By CHUSA SICHONE –

THE Higher Education Authority (HEA) says more universities are expected to be added to the list of the 19 institutions which were recently published in the press.
HEA director general Stephen Simukanga said in an interview that the 19 were not the final list of private universities in the country as the registration process was still ongoing and that more institutions were expected to be approved this week.
Professor Simukanga said the Authority was currently scrutinising several other applications and that the nation would be informed on the other universities which would be added to the 19 registered institutions.
“This is an ongoing process, it’s not a one-off, it’s still ongoing, we still have applications which are in the process and for some of them, we need to go and verify where they are, check the premises once we finish the desk review.
“In fact, next week (this week) there are some that are going to be approved, so it’s an ongoing process, it’s not a one-off thing because that’s when we are starting, so we are giving the universities time to sort out issues,” he said.
Prof Simukanga observed that some universities which did not meet all the requirements in their initial applications were advised to go back and work on the missing components before the Authority could dispatch its officials on a verification mission.
The HEA had requested all the existing private universities to re-apply for them to be registered under the 2013 Higher Education Act, which replaced the 1999 University Act.
Upon registering universities under the Higher Education Act of 2013, the Authority intends to harmonise higher learning institutions’ programmes, including those offered by public institutions which it was accrediting and sending to the Zambia Qualifications Authority.
The Authority was established to set standards for higher education, quality assurance as well as to register and accredit private higher education institutions.