The Francophone African Network of National Quality Assurance Agencies (RAFANAQ) has a new president, Professor Kabinet Oularé, who was elected unanimously by members during the organization's general assembly in Conakry, Guinea. He succeeds Senegal and will lead the organization for a two-year term. As secretary executive of Guinea's Autorité nationale d'assurance qualité (ANAQ), Oularé aims to build on previous actions while strengthening cooperation among member countries.
Professor Oularé plans to continue benchmarking in other countries, advocating for the establishment of national quality assurance agencies, and supporting countries that have not yet evaluated their doctoral schools and research structures. He made these commitments after being elected as president of RAFANAQ. Nkiama Constant, the oldest member of the network, congratulated Oularé and emphasized the importance of respecting the organization's statutes and texts.
The new president and the network's members are expected to work together to achieve the organization's goals. Constant, who is also a representative of the network, highlighted the need for solidarity and respect for the rules that govern RAFANAQ. He encouraged members to accompany the new bureau and demonstrate solidarity, as emphasized during the general assembly.
Abdoulaye Had Cissé, coordinator of the Senegalese National Authority for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, and secretary of RAFANAQ, welcomed the growing participation of Francophone African countries in the network's activities. He described the general assembly as a significant milestone, marked by the renewal of the organization's executive committee.
The executive committee has been renewed, with a new bureau elected to serve for two years. The Senegalese representative passes the leadership to Guinea, which will now preside over the network, with Tunisia taking the vice-presidency and Niger assuming the role of treasurer. Cissé expressed satisfaction with the growing involvement of Francophone African countries in RAFANAQ's activities.
The new leadership faces the challenge of consolidating the network's achievements while adapting to changes in higher education, research, and innovation. Cissé emphasized the need to preserve the progress made by RAFANAQ and address emerging issues such as national qualification frameworks, micro-certifications, and artificial intelligence.
The network has made significant progress in establishing national quality assurance agencies, sharing best practices, and developing tools. RAFANAQ has contributed to African and regional policies and initiatives on quality assurance. The new leadership will focus on building on these achievements and addressing emerging challenges in higher education, research, and innovation.
Key points
- Professor Kabinet Oularé was unanimously elected as president of RAFANAQ.
- The new leadership aims to strengthen cooperation among member countries and address emerging challenges in higher education, research, and innovation.
- RAFANAQ has made significant progress in establishing national quality assurance agencies and promoting quality assurance in Francophone African countries.
