Dag Hovdhaugen, Marina Malgina, Andreas Snildal and Peter Wells: Qualifications passports open doors for Syrian refugees

On 27 May, the first UNESCO Qualifications Passports (UQP) issued in Iraq were awarded by the Iraqi Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research during a ceremony in Baghdad. This article outlines the development of this tool, its implementation so far and the benefits associated with it.

Information provision on recognition of qualifications: A practical guide for higher education institutions

This practical guide is addressed to international relations and admission officers, registrars and staff in charge of information management and provision at higher education institutions. Its main aim is to improve the quality of information provided by higher education institutions in line with the provisions of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

This guide provides a set of principles and “golden rules” to deliver well-designed and comprehensive information during both the input phase, i.e., information on access to and enrolment in the higher education institution (before applying for admission) and the output phase, i.e., during the awarding of qualifications. It covers two main dimensions:
1) transversal elements needed to structure information provision and the communication strategy and
2) contents that should be conveyed to ensure the smooth exchange of information among students, higher education institutions, and all potential interested parties.
Furthermore, the guide provides practical advice on how to ensure the quality of the information provided.

Substantial differences: A glimpse of theory, practice and guidelines

This document is edited in the framework of the Thematic Peer Group on the implementation of the Lisbon Recognition Convention in EHEA countries project. The Seminar on Recognition of Qualifications and Substantial Differences, held in Bologna on the 26th of June 2019, organised within the aforementioned project, was the occasion for a common reflection on the theme of substantial differences.

This document is intended to contribute to the discussion about substantial differences, giving a broad picture of the various elements involved, while sharing existing good practices and examples of how to implement them. Another aim of this document is to provide input on how to categorise the different typologies of substantial differences and to support higher education institutions in understanding whether a difference or a set of differences should be considered substantial or not.

UK NARIC Special Report: Guide to Recognition Issues in International Distance Learning

This report – highlighting recognition issues in international distance learning – is designed to provide an essential resource for the international education sector, from those involved in international admissions, recruitment and partnerships through to those in policy
and accreditation aspects.
This publication forms part of a much wider strand of UK NARIC’s resources to support the education sector in driving progressive change in the international understanding and fair recognition of credible, quality assured distance learning, supporting global mobility and opportunity for graduates and providers.