Overview of the 2002 developments in the recognition field

1. Overview of the 2002 developments in the recognition field Dr. Andrejs Rauhvargers, Secretary General, Latvian Rectors’ Council All documents mentioned in presentation are available at: http://www.aic.lv/ace links to each document: http://www.aic.lv/ace/porto201.html EAIE Annual Conference, Porto, September 12-14, 2002

2. 2002 Directions of Developments in Recognition • From creation of legal framework to implementation (ACE session 2.07) • Recognition and Bologna process • cooperation with quality assurance • recognition of joint degrees • ECTS and recognition • Recognition for the labour market and recognition of LLL qualifications • developments along subject lines – Tuning • Descriptors - a framework for recognition when moving to assessment of learning outcomes and competencies? • Recognition and GATS – the role of the Lisbon Convention

3. Recognition-related events I Recognition and quality assurance • 10-11 Sep 2001, ParisUNESCO Expert Meeting on the Impact of Globalisation on Quality assurance and Recognition • 12-13 March 2002officAmsterdam Conference “Working on the European Dimension of Quality” • 17-18 Oct 2002, ParisUNESCO Global Forum Meeting on Quality assurance and Recognition

4. Recognition-related events II Recognition and Bologna process • 11-12 April 2002 offic, Lisbon CoE conference “From Lisbon to a European Higher Education Area” Recognition and the use of credits • 11-12 October 2002 officEUA/Swiss conference on ECTS – The Challenge for Institutions • Jun 2003 officSeminar on Recognition and Credit Systems for HE in the Context of LLL, Prague

5. Recognition-related events III Degree structure and development of joint degrees • 30-31 May 2002 officStockholm seminar on Joint Degrees within the framework of the Bologna Process • 20 Sep, 2002 EUA Joint Masters’ Project launch conference, Brussels • 14-15 March, 2003 officHelsinki Seminar on Master Degrees • Spring 2003 officSeminar on Integrated Programmes, Italy (curriculum development& joint degrees)

6. From Lisbon to European Higher Education area, 11-12 Apr, 2002Topics covered • State of the art of implementation of the Lisbon Convention, • Overview of the recognition issues in Bologna process, • Recognition for labour market: view of employer, • Progress in assessing learning outcomes and non-traditional qualifications • Role of information • recognition of transnational qualifications: implementation of Code • External dimension of Bologna process, UNESCO Global forum on international QA, Accreditation, Recognition

7. Cooperation with quality assurance

8. Descriptors of Bachelor and Master degrees • the descriptors for Bachelor and Master degrees areeveloped by the “Joint quality initiative” • descriptors are generalised for all bachelor and all master degrees • descriptors can help to see qualifications in the categories of learning outcomes • descriptors can help credential evaluators to determine whether there are substantial differences between the level of the foreign qualification compared to the home prototype

9. Descriptors of Bachelor and Master degree superimposed

10. Descriptors of Bachelor and Master degree superimposed II

11. Tuning project outcomes • A methodology for tuning European higher education structures • A set of learning outcomes in 7 subject areas • A methodology for measuring student workload • Identification of obstacles to convergence • Platform for discussion with professional bodies • Final report based on experience gained • Recommendations for use in a wider context

12. Recognition and GATS • To be accepted in the higher education sector, it is essential that GATS respects the existing mechanisms in international higher education, in particular the Lisbon Convention • Among signatories of the Lisbon Convention there are 4 major exporters of educational services

13. Basic principles of Lisbon Convention relevant to GATS • Holders of foreign qualifications shall have adequate access to an assessment of these qualifications • Each country shall recognise foreign qualifications ... unless it can be shown that there are substantial differences • Recognition of a higher education qualification issued in another country shall have one or both of the following consequences: • access to further higher education studies, • the use of an academic title. • in addition, it may facilitate access to the labour market

14. Principles of Code relevant to GATS • academic quality and standards of transnational education programmes should be at least comparable to those of the awarding institution as well as to those of the receiving country, • awarding institutions as well as the providing institutions are accountable and fully responsible for quality assurance and control, • awarding institutions should be responsible for issuing the qualifications resulting from their transnational study programmes, providing clear and transparent information on the qualifications, in particular by using the Diploma Supplement.

16. Conclusions - Joint degrees • Efforts to establish joint degrees are relevant to most Bologna objectives : joint quality assurance, recognition across the EHEA, transparency / convergence of HE systems, mobility, international employability, attractiveness. • Effect of a programme is greater than the sum of its parts. • Most Bologna countries have started JD. • JD are most common in: economics/ business, engineering, law, management, European studies/political science.

17. Conclusions - Joint degrees • More common at doctoral and Master levels. • ECTS is widely used. • Languages: usually those of the partner countries and/or English. • Lack of national legislation creates problems for the award of joint degrees. • Award of a joint degree in the name of several institutions is still legally difficult. • “real” joint degrees fall outside both national and international legal framework for recognition.

18. Recommendations - Joint degrees • Common definition of a JD is needed • National legislation should be amended to ensure • development of joint programmes award of degrees • removing indirectobstacles. • International legislation should be amended to extend the scope of the Lisbon Convention to JD (ENIC and NARIC) • Even wider use of ECTS and the Diploma to ensure transparency • Common mechanisms for the quality assurance of joint degrees are neded (EUA, ENQA). • JD in professional fields, particularly regulated ones, should be strongly encouraged. • Additional funding should be sought

19. Executive summary - Master degrees • There is a dominant trend towards Master level degrees that require 300 ECTS credits • The suggested definition of a Master degree in the EHE: it requires normally 300 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 should be obtained at the graduate level in the area of the specialisation con-cerned. • This would allow for:- Bachelor 180 + Master 120 credits ; - Bachelor 240 + Master 90 - 120 credits (of which up to 30 or 60 may be waived) - 300 credits Master (integrated progr.) • Medicine and related disciplines require a different scheme in most countries but this is not in contradiction. • Extremely long “undergraduate” courses of 5–6 years are clearly out of line with the international definitions of “undergraduate“ and “(post)graduate“.

20. Executive summary - Master degrees • Courses that are too short may find it very difficult, if not impossible, to get transferable accreditation when it is generalised in Europe. • Differentiation between “academic” and “professional” Master degrees – some countries do and some don’t . • Generel access requirement is Bachelor, but many countries allow access of equal qualifications and provide more bridges between the sectors of HE. • ECTS and DS – being used or introduced in most countries • Few HEI seek accreditation from foreign agencies, as national and regional are developing rapidly