UNIMA Hosts IUCEA Delegation to Advance Regional Accreditation Efforts
The University of Malawi’s Centre for Resilient and Agri-Food Systems (CRAFS) hosted a team from the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) through the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence (ACE II) Project from 5th to 9th May 2025. The purpose of the visit was to support universities hosting Africa Centres of Excellence (ACEs) in the East African Community (EAC) regional accreditation process. The meeting also included UNIMA CRAFS members and representatives from two centres in Malawi: the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), and the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS).
The IUCEA team was welcomed by Professor Cosmo Ngongondo, Director of CRAFS, who expressed gratitude on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Samson Sajidu. He noted that regional accreditation will enable students at UNIMA to participate in exchange programmes with other institutions. “Once you have regional accreditation, it means that the programme is recognised by other international universities. Our students can go there for a semester exchange and take various courses, and their students can also come to UNIMA to study. This is possible because of credit recognition, as the same standards are being used,” he explained.
In his remarks, Dr. Judie Ssebuwufu, the ACE II Coordinator for the World Bank, stated that the purpose of the visit was to focus on regional accreditation, as none of the universities in Malawi have yet achieved this status. He explained that the team decided to bring in experts to assist the centres at these universities in preparing and submitting their documents for regional accreditation. He further noted that the visit also aimed to assess the progress of the various centres in Malawi.
Regional accreditation is a rigorous and essential quality assurance process designed to strengthen an institution’s internal quality systems, enabling it to sustainably maintain and enhance its academic standards. Professor Michael Mawa, Chief Principal for Quality Assurance and Qualifications Framework at IUCEA, emphasized that the process is both important and impactful, as it raises the institution’s profile and fosters international recognition. He further explained that internationalisation is a key goal for universities, and one of the ways to achieve it is through international accreditation.
“It is also important because regional accreditation increases international trust in the quality of graduates produced by our universities. The qualifications we award to our graduates will be recognized and accepted, thereby promoting the reputation and ranking of our universities in the region,” he said.
Professor Mawa also noted that regional accreditation allows professionals from other universities to contribute to accredited programmes, enhancing collaboration and service delivery. Additionally, it builds public trust by demonstrating that an institution meets quality standards and is open to critical evaluation of its programmes and systems. An institution that undergoes regional accreditation ultimately strengthens its internal quality assurance mechanisms.
UNIMA will submit four programmes, which include the Master of Science in Food Science, Master of Science in Chemistry, Master of Science in Biostatistics, and Master of Science in Informatics.
