The Deputy Minister for Higher Education and Training, Professor Hlengiwe Mkhize, will deliver a keynote address at the Quality Assurance in Higher Education Conference on Thursday, 24 November 2011.
The international conference will be taking place against the backdrop of increased government focus on skills development, the strengthening of the quality of qualifications in South Africa, and the efforts at transforming the higher education and training landscape.
With the theme Aligning Quality Assurance Best Practices to Institutional Goals, the conference will discuss issues related to empowering quality assurance personnel to conduct self-assessment and accreditation, the quality of qualifications in South Africa, as well as the need for stakeholders in the public and private sectors to form partnerships to improve education and training.
Delegates will also be addressed by high-profile international experts on higher education. These include deans, vice chancellors, MECs for education, statisticians and other high-ranking professionals. The speakers come from countries as diverse as Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia. There will also be participants from beyond the African continent.
The Deputy Minister’s address is titled The Role of the Department of Higher Education and Training in Promoting Quality Assurance. She will unveil the government’s initiatives in quality assurance and the strategies to ensure South Africa has the capacity to produce internationally recognised degrees and certificates. The conference has been billed as an important forum for sharing knowledge and experiences at an international level.
The conference is open to the media, and journalists are invited to attend. Professor Mkhize will be available for interviews after the delivery of her address.
The details are as follows:
Date: Thursday, 24 November 2011
Time: 9h00
Venue: Southern Sun Hotel, OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg
For more details, contact:
Muzi Khumalo
Tel: 012 312 5024
Cell: 072 288 5340
E-mail: khumalo.m@dhet.gov.za
