current practicies in the recognition of qualifications awarded by joint

programmes

Hanna ReczulskaGraz, 11 June 2010

ENIC-NARIC Networks

ENIC European Network of National Information Centreson academic recognition and mobility- established by the Council of Europe and UNESCO - provides information on the recognition of foreign

qualifications, education systems, opportunities for studing abroad

NARIC National Academic Recognition Information Centres- established by the European Commission- aims at improving the academic recognition of

qualifications and periods of study in the Member States of the EU, EEA and associated countries

- component of the Lifelong Learning programme

55 centres ENIC-NARIC centres

www.enic-naric.net

ENIC-NARIC survey

Focus group:• Carita Blomqvist, NARIC Finland• Erwin Malfroy, NARIC Flanders• Hanna Reczulska, NARIC Poland• Gunnar Vaht, NARIC Estonia• Elizabeth Zamorano, NARIC France• Axel Aerden, NVAO• Mark Frederiks, NVAO, TEAM II coordinator

Survey questions based on:• Recommendation on the Recognition of Joint Degrees (2004)• Recommendation on Criteria and Procedures for the Assessment of

Foreign Qualifications (2001)

survey resultscarried out among ENIC-NARIC centres (6-7.2009)

25 respondents: • Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania,

Montenegro, Norway, Poland, The Netherlands, UK, USA• 6 anonymous

Experience with qualification awarded by joint programmes

0 5 10 15 20 25

yes

no

answers

types of qualificationsHow many of them were joint qualifications?- 2 ENIC-NARICs – 100%- 6 ENIC-NARICs – <50% -100%)- 7 ENIC-NARICs – (0% - 5%>- 4 ENIC-NARICs – 0%- 1 ENIC-NARIC - ?

cases answers respond.

a joint qualification issued in addition to one or more national qualifications

most common 1

least common 4

a joint qualification issued by the institutions offering the study programme in question without being accompanied

most common 12

least common 2

One or more national qualifications issued officially as the only attestation of the joint qualification in question

most common 4

least common 7

experienced ENIC-NARICs: how they deal with the following cases

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

JP partly providedby a national HEI

JP w ithoutinvolvement of a

national HEI

JP w ith national HEIbut w ithout

involvement inactual qualif ication

as a national qualif ication

as any foreign qualif iacation

diferently

legislation

Legal provisons facilitating recognition of qualifications awarded by JP

0 5 10 15 20

yes

no

24 respondents

What kind of recognition is possible?

0 5 10 15

no recognition

partialrecognition

full recognition

19 respondents

assessment procedure

Special procedure for assessment of qualifications awarded by JP

0 5 10 15 20 25

no

yes

25 respondents

elements checked when establishing status of a qualification awarded by JP

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

compliancewith Code of

Good Practicein TNE

status of jointprogramme

status ofawarding HEI

24 respondents

assessment procedure

assessment criteria

22

21

19

19

18

17

16

15

14

14

3

0

0 5 10 15 20 25

National regulations

Workload (credits)

Access to further studies

Duration of the programme

Learning Outcomes

International regulations

Purpose of the recognition

Quality of the education

Access to the labour market

Elements of the curriculum

Others, please specify below:

Ranking of institutions

22 respondents

assessment procedure

main sources of information

22

22

17

14

14

14

13

13

9

7

0

0 5 10 15 20 25

The qualification

The Diploma Supplement

ENIC-NARIC Network

QA/accreditation agencies

Transcript

International websites

National websites

Websites of the institutions

Information from contacts

Curriculum

Others

22 respondents

Does the DS provide all the necessary information?

8,4 8,6 8,8 9 9,2 9,4 9,6 9,8 10 10,2

yes

no

19 respondents

quality assurance & institutional recognition

QA/accreditation influences outcome?

2

23

0 5 10 15 20 25

no

yes

25 respondents

JP and/or HEIs should be quality assured/accredited?

2

23

0 5 10 15 20 25

no

yes

25 respondents

quality assurance & institutional recognition

Quality assured/accredited by whom?

9

11

4

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

by o

ther

(s)

by q

ualit

yas

sura

nce/

accr

edita

tion

agen

cy o

f al

lpa

rtic

ipat

ing

coun

trie

s

by o

ne q

ualit

yas

sura

nce/

accr

edita

tion

agen

cy o

f an

y of

the

part

icip

atin

g co

untr

ies

24 respondents

main problems according to respondents

• unclear status of the awarding body (consortium or number of HEIs) and agreement on which cooperation is based

• ascertaining that the program is formally agreed to and recognized by the participating institutions and their respective accrediting/QA bodies.

• status of institutions, status of qualification in different countries

• when one of the institutions associated to a joint programme is not recognised ( the institution or the programme)

• some institutions seem to award degrees they are not allowed to award

main problems according to respondents

• insufficient information about joint programmes („don’t see any /problems/ except making sure that we get the information needed”)

• lack of appropriate legal provisions in the national legislation

• compatibility of qualification with national regulations of the countries concerned

• no problems in case national qualification from any country is awarded. If not, recognition is more difficult and not possible in some cases (e.g. regulated professions)

• we do not see significant difference between recognition of joint or non-joint degrees

ENIC-NARIC workshop• 7 cases (joint qualifications) - 5 real cases, 7 samples of documents - 4 Erasmus Mundus Programmes - recognised institutions involved in the programmes• good practice and not so good practice

workshop outcomes:- recognition refused (1 case)- recognition could be considered (6 cases) but participants

would ask for: - additional information (4 cases) and/or - a national qualification (2 cases)

ENIC-NARIC workshop• formal requirements (e.g. who should sign

the diploma?)

• „content” of the qualification (e.g. counting of credits, degree…)

• the diploma supplement / transcript did not provide the necessary information

• joint qualification was not awarded in accordance with national legislation of one of the participating countries

concluding remarks

• legal issues seem to be serious obstacles - organisation of joint programmes - recognition of joint qualifications - regulated professions• some institutions use joint programmes to escape

national legislation• need for information - lack of adequate and transparent

information• the necessary information is not always provided by the

qualification, diploma supplement, transcript • responsibility for recognition of qualifications awarded by

joint programmes lies with the institutions that offer the joint programme

Thank you for attention!