Higher Education in Guinea-Bissau

The formal higher education (ensino superior) system in Guinea-Bissau includes study at a university (universidade), higher school (Escola Superior) or polytechnic higher institute (Instituto Superior Politécnico). The responsible state bodies are the Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Science (Ministério da Educação Nacional, Ensino Superior e Ciência; MENESCS), the Directorate General of Higher Education (Direção Geral do Ensino Superior; DGES), and the Authority for Accreditation and Evaluation of Higher Education (Autoridade de Acreditação e Avaliação do Ensino Superior). Depending on their responsibilities, they handle higher-education policy, supervision, programme coordination, accreditation, quality control and recognition of foreign qualifications. The typical admission qualification is the 12th year (12º ano) or an equivalent school-leaving qualification. Universities may also set their own admission requirements and enrolment rules; nationally uniform deadlines have not been verified. Before enrolment, the current admission requirements, deadline and status of the specific programme should therefore be checked directly with the institution. An inventory based on data from 2020/21 recorded 23 institutions: eight universities, 14 higher schools and one private polytechnic higher institute. Seven universities were private and one was public; among the higher schools, nine were public and five were private. The current range of programmes and the classification of individual institutions may change, so the register and information from the responsible authorities should be checked. Most institutions are located in the Bissau region, while fewer study opportunities are available outside the capital. The recorded programmes included 86 licentiate degrees (Licenciatura) and 16 three-year degrees. Social sciences and humanities were particularly strongly represented, while agricultural and natural sciences had lower coverage. A bachelor's degree (Bacharelato) typically corresponds to three years or six semesters and 180 ECTS, while the four-year degree corresponds to eight semesters and 240 ECTS. Some institutions continue to award the three-year degree even though its legal classification is not fully clear. For the 2020/21 academic year, no active local master's or doctoral cycles were identified in the available inventory. A postgraduate qualification therefore often requires study abroad; a local qualification may provide the basis for an application. Erasmus+ mobility through partner institutions may be possible for two to twelve months, with credits recognised by the sending institution. A nationwide fee schedule has not been verified. Tuition fees (propinas) and administrative fees (emolumentos) depend on the institution and programme. At ULG, enrolment (matrícula) was free for the Law (Direito) programme and included, among other items, the student record booklet, student ID and examination form; other fees at ULG and other institutions follow the currently applicable fee schedule. Private and public institutions also differ in funding and resources. A general national student-support scheme has not been verified. Documented examples include TIC degree scholarships (TIC-Licenciatura) from ARN-TIC and FAU in Bissau and Dakar for high-performing school-leavers from low-income households, as well as annual UEMOA excellence scholarships with a special programme for Guinea-Bissau. Such support may include enrolment, tuition fees, grants, travel and accommodation; the requirements and application deadlines apply to each specific programme. Before enrolling, the accreditation status of both the institution and the programme should be checked. Private institutions require public-interest status (estatuto de interesse público) for officially recognised academic degrees; public and private institutions are subject to state inspection and financial control. Earlier studies found irregular institutional and programme-level evaluation. Because of the new agency and legal frameworks, current operational accreditation should be verified directly. A four-year degree can provide access to the labour market and support an application for further study. Continuing education or certain professional purposes may require recognition of a foreign qualification by the competent authority. Data on the total number of students are incomplete; an estimate of about 17,000 students was cited for 2022.