Kenya and Malaysia are looking on ways of strengthening higher education collaboration through mutual recognition of qualifications.
The Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA) announced during the Malaysia Africa Higher Education Forum (MAHEF) 2025.
The forum, a premier platform for Global South cooperation, brought together policymakers, quality assurance agencies and higher education leaders to deepen academic ties and
enhance student mobility.
KNQA CEO Dr. Alice Kande, who addressed the forum, underscored the significance of Kenya’s participation, noting that MAHEF represents “the spirit of Global South partnerships
and shared development.”
She said KNQA remains committed to building transparent and future-focused qualification systems that promote comparability, global competitiveness and ease of mobility for learners.
Dr. Kande revealed that Kenya will soon sign a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) to formalise cooperation in quality
assurance and qualifications alignment.
“This MoU will enhance the portability and comparability of qualifications between our countries, fostering greater trust and academic progression for learners,” she said.
The collaboration is anchored in shared quality assurance strengths. Both KNQA and MQA operate robust systems in credit transfer and accumulation, Recognition of Prior
Learning (RPL), registration and oversight of qualifications bodies, and assurance of academic standards.
Dr. Kande noted that these similarities “provide a strong foundation for mutual recognition efforts and bilateral initiatives that enhance trust and equivalence.”
The MAHEF 2025 discussions also focused on Africa’s ongoing harmonisation of qualifications under the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF), which Kenya
currently leads as president of the ACQF Network.
Dr. Kande emphasised that harmonised frameworks are vital as Africa seeks to expand labour and student mobility.
“Aligning qualifications frameworks between Malaysia and African countries is not only desirable but essential for socio-economic development in the Global South,” she said.
However, she acknowledged challenges that still hinder seamless cooperation, including varying levels of maturity among national qualifications agencies, inconsistencies in
programme standards, and limited adoption of digital verification.
“Addressing these challenges requires collective action, shared tools and ongoing inter-agency engagement,” she noted.
Dr. Kande affirmed KNQA’s commitment to working with Malaysia on developing joint guidelines, strengthening capacity-building programmes, conducting benchmarking exercises,
and expanding digital credentialing.
“Together, we can build an inclusive, innovative and globally recognised qualifications ecosystem for the Global South,” she said.
She concluded by reaffirming Kenya’s readiness to deepen cooperation with MQA, Education Malaysia Global Services and all participating countries.
“We envision a future where qualifications are portable, learning pathways are diverse and youth across our regions have access to global opportunities,” she said.
