The National Accreditation Council of Guyana (NAC-G) hosted a two-day National Conference on Quality Assurance in Higher Education on April 27–28, 2026, at the Regency Suites Hotel, Georgetown. The conference brought together tertiary institutions, NAC-G Council members, external evaluators, staff, faculty, students, and key stakeholders to examine quality assurance, accreditation, and the future of higher education in Guyana.
A major highlight of the conference was the official launch of the CANQATE Guyana Chapter, which will serve as a national platform for collaboration, capacity building, regional alignment, and the strengthening of internal quality assurance systems among registered institutions.
In his welcome remarks, Executive Director Dr Marcel Hutson emphasised that Guyana’s expanding tertiary education sector must be anchored in quality, integrity, standards, competence, and excellence. He noted that growth without quality could weaken public confidence and reduce the real value of qualifications.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr Mohandatt Goolsarran, underscored the importance of the CANQATE Guyana Chapter in promoting institutional coherence, policy alignment, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making. Delivering the keynote address, Minister of Education, Honourable Sonia Parag, reaffirmed the Government of Guyana’s commitment to expanding access while strengthening quality assurance across universities, technical institutes, and other post-secondary institutions.
Conference sessions addressed public trust in higher education, quality in a time of expansion, graduate readiness, online and hybrid learning, AI and academic integrity, accreditation, TVET, recognition of prior learning, lifelong learning standards, and Guyana’s emerging role as an education hub. Participants also examined practical recommendations to improve registration, accreditation, institutional monitoring, student support, workforce readiness, and internal quality assurance systems.
The conference concluded with the election of officers for the CANQATE Guyana Chapter and the distribution of certificates to participants. NAC-G reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the national quality assurance landscape, safeguarding public trust, and supporting institutions in delivering credible, relevant, and internationally aligned education and training.
