HEA Backs Global Recognition Treaty to Boost Quality in Higher Education
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has thrown its weight behind Zambia’s ratification of the UNESCO Global Recognition Convention (GRC), highlighting the treaty’s potential to strengthen quality assurance in higher education.
The GRC, which came into force in March 2023, is the first international agreement to standardize the recognition of academic qualifications globally. Countries like South Africa, Nigeria, and France have already reported improvements in qualification recognition, transparency, and institutional credibility after ratifying the treaty.
HEA says Zambia stands to gain significantly by aligning its higher education system with global quality standards. “Ratifying the GRC will reinforce our existing quality assurance systems and ensure Zambian qualifications are internationally comparable,” stated the Authority in a recent submission to the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Science and Technology.
In response to concerns raised by the Committee regarding inspection capacity and feedback delays, HEA assured that monitoring mechanisms are in place and that most institutions receive inspection feedback within 30 days. The Authority also emphasized that institutions are encouraged to conduct regular self assessments to complement external evaluations.
Ratification would further require the establishment of a National Information Centre to promote transparency, support fair evaluation of foreign qualifications and enable the recognition of refugees and undocumented credentials.
As of April 2025, 38 countries have ratified the Convention. HEA believes that Zambia’s accession to the treaty will not only strengthen its quality assurance framework but also elevate the country’s standing in the global higher education landscape advancing national goals under Vision 2030, the 8th National Development Plan, and SDG 4.
The Global Recognition Convention which was adopted during the 40th session of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris in November 2019, sets universal principles for the recognition of higher education qualifications, including those acquired through nontraditional or remote learning. It also promotes the recognition of qualifications for refugees, even when formal documentation is lacking.
This Global Recognition Convention builds upon and complements five existing regional frameworks. These frameworks, including the 2014 Addis Convention for Africa and the 1997 Lisbon Recognition Convention, aim to bridge the gaps in cross-continental recognition of qualifications.
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