Mauritius initiates development of a National Quality Code for Higher Education

A two-day national workshop aimed at initiating the development of a Mauritius Quality Code for Higher Education opened, this morning at the Caudan Arts Centre in Port Louis, at the joint initiative of the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Research and the Quality Assurance Authority (QAA).

The Minister of Tertiary Education and Scientific Research, Dr Kaviraj Sharma Sukon; the Commissioner of the Higher Education Commission, Professor (Dr) Mrs Romeela Mohee; the Executive Director of the QAA, Dr Lee Pheiffer; and representatives of higher education institutions were present. The workshop also brought together policymakers, institutional leaders of public and private institutions, quality assurance directors and academics to collaboratively shape the foundations of a national Quality Code for Mauritius.

This workshop is being organised as a result of the recent amendments to the Higher Education Act (2017) which has given the QAA the responsibility to promote, maintain and enhance the Mauritius Quality Code for Higher Education. Ms Eduarda Castel-Branco, Consultant, has been appointed by the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Research to initiate discussions on the development of the Mauritius Quality Code for Higher Education.

The workshop aims to deepen understanding of the importance and benefits of a Quality Code for Higher Education in Mauritius, particularly in enhancing the recognition of qualifications. It will provide an overview of the United Kingdom’s Quality Code and its alignment with the European Standards and Guidelines (ESG), while exploring how it can be integrated with existing quality assurance structures. The session also seeks to conceptualise a Mauritian Quality Code and develop a roadmap for its implementation.

In his address, Minister Sukon emphasised that as Mauritius’ tertiary education sector continues to expand, it requires a coherent framework capable of managing its growing complexity. He highlighted that the National Credit Value and Transfer System (NCVTS) is a guided national reform anchored in law and directed through policy, aimed at making learning more transparent, trusted and recognisable.

Dr Sukon further noted that the success of NCVTS will depend on its integration into the daily practices of higher education institutions, including programme design, learning outcomes, assessment standards and recognition protocols.

According to the Minister, the reform will bring significant benefits by providing learners with clearer progression pathways and lifelong learning opportunities, while enabling institutions to collaborate more easily and helping employers better recognise skills and competencies.

He also stressed the importance of establishing a Quality Code whose standards will guide the work of the Quality Assurance Authority. The Minister expressed his ambition for the higher education sector to become a pillar of the Mauritian economy, built on trust and excellence, and contributing to the development of the country as a knowledge hub.

For her part, Dr Lee Pheiffer dwelt on the objectives of the Mauritius Quality Code for Higher Education, which is intended to be both internationally benchmarked and nationally owned. She explained that the Quality Code will serve as a definitive national reference point, providing a shared understanding across the higher education sector for quality practice, the safeguarding of academic standards, and the assurance of quality learning opportunities in Mauritius. It will enhance transparency, strengthen institutional alignment and support the international recognition and credibility of Mauritian higher education, she added.

Dr Pheiffer also outlined key characteristics that should underpin the Quality Code, noting that it must be aspirational, promote an ethos of continuous enhancement, adopt a consultative methodology and support an effective regulatory framework for the sector.

05 March 2026

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Topics: Education