The window, running from 1^st April to 31^st May, 2026, provides HEIs with a structured and efficient opportunity to submit applications for accreditation, a system introduced by the Authority in 2024 to improve turnaround times and enhance planning in the accreditation process.

Since its introduction, the window period approach has significantly improved efficiency in the processing of applications, enabling the Authority to provide more timely, coordinated and predictable feedback to institutions.

In a communiqué to HEIs, HEA Director-General, Professor Kazhila C. Chinsembu, emphasised that the window is not merely administrative, but central to ensuring order, quality and accountability in higher education delivery.

“The accreditation window period is important for planning purposes and for HEA to provide timely feedback on all applications submitted for accreditation thereby, promoting efficiency in the process,” Professor Chinsembu stated.

HEIs are, therefore, strongly encouraged to take advantage of the current window period to regularise and submit all outstanding programmes. The Authority will not accept any submission for application of accreditation of a learning programme once the submission window period closes.

For detailed guidance on the accreditation process, institutions may visit the HEA website at www.hea.org.zm or contact the Accreditation Team via accreditation@hea.org.zm. 

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The core elements being developed will be mechanisms within an LP which that particular LP would need to have in order to ensure that the LP meets minimum standards to lead to a qualification in that particular field.

HEA began this process when it held a Seminar on the Development of Core Elements with a group of Academic Experts on 3^rd, 4^th and 7^th December, 2020, at Mika Convention Centre.

These Experts had developed working documents with core elements in Bachelor of Science (Nursing), Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Economics, Bachelor of Theology, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Master’s by Research, and Doctoral Programmes. These documents were being presented to HEA for discussion and refinement, before the documents were presented to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and other stakeholders for validation.

Speaking when he gave the opening remarks for the Seminar, HEA Director – Quality Assurance, Dr. Vitalicy Chifwepa, noted the past reliance on HEI Senates to develop LPs and the global trend for minimum content development.

“With the opening up of university education to the private sector, we have had similar LPs being offered at various universities but with differences in content as we relied on the Senates of the various universities to come up with various LPs and content based on their perceptions of what the needs are,” Dr. Chifwepa said.

The Director, however, stated that there is a trend globally for all LPs to have minimum content prescribed that would lead to a particular qualification.

“This is happening at a global level as UNESCO is coordinating the recognition of qualifications,” he said, continuing, “when we come to specific jurisdictions, it is important that there are certain set of standards.”

Dr. Chifwepa further stated strongly that it was not the intention of HEA for every HEI to teach the same things but only to ensure that certain core requirements were present in each LP.

“We don’t standardise so that everyone is teaching the same things but so that certain core requirements are present in each LP in order for there to be comparability of the particular LPs within the country and across borders,” Dr. Chifwepa stated. 

Of the task that has been laid before the Experts, Dr. Chifwepa stated that the Experts comprised of the first teams of experts that HEA would engage.

“It is very important that we rely on experts based on their qualifications and experience to develop standards in our LPs which would ultimately lead to qualifications that will be recognised in the country and across the borders of Zambia,” he said.

The Director pointed out that Zambia was not the first country to endeavour to set these standards, as South Africa had begun the process but is yet to complete it.

“The process will show that we have benchmarked these standards against what is out there,” Dr. Chifwepa said, adding, “in some cases, we might just be the ones leading the way as it should not look like we are always conforming to what is already out there.”

This article was written by Mr. Birbal Boniface Musoba, Corporate Communications Officer, Higher Education Authority (HEA) on 9^th December, 2020.

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Speaking when he featured on Life TV’s News Report Current Affairs Talk Show yesterday, HEA’s Manager – Standards, Research and Institutional Audits, Dr. Orleans Mfune, stated that the increase in the number of HEIs has resulted into there being an increase in the number of places available for students to enrol into and in the varied LPs from which to choose.

“Private universities should not be seen as a negative element, they provide an important service to fill a very important gap,” Dr. Mfune said, adding, “Government alone cannot actually manage (to provide higher education to everyone) and the private universities are providing a service to meet the demand that is there.”

Dr. Mfune noted that statistics have shown that only 20% of high school graduates in Zambia manage to enter university, elucidating the sobering fact that the majority of people that pass Grade 12 do not make it to university, mainly due to limited space. Thus, private universities provide an avenue to increase access to university education.

The Manager – Standards, Research and Institutional Audits was featured on the show to discuss the alleged mushrooming of universities purporting to be credible and legitimate.

“When people talk about mushrooming, I know they are talking about private universities (but) this is a phenomenon that will be with us,” he said, adding, “but I have to assure the viewers because sometimes we take this as a negative.”

In drawing the parallel with the alarming number of Grade 12s who fail to enter higher education even with full certificates due to limited places, Dr. Mfune elaborated that the main concern should not necessarily be the perceived number of HEIs but how to safeguard the quality provision of higher education by these HEIs.

“The main concern that our stakeholders should have is how we safeguard the quality of education in these universities,” Dr. Mfune said, stating that that it was through the processes that HEA had put in place that safeguard against a decline in quality and ensure that quality is maintained.

Dr. Mfune added that these quality assurance processes include accreditation of Learning Programmes (LPs), auditing of HEIs, and classification of HEIs, a process which the Authority has recently began to place HEIs in categories defined by the Zambia Qualifications Framework (ZQF) depending on their capacity to offer higher education.