UNESCO/OECD Guidelines on Quality Provision in Cross-Border Higher Education IAU Global Meeting and International Conference Sharing Quality Higher Education Across Borders November 2005 Alexandria, Egypt Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic Division of Higher Education, UNESCO

Guidelines: Status & Next steps 33 rd session of the UNESCO General Conference, 16 October 2005 supported the Guidelines as a secretariat document The OECD Council – Prague, 2 December 2005 Implementation: UNESCO & OECD with stakeholders and partners

Why UNESCO? Existing frameworks 1998 WCHE and FU: access, equity, relevance; HE element of SD in the Knowledge Society The 6 regional conventions on the recognition of qualifications as the only legal instrument in HE ratified by over 100 Member States; Recommendations on the Recognition of Qualifications 1993 and the Status of HE teaching Personnel 1997; The Global Forum on International Quality Assurance, Accreditation and the Recognition of Qualifications: new dimensions in quality assurance and qualifications recognition (2002;2004)

Guidelines/Codes of Good Practice on TNE/ CBHE 1978 Guidelines for Developing Countries on Correspondence Education (UNESCO) 1999 Recommendation on International Access Qualifications (UNESCO/CoE) 2001 Code of Good Practice on TNE (UNESCO/CoE) 2004 Statement on Quality HE Across Borders (IAU/AUCC/ACE/CHEA) 2005 Guidelines on Quality in Cross-Border HE (UNESCO/OECD )

WHY THE GUIDELINES? Context Growth of cross-border higher education: distance education, franchises, branch campuses; GATS and Higher Education Need to provide an EDUCATIONAL response to maximize opportunities, minimize risks

External quality assurance and accreditation systems have been adopted in more than 60 countries The scope and status of agencies vary, depending on countries. The map is not exhaustive and changes rapidly, as governments face pressing needs to establish a quality assurance agency

But their scope is often domestic National quality assurance and accreditation systems are very diverse and uneven They do not often cover cross-border (or for-profit) higher education Higher education systems are often opaque viewed from abroad Need for more transparency and for quality assurance to take into account the growth in cross-border education

Objectives of the Guidelines support and encourage international cooperation and understanding of the importance of quality provision in cross-border higher education protect students and other stakeholders from low- quality provision and disreputable providers encourage the development of quality cross-border higher education that meets human, social, economic and cultural needs

Principles of the Guidelines Voluntary and non-binding Responsibility for partnerships, sharing, dialogue, mutual trust and respect between sending and receiving countries Recognition of national authority and of the diversity of systems Recognition of importance of international collaboration and exchange, internally, externally Access to transparent and reliable information

The scope of the Guidelines Voluntary and non-binding BUT Stamp of two IGOs: UNESCO and the OECD Addressing Governments but recognizing the role of NGOs and Student Organizations Stakeholders: Governments; Higher Education Institutions/academic staff; Students bodies; Quality Assurance and accreditation bodies; Academic Recognition Bodies; Professional Bodies;

Definition of CBHE The Guidelines define cross-border provision as “cross-border higher education (that) includes higher education that takes place in situations where the teacher, student, programme, institution/provider or course materials cross national jurisdictional borders. Cross border higher education may include higher education by public/private and not-for profit/for profit providers. It encompasses a wide range of modalities, in a continuum from face-to face (taking various forms such as students traveling abroad and campuses abroad) to distance learning (using a range of technologies and including e-learning).”

Guidelines to HEI/Academic Staff Ensure that the programmes they deliver across borders and in their home country are of comparable quality and take into account the cultural and linguistic sensitivities of the receiving country. Recognise that quality teaching and research is made possible by the quality of faculty and the quality of their working conditions Maintain Internal quality management systems: full use of the competencies of stakeholders responsibility to ensure that the information and guidance provided by their agents are accurate, reliable and easily accessible;

Guidelines to HEI/Academic Staff Consult competent quality assurance and accreditation bodies and respect the quality assurance and accreditation systems of the receiving country when delivering higher education across borders, including distance education; Develop and maintain networks and partnerships to facilitate the process of recognition by acknowledging each other’s qualifications as equivalent or comparable; Provide accurate, reliable and easily accessible information on the quality assurance and the academic and professional recognition of qualifications Ensure the transparency of the financial status of the institution /programme

Main (underlying) message The quality of cross-border higher education is a shared responsibility between importing and exporting countries –Quality assurance should cover cross-border education in all its forms –Stakeholders should collaborate internationally to enhance the transparency about the quality of HE and about HE systems –Cross-border delivery should have the same quality as home delivery

Main action mechanisms Quality assurance  have a quality assurance system, internal or external  have fair mechanisms for recognition of qualifications Transparency and accessibility of information  be transparent about what you do and make the relevant information accessible internationally Collaboration  Strengthen your collaboration with other stakeholders in your country, regionally and internationally

Regional Capacity Building: The Mediterranean – Tempus-MEDA – MERIC Network RIACES (Latin America + Spain)/revival of LAC Convention/Bogota Ministerial Meeting/Nov.05 The Caribbean: CANQATE Asia Pacific Convention + APQN

Regional Capacity Building Africa: Launch of AQUAnet (partnership with AAU and the World Bank) Pilot project for Francophone countries Arab States: New Initiatives for Regional Accreditation

Capacity Building – Some Existing Tools Tool-kit for QA in CBHE (Asia and the Pacific) DE course for QA in CBHE, using the Guidelines, to be launched in Africa (UNESCO- IIEP) Knowledge Base for QA in ODL – Africa, Asia and the Pacific, CIS (to be extended to LAC and Arab States) On-Line Course for Credential Evaluation – Mediterranean Convention

NEXT STEPS Info-Tool: Create a portal of accredited HEIs and programmes to be hosted by UNESCO: pilot project rd Global Forum on QA focusing on Learners (October 2006) UNESCO/OECD Conference 2007?

A WAY FORWARD? UNESCO 2005 GC Decision: how have the Guidelines been used Do HEIs and Associations find them relevant? How can they be applied and used? Should they be improved and adapted? Are there regional specificities that should be reflected?

Thank you!