The Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), through the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE II) Project, visited Malawi from May 5th to 9th, 2025. The visit aimed to support universities hosting Africa Centers of Excellence (ACEs) with the East African Community (EAC) regional accreditation process. IUCEA also clarified the key requirements and timelines involved.
Accreditation by regional and international bodies is essential for universities worldwide to maintain and demonstrate academic standards. IUCEA’s accreditation framework follows international best practices, aligning with global trends in higher education quality assurance.
“Regional accreditation will help universities in Malawi go beyond national standards and align with regional benchmarks,” said Dr. Simeon Gwayi, Director of Registration and Accreditation Services at Malawi’s National Council for Higher Education.
Dr. Gwayi added that this process will improve the recognition of qualifications across borders. “It will support student mobility regionally and globally, enhance institutional competitiveness, and drive continuous improvement in quality. It will also raise the visibility and credibility of our institutions on the regional, continental, and global stage.”
To qualify for EAC regional accreditation, a programme must first be nationally accredited by the relevant higher education authority in its country.
The EAC accreditation framework considers current and emerging trends in higher education. These include harmonizing accreditation systems to support cross-border education, adapting accreditation models to meet evolving needs, promoting staff and student mobility, and ensuring recognition of academic qualifications.
Prof. Grace Njoroge, IUCEA Regional Facilitator and Trainer, highlighted that the EAC Standards and Guidelines align with international criteria for quality in transnational higher education.
“The framework brings many benefits,” Prof. Njoroge said. “These include improved academic content aligned with labor market needs, stronger infrastructure and teaching support, a better institutional reputation, attraction of top students and professionals, higher enrolments, and stronger research, innovation, and patenting efforts. It also enhances stakeholder satisfaction, regional collaboration, and better governance in higher education institutions.”
The EAC programe accreditation framework is open to all HEIs within Africa and other regions of the world.
About ACEs in Malawi
Malawi hosts six Africa Centers of Excellence at four universities. The ACEs are financed by the World Bank to support the selected Eastern and Southern African higher education institutions to deliver quality post-graduate education and build collaborative research capacity in the regional priority areas.
Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) hosts three ACEs. Agricultural Policy Center of Excellence (APA) aims to enhance agri-food systems related education and training using trans-disciplinary approaches and applied research. The Center of Excellence in Transformative Agriculture Commercialization and Entrepreneurship (TACE) aims to address low commercialization and lack of agri-entrepreneurship capacity to transform and industrialize the agriculture sector in Malawi.
Aquaculture and Fisheries Center of Excellence (AquaFish) strives to empower students, researchers, and professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to address the challenges and opportunities in aquaculture and fisheries.
The African Centre of Excellence in Underutilized and Neglected Biodiversity (ACENUB) at Mzuzu University is strengthening conservation, value-addition and creating business opportunities in indigenous knowledge in the utilization of underutilized and neglected biodiversity in Malawi.
The University of Malawi hosts the Centre for Resilient Agri-food Systems (CRAFS) a research hub dedicated to resilient agri-food systems grounded in science and technology through collaborative applied research and postgraduate teaching and learning.
The Africa Center of Excellence in Public Health and Herbal Medicine (ACEPHEM) is hosted at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS). It exists as a centre of excellence to improve the quality of postgraduate, research and training in public health and herbal medicine.
