Transcript Information on recognition Seminar on the recognition of qualifications Baku, 22 April 2005 Gunnar Vaht Estonian ENIC/NARIC.

Information on recognition
Seminar on the recognition of qualifications
Baku, 22 April 2005
Gunnar Vaht
Estonian ENIC/NARIC
What information is needed?
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educational system as a whole
Status and type of institution
system of quality assurance/accreditation
study program
access requirements; graduation requirements
grading system, credit system
purpose of studies - access to labor market and further
studies
• International legal instruments and agreements
• National legislation and requirements
The applicant should present
• Application
• All certificates/diplomas since secondary
education
• Transcripts (DS, academic transcripts,
records)
• Certified translations
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• Is it enough to make a recognition decision?
- NO
Information sources
• Individual contacts and Networks (ENIC)
• Published sources
• Unpublished sources
Networks
• International Networks
– ENIC and NARIC
• www.enic-naric.net
– ENQA (European Network for Quality Assurance
• www.enqa.net
– EAIE (European Network of International Education)
professional section ACE (Admission officers and
credential Evaluators)
• www.eaie.nl
www.aic.lv/ace
– NAFSA: Association of International Educators
• www.nafsa.org
Networks
• AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars
and Admission Officers)
– www.aacrao.org
• AAU (Association of African Universities)
– www.aau.org
• Association of Arab Universities
– www.aaru.edu.jp
• Education Asia Network
– www.eduasia.net
• AUAP (Association of Universities of Asia and Pacific)
– http://sut2.sut.ac.th/AUAP
Contacts
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National Ministries of Education
Quality assessment agencies
Embassies
Educational institutions
Conferences/seminars
Training courses/workshops/information days
Education institutions
(individual contacts with experts)
Published sources
• Databases (International and national)
• Handbooks/reference books (international
and national)
• Periodicals
• Recognition conventions
• University catalogues
• Websites of educational institution
• Foreign Language Dictionaries
Published sources (national)
• Higher Education System
• Handbooks of higher education institutions
(e.g. “Spravochnik” in RF, or “Accredited
Institutions of Postsecondary Education” in USA)
• Comparison of foreign qualifications
• Fact sheets
• Country education profiles (e.g. by AEI International Education Network/Australia; ECE Educational Credential Evaluators/USA;
publications of UNESCO-CEPES
Unpublished sources
• Internet search engine (eg “GOOGLE”)
• Files of previous cases
• Electronic mailing lists (e.g. ENIC list)
Persistent problems
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Too much of information
Information is not structured
Not well targeted information
Not in widely used languages
Different tasks of national ENIC offices
Complications to get authoritative and updated information from other regions
Information provision by ENIC
• Information provision on education systems and
on recognition is one of the core activities of the
national centres in ENIC and NARIC Networks
• Acknowledging the need for relevant, accurant
and up-to-date information, the national
ENIC/NARIC office shall facilitate
– a) access to accurate information on the national
education systems
– b) access to information on foreign education systems
– c) giving information on recognition matters and
assessment of qualifications
Information strategy and
development
• ENIC/NARIC Working Party on
Information Strategy (2003-2004)
• Code of Good Practice in the Provision of
Information (adopted in 2004 by the
Networks)
Code of Good Practice
• Aim
– to offer guidance to national ENIC/NARIC and to the
Networks in fulfilling this important task. Also aims to
indicate to higher education policy makers and other
interested parties what might be expected of
ENICs/NARICs
• The role of national information centre
– principal provider of authoritative information on recognition
• higher education system and qualifications of the home
country
• recognition of foreign qualifications in the home country
• foreign education systems
Code of Good Practice
• Standards of information provision
– Provision of information that is of high quality,
i.e. both accurate, adequate and relevant to the
user
• be meaningful to the users and respond to their
needs
• recognise that different users have different needs
• be accessible in terms of content, language and style
• terminology
• be up to date
Code of Good Practice
• Target groups
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individual holders of qualification
public authorities (e.g. Ministries of Education)
quality assurance agencies
higher education institution
mobility agencies
professional organisations
other ENICs/NARICs
– CREDENTIAL EVALUATORS AND
RECOGNITION BODIES (in most cases)
Type of Information
• 1. General information on the educational
system and recognition matters
– provided by the national information centre
through general provision - handbooks, fact
sheets, training courses, website, FAQ
• 2. Specific information
– individual request including the information or
assessment of the individual qualification
Information on (I)
• General
– educational structure
– adult education and training
– definitions and terminology
• Information on general (school) educational
system
• Information on vocational education and
training
Information on (II)
• Higher education system
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administration and legal framework
legal acts on higher education
access qualifications
access requirements (general and specific)
admission procedure/admission of foreign students
list of recognised HEIs/programs
Description on levels/stages. Degree structure
qualifications framework (list of qualifications, learning outcomes)
evaluation and marking system
credit system (if applicable)
quality assurance
samples of credentials
Information on (III)
• Information on evaluation and recognition
– nationla regulation of recognition of foreign
qualifications
– description of national ENIC/NARIC activities
– appeal procedure
– list of competent authorities
– implementation of international instruments
• Other information
– list of (higher) education related institutions
• INFORMATION IS A POWER