Facilitating the Fair Recognition of International Qualifications

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1 Facilitating the Fair Recognition of International Qualifications 11 December 2017, Printworks Dr. Niamh Lenehan

2 Recognition? As per the Lisbon Recognition Convention (LRC):..a formal acknowledgement by a competent authority of the value of a foreign educational qualification with a view to access to educational and/or employment activities

3 Importance? Reciprocity Mobility Impact on individual lives Maintenance of standards Respecting diversity, embracing cultural differences

4 The Lisbon Recognition Convention (LRC) A base for the consolidation of the European Cultural Convention (1954) the first Council of Europe convention for recognition dates back to A cornerstone for the Bologna Process since the Sorbonne declaration (1998) the only legally binding text of the Bologna Process is the Council of Europe/ UNESCO Recognition Convention (Lisbon Recognition Convention);

5 Evolution of Recognition through Bologna Process Sorbonne (1998) recognition as a clear goal for the signatory countries; Bologna (1999) no direct reference (reference only to degree structures and cycles); Prague (2001) clear reference to the promotion of [ ] simple, efficient and fair recognition reflecting the underlying diversity of qualifications ; Berlin (2003) recognition (importance of ratifying the LRC, DS, joint degrees, link with mobility); Bergen (2005) commitment to deliver National Action Plan (NAP) for recognition & link to LLL; London (2007) the BFUG is asked to arrange for the ENIC/NARIC networks to analyse the NAPs and spread good practice ; Leuven/ Louvain la Neuve (2009) the BFUG is asked to follow-up on the recommendations of analysis of the national action plans on recognition ; Bucharest (2012) commitment to review national legislation to fully comply with the LRC and promote use of the European Area of Recognition (EAR) manual to advance recognition practices; Yerevan (2015) Adopted ESG (2015) & analysis of legislative compliance with LRC.

6 The Lisbon Recognition Convention Ireland ratified in March 2004 Main provisions complete quals & periods of learning: - Access to an assessment - Criteria and procedure - Time limit - Right to appeal - Refugees qualifications - Information on education system - Information on recognised higher education institutions - National information centre - Interpretation of substantial differences

7 Activity 1 What elements of a qualification / period of learning do you feel are important to take into account for making a decision on recognition?

8 Elements of a Qualification 5 elements of a qualification Level Learning Outcomes Workload Profile Quality

9 Analysis National Action Plans (2009) Criteria for Recognition - Recognition of QA / accreditation status of institution / qualification in country of origin - Level of the qualification - Learning outcomes / stipulated aims of the programme - Content of the curriculum - Rights of the qualification holder in country of origin - Conditions for access to programme - Length/ duration /volume of programme - Purpose for which recognition is sought - Others - Level of institution - Profile of institution - Number of study hours covered by programme - Traineeships, practical exercises, dissertations and theses - Examination results obtained - Accreditation of recognition by the foreign authorities - Professional recognition of study programme in home country - Relevant professional experience

10 The Lisbon Recognition Convention Substantial Difference Article VI.1 of the Convention stipulates that each Party shall recognize the higher education qualifications conferred in another Party, unless a substantial difference can be shown between the qualification for which recognition is sought and the corresponding qualification in the Party in which recognition is sought (Council of Europe 1997). Purpose for which recognition is sought is key

11 The Lisbon Recognition Convention Subsidiary texts Tools ECTS, Qualification Frameworks, Diploma Supplement, LOs, QA, EU Directives on professional recognition (legally binding) LRC monitoring Other regional recognition conventions

13 Resources Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) The single, nationally and internationally accepted entity, through which all learning achievements may be measured and related to each other in a coherent way and which defines the relationship between all education and training awards QQI is responsible for promoting, maintaining, further developing, implementing and reviewing the NFQ International Dimension: MOBILITY

14 Resources ENIC-NARIC Networks ENIC-NARIC Network

15 Resources NARIC Ireland

16 Resources NARIC Ireland Comparability Statement

17 Over-arching Frameworks Before 2005, only Ireland, France and the UK had established NQFs In 2005, the QF-EHEA ( Bologna ) Framework was established By 2015, 38 countries had developed/were developing NQFs 32 countries have formally adopted 8-level frameworks Most countries have developed an NQF with: 8 levels (corresponding to the EQF) where Levels 6-8 apply to Higher Education (same as the 3-cycle Bachelor, Masters, Doctorate system of the QF-EHEA)

18 Country A EQF Country B Qualifications (A) Qualifications (B)

19 Resources

20 Recognition & QA Statutory Quality Assurance Guidelines

21 Recognition & QA ESG 1.4 Student Admission, Progression, Recognition and Certification

22 Recognition & QA ESG 2005 As the ESG and the QF-EHEA were adopted at the same time, there is no explicit mention of qualifications frameworks in ESG 2005 ESG 2005 has no real reference to European-wide instruments such as the Diploma Supplement or the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) or the Lisbon Recognition Convention ESG 2015 Since 2005, considerable progress has been made in quality assurance as well as in other Bologna action lines such as qualifications frameworks, recognition and the promotion of the use of learning outcomes The ESG should be considered in a broader context that also includes qualifications frameworks, ECTS and the diploma supplement that also contribute to promoting the transparency and mutual trust in higher education in the EHEA

23 Activity 2 Discuss who makes recognition decisions within (your) higher education institutions and the underlying policy and procedures

24 Building Bridges The Balance Full value of qualification transferred or even automatic recognition V Custodian of system

25 Doctoral Thesis Substantial Difference in the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications? A Research Study on the Practices of Credential Evaluators in Irish Higher Education Institutions Main Findings: I. Discrepancies in Approach to Credential Evaluation in HEIs II. Benefits and Difficulties in Using UK NARIC as an Authority in Credential Evaluation III. Differing Levels of Professional Support for Credential Evaluation Within and Across HEIs IV. Understanding Credential Evaluation Practice through Connections with Existing Policies and Activities V. Tensions Between the Needs of the Individual Applicant, the Credential Evaluator and the Higher Education Institution To access the thesis, please see:

26 Doctoral Thesis...there comes a point when you have to say, look, how much time do I spend on considering an application from wherever it might be, because it can take a lot of my time and you know I have to manage my time as well. It [application for advanced entry] went to our Admissions. One of our admin people, Grade 4, decided that...they can t get advanced entry...i of course blew the fuse...how dare a Grade 4 tell us what we should or what we should not be accepting?...surely that is up to the Head of Department to decide the qualified person, not the admin person? have often found things not as well done as we would like them to be...there has been a case when we looked where the department made an offer without the transcript of the student being uploaded on PAC [Postgraduate Applications Centre]. So how could you make an offer if you haven t got a transcript? Now, that is the degree of disorder that is in place. I am very familiar with the Indian system. I have travelled there, and I suppose countries where you have carried out that evaluation a number of times, it becomes much easier so I kinda have my own little database built up. guesswork / flying in the dark / working in the margins / not an exact science

27 Doctoral Thesis if you are looking to set requirements for a country that you haven t looked at before, it is really useful to consult with the other universities who may have come across those. decisions need to be taken mañana. They have to be done quickly, because if you don t get the student, they can go somewhere else....is that documented? No. Is that in my head? Yes. Should we document it?...is that something I m probably going to do after talking to you? Yes. That I ll put down a kind of a flowchart guidelines in terms of how we should address this from a school so that we are consistent about it. if we have a drive to get say more international students in...and I desperately need to get more in, and somebody s under pressure - have you checked that? Have you checked that? Have you checked that?, and you re going I don t know how to check it, and you are the person whose job that is; where do you go?

28 Recognition A social construct Raffe, D suggests that: Qualifications are social constructs more than they are technical constructs; they are based on deeply rooted social relations and practices and political interests And further explains that the value associated with a qualification depends on familiarity, reciprocity and above all, trust all of which tend to develop in the context of practice, in relatively stable institutional contexts, over a period of time

29 Recognition A social construct Not a purely technical exercise! From equivalence to comparable Substantial difference - Burden of proof lies with evaluator Spirit of the LRC Recognition the assessment of a foreign qualification with a view of finding ways for its application for further studies and/or employment in the host country Rauhvargers, A

30 Recognition What next?? Global Recognition Convention Automatic Recognition Digitisation NARIC projects

31 Thank you for your attention

32 Reference Raffe, D First count to five: some principles for the reform of vocational qualifications in England. Journal of Education and Work. 28(2), pp Rauhvargers, A Improving the Recognition of Qualifications in the Framework of the Bologna Process. European Journal of Education. 39(3), pp

33 Useful links ENIC-NARIC Networks (Country pages; key documents such as LRC & subsidiary texts) NARIC Ireland Foreign Qualifications Database - Interactive NFQ: Qualifications-(NFQ).aspx European Area of Recognition (EAR) Manual & EAR HEI Manual: EHEA: ENQA: (ESG 2015; report from Working Group on QA & Recognition)

European Higher Education in a Global Setting. A Strategy for the External Dimension of the Bologna Process. 1. Introduction

European Higher Education in a Global Setting. A Strategy for the External Dimension of the Bologna Process. 1. Introduction The Bologna Declaration (1999) sets out the objective of increasing the international