Strategic Enabler – Regional Higher Education Management Information System
Regional Higher Education Management Information System (RHEMIS)
A comprehensive view of the regional higher education landscape
The June 2019 meeting of the SDAC Ministers for Education and Training, Science, Technology, and Innovation, mandated SARUA to develop a higher education database for the SADC in consultation with all key stakeholders in the public and private higher education sectors in the region. The purpose of the Regional Higher Education Management Information System (RHEMIS) is to improve higher education data collection capability within the SADC. While the regional higher education sector plays a critical role in the realisation of regional policies such as the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap 2015-2063 and the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan 20202-2030, there is a dearth of reliable information and data on the sector.
The RHEMIS will promote evidence-based planning and policy development in support of regional integration. More concretely, it will allow the SADC to monitor how successfully it is achieving goals such as equitable access to quality educational opportunities, increased enrolment in science and technology disciplines and more coherent planning and provision of regional higher education supply and demand requirements in specific fields of study.
The development of the RHEMIS will equip SARUA and its member universities with an integrated, standardized data system. The database will provide access to information on student participation, including equity and inclusion, in various levels and fields of study, graduate profiles, and staff and research profiles. This comprehensive view of the regional higher education landscape, which will beupdated on regular basis, will enhance decision-making and academic planning, foster collaboration, and enable benchmarking and joint research. highlighting trends, gaps, and collaboration opportunities.
Programmes
Note on HAQAA 3
As the SADC regional implementation partner for the Harmonisation of African Quality Assurance and Accreditation Initiative (HAQAA 3), SARUA participates in the HAQAA 3 Higher Education Data for Policy work area. Coordinated by the Association of African Universities – AAU, in conjunction with SARUA as the implementation partner in the SADC region, this work area takes a regional approach to establish effective higher education data policy units across the continent. This work area promotes capacity for the collection of higher education data within the African Union. SARUA’s participation in this work area will ensure that the development of the regional higher education database in the SADC is aligned to the broader continental programme for the establishment of an African HE data system.
Roadmap to Enhance Higher Education Data Collection Capacity in Africa
