GQAA 4TH INTERNATIONAL QUALITY ASSURANCE SYMPOSIUM 2026
The Global Quality Assurance Association (GQAA) successfully convened its 4th International Quality Assurance Symposium themed The Practical, Feasible and Collegial Implementation of Quality Assurance in The Age of Artificial Intelligence from 9–11 June 2026 at the Miklin Hotel in East Legon, Accra, Ghana. The symposium brought together quality assurance experts, higher education leaders, government officials, academics and other key stakeholders from across the continent to deliberate on emerging issues shaping the future of quality assurance.
The three-day international symposium provided an important platform for knowledge exchange, professional engagement and strategic reflection on how quality assurance systems can remain responsive to the rapidly changing demands of higher education, technology and the world of work.
The symposium featured nine paper presentations, AI practical sessions and presentations covering a wide range of contemporary quality assurance issues. Key areas of discussion included reframing the quality assurance culture, responsible artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation, practical quality assurance models, collegial internal quality assurance, inclusive quality assurance practices and quality enhancement within the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and the education sector in general.
During the opening ceremony, Dr. Violet Makuku, the Director, Global Quality Assurance Association (GQAA), emphasized that the symposium was to place significant attention on the importance of developing a quality culture across academic and other institutions. Rather than viewing quality assurance simply as a regulatory or compliance requirement, discussions encouraged institutions to embrace quality as an institutional responsibility shared by leadership, academics and non-teaching staff including administrative personnel, students and other stakeholders. This approach was considered essential for creating sustainable systems that continuously improve institutional performance and learner outcomes.
Additionally, she highlighted the need for quality assurance personnel to remove the “policing” tag through working collaboratively and cooperatively with other internal stakeholders on quality issues. She also stressed that students contribute the greater part of the academic institutional challenges but they can also be a greater part of the viable solutions if they receive knowledge and skills on how they can contribute to quality assurance in the institution. This can be through education and awareness training sessions.
A major highlight of the symposium was the growing emphasis on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital transformation and their implications for quality assurance. Participants explored how institutions can harness emerging technologies to improve institutional effectiveness and efficiency, strengthen decision-making and enhance service delivery while maintaining ethical standards, accountability and academic integrity.
Paper Presenters at the GQAA 4th International Quality Assurance Symposium:
Professor Evelyn C. Garwe, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Morocco, keynote speech
Professor Luvuyo L. Lalendle, UNISA (online presentation)
Tebogo V. Kgope, UNISA (online presentation)
Loy Muhwezi, TVET Department, Ministry of Education & Sports, Uganda
John Osae-Kwapong, Ashesi University, Ghana
Lilian Nakawala, Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board
Shandulo Maphorisa, Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education, Botswana (online presentation)
Professor Karen Ferreira-Meyers, UNESWA
The discussions recognized that AI is rapidly transforming education and institutional operations, making it necessary for quality assurance systems to evolve beyond traditional compliance and enforcement-based approaches. Participants emphasized the need for institutions to develop appropriate frameworks, policies and capacities that promote the responsible and ethical use of AI while safeguarding quality, integrity and inclusivity. This was followed by a practical session led by Tavonga Munodawafa, on how to use AI tools effectively for work. Generation of QA Codes, use of the mentimeter and navigating NotebookLM were part of the practical session.
Another important area of discussion was TVET quality enhancement, reflecting the increasing importance of technical and vocational education in addressing the development of employability, business strategy formulation and entrepreneurship for socio-economic transformation. Participants considered practical approaches to strengthening quality management systems within the TVET sector across the continent and ensuring that training institutions remain responsive to the changing needs of industry and society.
Beyond the formal presentations, the symposium created opportunities for deeper strategic engagement among participants from different countries and institutions. The programme facilitated meaningful conversations on strengthening internal quality assurance systems across Africa and identifying areas for collaboration, knowledge sharing and institutional development.
The symposium further demonstrated the importance of international cooperation in addressing common quality assurance challenges. By bringing together experts and practitioners from different contexts, GQAA created a space where participants could share experiences, examine emerging practices and identify innovative solutions that can be adapted to their respective institutional and national environments.
The GQAA’s 4th International Quality Assurance Symposium therefore represented more than a three-day professional gathering. It served as a platform for advancing conversations around the current and the future of quality assurance while reaffirming the need for systems that are innovative, inclusive, ethical, technology-responsive and focused on continuous improvement.
As higher education continues to experience significant transformation driven by technology, changing labour-market demands and the evolving expectations from society, the role of quality assurance is becoming increasingly important. The conversations generated during the symposium provided valuable perspectives on how institutions and policymakers can respond to these changes while maintaining the standards and values that underpin quality education.
Throughout the symposium, GQAA reaffirmed its commitment to contributing towards the promotion of excellence, strengthening quality assurance practices and facilitating international collaboration and capacity building among stakeholders. The event also highlighted the Association’s growing role as a platform for professional dialogue and strategic engagement on quality assurance issues across Africa and beyond in all the areas associated with education and other sectors.
The delegates, on the last day before the excursion, were awarded certificates of participation together with trophies that were awarded to presenters and outstanding delegates. Individual prizes were awarded for the best presentation which was grabbed by Professor Karen Ferreira-Meyers. One trophy was awarded to Dr. Loy Muhwezi who was voted the Most Valuable Player during the symposium.
The successful conclusion of the 4th International Quality Assurance Symposium marked another important milestone for GQAA, while setting the stage for continued collaboration, innovation and collective action towards building stronger and more effective quality assurance systems in academic institutions and beyond.
