BENCHMARKING CURRICULUM HARMONIZATION IN EAST AFRICA'S COMMON HIGHER EDUCATION AREA: LESSONS FROM REGIONAL POLICY AND PRACTICE

Abstract

The Common Higher Education Area (CHEA) in East Africa is a strategic initiative aimed at promoting regional integration, labour mobility, and socio-economic development through harmonized higher education systems. Despite the existence of regional frameworks and policies, including those developed by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), considerable variations persist in curriculum design, programme structures, credit systems, and quality assurance practices across universities in the region. This study reviews scholarly literature, regional policy documents, institutional publications, and selected grey literature published between 2015 and 2025 to examine the progress, best practices, and challenges of curriculum harmonization within East Africa. The review focuses on five key thematic areas: harmonization of learning outcomes, credit accumulation and transfer systems, joint academic programmes, regional qualifications frameworks, and quality assurance mechanisms. The findings indicate that while significant policy frameworks have been established to facilitate regional integration, their implementation remains uneven due to institutional, regulatory, and resource-related constraints. The study provides a benchmark for university leaders, policymakers, and quality assurance practitioners by identifying best practices and highlighting strategies for strengthening curriculum harmonization to advance the aspirations of East Africa's Common Higher Education Area.