Quality Assurance of Higher Education in a Neo-liberal Context: Towards Transformative Practices in Africa

Quality Assurance (QA) in modern higher education (HE) in continental Africa is predominantly influenced by neo-liberal ideologies. QA philosophies and practices have as well evolved into an increasingly professionalised power mechanism. The QA philosophies and practices have advocated compliance and an imbalance between power and responsibility. Using policy transfer lenses, this chapter analyses and critiques the dominance of neo-liberal-driven quality assurance regimes in higher education. It unpacks the varied perspectives on neo-liberalism which can be used to determine both what it includes and what it excludes. Three levels of analysis: macro level, meso-level, and micro are used to enable an understanding of the intersection between neo-liberalism and QA in HE. Following is the analysis of the understanding of QA using the lenses of education policy transfer from global as well as African perspectives; the analysis of neo-liberalism and QA in the context of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and the analysis of the intersection between neo-liberalism, higher education, and QA regimes with particular reference to continental Africa. The final section advocates for change from the current concern-neo-liberal-driven QA regimes to a quality culture to ensure the sustainability of the quality of HE in continental Africa.