This presentation was for a pair of workshops with European student representatives meeting in Amsterdam in 2016 on the topic of qualifications recognition and mobility in Europe.

1. Recognition of qualifications
in Europe
Bryan Maguire
European Students’ Convention 31
Amsterdam, 11 March 2016

2. Overview
• Where are we at with recognition?
• What are the blocks? Some cases
• Future directions

3. Yerevan ministerial meeting
May 2015
• Implementation report
• Structural reforms working group
report
• Ministerial communiqué
• http://bologna-yerevan2015.ehea.info

4. Figure 2.30: Principles of the Lisbon Recognition
Convention in national legislation, 2013/14

5. Figure 2.31: Institution which makes final decisions on recognising foreign
qualifications for academic purposes, 2013/14
Other
HEI + ENIC/NARIC
Central Government

6. Figure 2.32: Do higher education institutions typically
make recognition decisions centrally? 2013/14

7. Figure 2.33: System-Level recognition of three
cycle degrees, 2013/14

8. Figure 4.12: Recognition of prior learning for
progression in higher education studies, 2013/14

9. Figure 4.13: Scorecard indicator n°11: Recognition of
prior learning, 2013/14*

10. Structural reforms working group
• Report to Yerevan ministerial
meeting
• Addressed recommendations to
– Public authorities
– Higher education institutions
– Others
• Two major topics
– Recognition of qualifications
– (Recognition of prior learning)

11. Fair recognition of qualifications
• At their 2015 meeting, Ministers should commit to
reviewing their national legislation with a view to fully
complying with the Lisbon Recognition Convention, taking
due account of the monitoring of the implementation of
the Convention by the Convention Committee, and report
to the Bologna Secretariat by the end of 2016. The
Convention Committee could, in cooperation with ENIC
and NARIC Networks be asked to prepare an analysis of
the reports by the end of 2017.
• Higher education institutions should make adequate use
of the European Area of Recognition (EAR) manual in their
own work on recognition. They should review their own
institutional procedures with a view to affording
applicants adequate opportunities to appeal against
recognition decisions made by the institution and include
the principle of fair recognition in their codes of ethical
behavior.

12. International groups
• The ENIC and NARIC Networks and the Lisbon
Recognition Convention Committee should develop
proposals for coherent policy and practice for the
recognition of prior learning throughout the EHEA,
taking due account of the Council Recommendation
of 20 December 201252. The Lisbon Recognition
Convention Committee should consider whether a
subsidiary text to the Lisbon Recognition Convention
might be developed and, as appropriate, submit a
draft text for adoption by the Committee by 2019.
• When developing its work program for the 2015 – 18
period, the BFUG should assess what the most
appropriate instrument for furthering the
recognition of prior learning within the EHEA would
be

13. Ministerial commitments 1
• to ensure that competence requirements for public employment
allow for fair access to holders of first cycle degrees, and
encourage employers to make appropriate use of all higher
education qualifications, including those of the first cycle
• to ensure, in collaboration with institutions, reliable and
meaningful information on graduates’ career patterns and
progression in the labour market, which should be provided to
institutional leaders, potential students, their parents and
society at large
• to review national legislations with a view to fully complying
with the Lisbon Recognition Convention, reporting to the
Bologna Secretariat by the end of 2016, and asking the
Convention Committee, in cooperation with the ENIC and NARIC
Networks, to prepare an analysis of the reports by the end of
2017, taking due account of the monitoring of the Convention
carried out by the Convention Committee

14. Ministerial commitments 2
• to review national qualifications
frameworks, with a view to ensuring
that learning paths within the
framework provide adequately for
the recognition of prior learning
• to establish a group of volunteering
countries and organizations with a
view to facilitating professional
recognition

15. Case 1
• Bachelors degree graduate from
country A wishes to progress to
masters programme in country B

16. Case 2
• Student wishes to enter bachelors
programme in country B having
partially completed degree in
country A

17. Case 3
• Graduate from country A seeks
employment in country B

18. Bottom-up solutions
• Curricular alignment (e.g. Tuning
Project)
• Development of admissions staff
(EAR manual)

19. The European Recognition Manual for
Higher Education Institutions
• Practical guidelines for credential
evaluators and admissions officers
to provide fair and flexible
recognition of foreign degrees and
studies abroad
• http://eurorecognition.eu

20. Tuning subjects
http://tuningacademy.org/

21. Top-down solutions
• Automatic recognition for HE
qualifications, including professional
(regional, coalition of the willing)
• “Lisbon recognition convention” like
agreement under EU for VET
qualifications
• Revision of EQF recommendation