commission for quality assurance and accreditation for Arab HEIs.

5. Arab Network for QA: Why? The need for having mechanism between Arab region to: • Exchange information about QA • Construct new QA organizations • Develop standards to initiate new QA organizations • Disseminate good practice in QA • Strengthen liaison between QA.

6. ANQAHE: Driving Force • The recommendation of the UNESCO • The presence and effort of INQAAHE to support regional networks • The existence and fast arising of other regional QA network around the world • The wishes and perseverance of experts and directors of quality assurance in some Arab countries to cooperate together and strengthen the liaison between them

7. ANQAHE The Arab Network of Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ANQAHE) is launched on the 9th of June, 2007 in Jordan

8. ANQAHE ANQAHE is an independent non- profit non governmental organization

9. Legal Recognition ANQAHE is working in association with the International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) and in partnership with the Association of the Arab Universities (AArU)

10. Legal Recognition (cont) • AArU is a well established non-profit non-governmental organization with more than 190 HEI members in the Arab world • AArU has a legal and financial identity • AArU is recognized across the Arab region

11. Legal Recognition (cont) • The ANQAHE is incorporated under the companies Act 1985 as a private limited company. ANQAHE was registered at Companies House, Cardiff, the 18th October 2007 as nonprofit private organization . The registration number is 6403398.

12. International Recognition Seeking for: • UNESCO • INQAAHE • British Council • DAAD Bonn Declaration • World Bank Regional Recognition • AArU and AAU • QA organization members

13. The Mission of ANQAHE “To ensure and strengthen the quality assurance of higher education institutions, to enhance the collaboration between similar quality assurance organizations in the Arab region and to develop cooperation with other regional and international quality assurance networks”

14. Goals of ANQAHE • Support and enhance quality assurance organizations in the Arab region • Establish a mechanism of cooperation in the field of quality assurance in higher education in the Arab region

15. Goals of ANQAHE (cont) • Initiate and sustain regional and international cooperation in quality assurance in higher education • Exchange information on quality assurance in higher education • Develop a system for capacity building in the Arab region

16. Objectives of ANQAHE • Support, promote and disseminate good practice of quality assurance in higher education in the Arab region and to enhance continuous improvement and capacity building for quality assurance agencies in the region; • Advise, consult and establish standards and guidelines, to assist the development of new quality assurance agencies in the region; • Facilitate links and communication between quality assurance agencies;

17. Objectives of ANQAHE (cont.) • Provide a platform for information on quality assurance standards, good practices and professional institutional and program reviewers among member organizations; • Develop a platform for information on qualification frameworks, recognized educational institutions and accredited programs in the region; • Support members of ANQAHE to determine the standards of institutions operating across national borders;

18. Objectives of ANQAHE (cont.) • Provide members of ANQAHE with information on the quality assurance organizations in the Arab region; • Facilitate research in the field of quality assurance in higher education in the region;

19. Objectives of ANQAHE (cont.) • Where appropriate, represent and promote the interests of the region, e.g., vis-à-vis other networks and international organizations; • Provide the service of evaluating the quality assurance agencies upon request.

20. Methodology of ANQAHE • Dissemination of information • Reference to the databases and good practice • Organization of seminars workshops and conferences • Exchange experts • Assist in mutual recognition.

21. Membership • Membership: ANQAHE has two categories of membership: • Full Member *Quality Assurance bodies *Other Networks • Associate Member

22. ANQAHE: Governing Bodies • The governing bodies and authorities of ANQAHE are the responsibilities of • The General Assembly; • The Board; and • The General Secretary Committee.

23. The Foundation Board The board includes: • the president, • the secretary general , • two vice presidents, • five elected board members • co-opted experts in QA

24. The Foundation Board (cont.) • The foundation board is composed from a combination between partners from the Association of Arab Universities, experts in QA from INQAAHE and UNDP and representatives of quality assurance bodies in their countries.

25. The Foundation Board (cont.) • The nationalities of the board members are formerly from eight Arab Countries that is, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Sudan, Bahrain, Oman, UAE and Saudi Arabia

26. The Foundation Board (cont.) • Dr. Saleh Hashem as president, • Dr. Nadia Badrawi as secretary general, • Dr. Feissal Abdallah El Hag as vice president, • Dr. Badr Aboul Ela, vice president, • Dr. Abdel Rehim A. Hunaity, member • Dr. Essam Al-Naqib, member, • Dr. Essam El Khattib, member, • Dr. Tarik Al Sindi, member, • Dr. Salim Rasvi • Dr. Abdallah Mosalam, member

27. Challenges of An Emerging Quality Assurance Network

28. 1- Identification of the Region • The language • The geographic location • The system of education

29. 2- Small Scale Representation of all the Countries in a Given Region • Number of countries involved with ANQAHE are small. The 22 Arab countries are: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Somali, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen

30. 3- Diversity of the Nature of Quality Assurance Bodies • Semiautonomous bodies for Quality Assurance • Independent agencies for Quality Assurance • Unit in the ministry of higher education to oversee QAA

31. 3- Diversity of the Nature of Quality Assurance Bodies (cont) • Perform QA for private and/or public institutions • Conduct institutional QAA and or program accreditation • Uses imported system or developed national models • Not started activities in the field of QAA

32. 4- Financial Constrains Especially in the Foundation Period • British Council • The national and the international conferences to meet the responsible colleagues • DGF grant from the World Bank • Other regional funding agencies • The presence of financial structure as the Association of Arab Universities

33. 5- Lack of Professional Quality Assurance Expertise • Number of professionals in QA are small in the Arab countries

34. 6- Communication Deficiencies withthe QA Bodies in Different Countries • Websites • email addresses • Conventional methods • It took from us a significant amount of effort to identify the responsible colleague in every country and an even greater effort to keep that person consistent

35. 7- Political Intervention and Domination of the State • HEIs are public ones owned by the state, regulated, dominated and financed by the ministries of higher education • The ministries of higher education fulfill the role of both service providers and evaluators • There is a great political influence on the institutions and on the quality assurance bodies

36. 7- Political Intervention and Domination of the State (cont) • The private higher education institutions are also highly regulated and dominated by the ministries of higher education • Thus there is a very high political influence intervening with competition on quality assurance within higher education institutions

37. 8- The Stature of the Network: Should it be Governmental or Independent? • Should the network be a governmental and follows the ministries of higher education or be nongovernmental? • Should there be a formula to balance between governmental and non governmental, and how?

38. 8- The Stature of the Network: Should it be Governmental or Independent? (cont) We started the Arab Network as a nongovernmental structure but the members are the quality assurance bodies and HEIs which most of them are governmental. The decision to be affiliated to the Association of Arab universities and the international recognition of the network has helped in partial resolution of this challenge.

39. 9- Emerging of Other Networks with Similar Name for the Same Region • The business of quality assurance and accreditation in the region is flourishing • Profit and non profit organizations might have interest in establishing networks to open a work market place in this field

40. 9- Emerging of other Networks with Similar Name for the Same Region (cont) This is a new challenge but the experience, the credibility of the structure and the activities of any network will be the main source of its sustainability

41. Thank you Dr. Nadia Badrawi nadia@badarwi.com www.anqahe.org