The first cohort of TrainIQA in the SADC region (SADC-QA) took place from autumn 2020 to autumn 2021. Under normal circumstances it would have taken place in person, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic we had to move everything online. We received a total of 168 applications for the 30 spots available in the program. Within this competitive procedure quality management officers from 9 countries (Botswana, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe) were selected, 50% of which were female.
The training content on quality assurance was complemented by an institutional project that the participants carried out at their own universities. Our trainers - both regional and European - guided them through the complete process. We welcomed the university leadership of the participants to the opening and closing conference in order to raise awareness for the importance of quality management and inform them about current regional developments.
