Windhoek: Namibia and Botswana have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening quality assurance in higher education through a workshop aimed at promoting harmonised standards and recognition of qualifications across the Southern African Development Community (SADC).According to Namibia Press Agency, the two-day workshop started in Windhoek on Wednesday and is hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). It brings together regulators, university leaders, policymakers, and quality assurance practitioners from both countries under the theme 'Strengthening Quality Assurance in Higher Education in the SADC Region.'In a speech read on her behalf, Minister of Education Sanet Steenkamp emphasized that quality assurance remains central to public confidence in higher education systems. She highlighted Namibia's decision to fully subsidise registration and tuition fees at public tertiary institutions, which has expanded access to higher education, but stressed that incr eased enrolment must be matched by strong quality standards. 'Access without quality does not constitute genuine empowerment,' Steenkamp stated before cautioning against overstretching institutions and weakening academic standards.Steenkamp further noted that quality assurance systems must be equipped to respond to institutional growth, cross-border education, and emerging forms of learning and certification. Unesco Representative to Namibia, Eunice Smith, remarked that the workshop is part of Unesco's broader efforts to support SADC member states in strengthening national quality assurance systems and aligning them with regional and continental frameworks. She mentioned that the initiative builds on the Addis Convention, the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education, and Unesco's Campus Africa flagship programme.Participants will delve into quality assurance foundations, assessment methodologies, curriculum design, digital transformation, and frameworks that suppo rt the recognition of qualifications. The Botswana Qualification Authority's Manager for Higher Education, Rebecca Dudu Roy, described the workshop as a vital step towards creating transparent and internationally aligned quality assurance mechanisms. 'Quality assurance is not merely a regulatory requirement, it is the backbone of academic excellence, institutional credibility, and regional integration,' she said. Roy added that collaboration between Botswana and Namibia demonstrates a shared vision for a quality-driven higher education culture and serves as a model for regional cooperation in southern Africa.