The East African Higher Education Quality Assurance Network (EAQAN) is a network of quality assurance practitioners in the East African Community Partner States (EAC). Its history can be traced back to 2007 and 2008 when the Inter University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Rectors Conference (HRK), East African partner states and National Commissions and Councils selected and trained over 45 quality assurance officers/coordinators from Universities and National Commissions and councils.

The training of quality assurance/coordinators was part of the capacity-building process to strengthen the internal QA (quality assurance) systems in universities in East Africa. The QA officers were to play a key role in implementing a regional QA project. This team of QA officers became peer mentors to each other supporting in key QA activities such as:

1. QA trainings and awareness activities
2. Peer assessment
3. Sharing of information and knowledge
4. Exchange of QA instruments

In 2010, an evaluation of the first phase of the IUCEA QA initiative was conducted. During the evaluation, a number of the QA officers expressed the need for a forum that will bring them together. The forum was conceived to provide an opportunity to continue in a more organised way the sharing of and support for QA experiences amongst QA officers.

In March 2011, IUCEA Executive Committee and Annual General Assembly held in Bujumbura approved the proposals:

1. To facilitate the establishment of a regional network of QA practitioners
2. To facilitate the establishment of regional QA forums
3. To facilitate continuous sharing, training and networking among the QA coordinators from the region.

In 2012, the Network was formally established in Entebbe primarily to provide a platform for the discussion and exchange of experiences among QA coordinators and other stakeholders in quality assurance, teaching and learning as well as related issues in the management of higher education.

Since then, EAQAN, in conjunction with IUCEA, DAAD, HRK, national commissions/councils and other key strategic partners, has organized annual QA forums in Kigali in 2013, Arusha in 2014 and Nairobi in 2015. These provide the opportunity for EAQAN members to present papers on key issues of quality assurance systems, practices and challenges in the region, receive further training to build capacity on enhancing internal QA in their education institutions and network with other regional and international QA practitioners and experts in higher education.

The membership to EAQAN include national quality assurance networks of universities and higher education institutions within the partner states; universities and higher education institutions that are members of IUCEA; national commissions and councils responsible for ensuring quality of higher education in the partner states; and individuals actively involved in higher education quality assurance initiatives in the East African partner states.

Vision

An internationally recognised network of quality assurance practitioners in East Africa.

Mission

To promote, enhance and improve the quality of HE in East Africa through the implementation of quality assurance activities.

Core Values

• Commitment
• Excellence
• Innovations
• Integrity
• Quality
• Transparency