UTT gains membership in INQAAHE and CANQATE
The University of Trinidad and Tobago has become a member of both the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) and the Caribbean Area Network for Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education (CANQATE). CANQATE was established in 2002 as a sub-network of INQAAHE, which is an association of over 200 accreditation agencies and higher education institutions that actively work towards quality assurance and improvement in higher education.

UTT's decision to seek membership in INQAAHE must be understood in the context of the pivotal role of quality assurance and continuous improvement in the global higher education environment. The internationalisation of higher education has made affiliation with bodies like CANQATE and INQAAHE critical to the sustained growth and development of higher education institutions. They enable institutions to share best practice and expertise that promote continuous improvement. Additionally, participation in regional initiatives like CANQATE leverages the benefits of supranational collaboration and advocacy in a competitive international environment.

INQAAHE membership creates easier access to current information and practical tools on the assessment, improvement and maintenance of quality in higher education. It enhances UTT's international profile and assists the university in determining the standards of institutions operating across national borders as it seeks to develop opportunities to strengthen international partnerships with other higher education institutions. It also creates a forum to seek international recognition of UTT qualifications and enhance the mobility of our students between institutions within and across our national borders.

CANQATE is one of ten global sub-networks of INQAAHE that strategically focus on strengthening higher education in their respective geo-political regions. CANQATE has committed to work with institutions, governments, CARICOM, student organisations, employers and others to sustain and enhance the standards and quality of tertiary education in the Caribbean. Membership in CANQATE provides a forum for discussion and collaboration on issues of mutual interest to small nation states in the region. In the context of regional integration efforts and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME), CANQATE has played an important role in advancing issues related to the development of a regional qualifications framework and establishing mutual recognition agreements between the regional quality assurance agencies in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Jamaica. CANQATE actively promotes the interests of the regional higher education community in the global higher education quality assurance arena. It is anticipated that as the work of the sub-network expands the international credibility of regional quality assurance systems and the recognition of regional higher education programmes and qualification will also increase.

UTT's leadership in the national higher education thrust positions the university as a key player in the development of higher education in the region. It is a role that UTT has embraced. For more information on CANQATE and INQAAHE please visit their websites at www.canqate.org and www.inqaahe.org