MSc curriculum development and the necessary quality assurance for effective delivery, based on the experiences under the ADECEA MSc program for Burundi and Ghent University processes and experiences

The higher education system in Burundi was recently restructured on the basis of the “LMD” “Licence, Master’s, and Doctorate” degree system. The Faculty of Agriculture and Biotechnology (FABI) made an effort to revitalize the academic environment with the ambition to start a new “Master Program in Rural Development”. The procedure started with the assessment of the proposal (the so-called EDULINK Master Program). It was a complex exercise, given the differences in context (stakeholders, specific visions, diverse interests) in which the different departments of FABI were operating. The discussions were often “loaded” as it raised questions such as who should lead in the debate and who take the final decisions. The ADECEA project. financed by the EU, facilitated the critical analysis of the objectives, curriculum, deployment of personnel, facilities, internal quality assurance and expected results. The methodology used for this was quite rigid. The stakeholders made additional recommendations, prior to the acceptance by the Faculty Board. The proposal for the new MSc program is now introduced for national accreditation.