QUALIFICATIONS AND RECOGNITION IN AN INTERCULTURAL PERSPECTIVE Sjur Bergan, Council of Europe “Education for Intercultural Understanding and Dialogue” København, October 21 – 22, 2008

RECOGNITION Make it possible to move between systems without losing the real value of one’s qualifications Assess foreign qualifications in term of one’s own education system Assign foreign qualifications value in one’s own system “Make foreign qualifications operational”

RECOGNITION: LEGAL FRAMEWORK Europe –Council of Europe/UNESCO (Lisboa) Recognition Convention (1997) –Subsidiary texts Other regions –UNESCO regional conventions –UNESCO Mediterranean Convention

RECOGNITION: PRACTICAL FRAMEWORK Europe: –Lisboa Recognition Convention Committee –National information centers –ENIC Network (Council of Europe/UNESCO) –NARIC Network (EU) Other regions: –National information centers in some countries –MERIC Network (UNESCO; Mediterranean region)

WHAT IS A QUALIFICATION? Quality Workload Level Profile Learning outcomes

HOW DO QUALIFICATIONS FIT TOGETHER? Degree system Qualifications framework

WHAT IS A QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK? Description of all qualifications in a given (higher) education system Description of how these qualifications articulate Description of how learners can move between qualifications within a system Description understandable to informed foreigners Description of learning outcomes

QFs IN THE BOLOGNA PROCESS The EHEA has an overarching framework (Bergen 2005) All 46 countries will develop national frameworks This is a steep challenge and some coordination is needed even if QFs are ultimately a national responsibility (CoE; Bologna Coordination Group)

OVERACHING AND NATIONAL FRAMEWORKS EHEA framework describes the “outer limits” within which national frameworks should be situated; Allows for diversity within those limits; Ensures compatibility between national frameworks Presents “common face” to the rest of the world

QFs AND RECOGNITION QFs provide a frame that helps situate a qualification Supporting instrument, not magic formula Should help avoid asking detailed questions about –Quality –Level –Workload Still need to consider profile How well does a given QF describe learning outcomes: –Generic –Subject specific (cf. profile)

BASIS FOR DIALOGUE How do we see the concept of qualifications? What are our criteria and procedures for recognition? What are valid reasons for non-recognition (“substantial differences”)? How can we establish and train national information centers? How can we share experience? How can we make QFs a useful instrument and not just a bureaucratic device? How can we consider foreign qualifications with the same broad mind with which we would like our own qualifications to be considered abroad?

THE BROADER ISSUE Qualifications for what purposes? –Preparation for the labor market –Preparation for citizenship –Personal development –Broad, advanced knowledge base What kind of qualifications do we need? = What kind of society do we want? (Eugenio Tironi)