Brussels, 1-2 June 2015 Crowne Plaza Hotel

EU-Southern Mediterranean Seminar on recognition of credits and

qualifications - Report

June 2015 2

Table of Contents

Summary ......................................................................................................... 3

Main conclusions ............................................................................................... 3

Monday 1 June 2015 .......................................................................................... 5

Opening session ................................................................................................ 5

Thematic session: The political and legal frame of recognition of credits and degrees . 6

Thematic session: The challenges met in practice .................................................. 7

Testimonies of mobile students ......................................................................... 7

Case studies ................................................................................................... 8

Recognising credits at higher education institution level ......................................... 9

Workshop: Tools and tricks for recognising credits acquired abroad ...................... 9

Workshop: Experiences of universities in introducing and using ECTS ...................11

Tuesday 2 June 2015 ........................................................................................13

Recognising foreign degrees at national level .......................................................13

Workshop: Role and capacity of recognition centres on both shores of the

Mediterranean ...............................................................................................13

Workshop: Useful tools, sharing of best practices when recognising foreign degrees

...................................................................................................................14

Closing session .................................................................................................15

Feedback from sessions ..................................................................................15

Closing remarks .............................................................................................16

June 2015 3

Summary

96 participants attended the event.

There were delegations from 8 Southern Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Egypt,

Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia) made up of representatives of

ministries of higher education, higher education institutions, experts working on

quality assurance and recognition and some National Erasmus+ Offices.

Other international, Southern Mediterranean and European actors were invited, such

as the European University Association, the European Students’ Union, the Union for

the Mediterranean, the Mediterranean Universities Union, the United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Council of Europe, the

European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR), the Association of

Arab universities (AARU), the Francophone University Agency (AUF), the Erasmus

Mundus Association (EMA), the Arab Network for Quality Assurance in Higher

Education (ANQAHE), the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher

Education (ENQA), the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education

(EURASHE) and the President and Rectors Conferences from Maghreb and from Middle

East (CONFREMO). Finally, several ENIC-NARIC Centres took an active role in the

seminar (the French CIEP, the Italian CIMEA, the Dutch EP-Nuffic and the Norwegian

NOKUT).

Representatives of several EU institutions attended the seminar, including DG

Education and Culture, the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, and

the European Training Foundation.

The main objectives of the seminar were to:

- exchange information and best practices on credit transfer systems at university

level and on mechanisms for the transportability of qualifications put in place at

national level.

- present recent trends in Europe especially following the Bologna Ministerial

Conference of May 2015.

- explain common legal international framework on degree recognition.

- listen to testimonies of universities and students representatives that illustrated

how this legal and policy frameworks work in practice and what are the difficulties

met in their daily activity.

- present useful tools to improve recognition of credits such as the ECTS user guide,

the European Recognition Manual, Qualifications frameworks and the important

role of Recognition Centres.

Main conclusions

In both regions, European Union and Southern Mediterranean countries, an

increasing number of students are going to study abroad either for gaining

additional credits or for getting a complete degree. This makes recognition of

credits and qualifications an important and urgent issue.

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A useful legal framework exists, both in Europe (Lisbon Convention), and in

Southern Mediterranean countries (Convention on the Recognition of Studies,

Diplomas and Degrees in the Arab States and the equivalent for Arab and

European States bordering the Mediterranean). However, its implementation very

much depends on the cooperation and trust developed between universities and

between recognition centres from different countries.

The European ENIC-NARIC network plays a very useful role in strengthening

this type of cooperation between European countries and it would be very

important that a similar active network exists in Southern Mediterranean countries

to allow exchange of information and practices between our two regions. The

revival of the MERIC network would be a first step.

Even if higher education systems differ in both regions, some valuable tools

developed in the European Higher Education Area could be used by Southern

Mediterranean partner organisations to ease recognition processes such as: the

new ECTS user guide, the European Recognition Manual for Higher Education

Institutions, the UNESCO/Council of Europe Recommendations on the use

Qualification frameworks, the learning agreements and diploma supplements.

All participants agreed that moving from equivalence to recognition of credits and

degrees implies a fundamental shift to a student centred learning outcome

approach. This requires a radical review of curriculum, the way in which study

programmes are defined (their profile) and taught, the assessment of students,

the role of teachers and the expectations of students. The nature of the change

involved is challenging and meets resistance from teaching staff, university

leaders and even students. There is therefore a clear need for a change

management strategy demonstrating the need for change, linked with a strong

programme of staff development and training and the engagement of students.

Stakeholders such as employers also need to be partners in the process.

Further actions

Three main actors, namely higher education institutions, recognition offices and

students should be seen as the priority for further action.

Support at university level:

Erasmus+ capacity building projects could be elaborated for developing

international cells in universities responsible (among others) for recognising

credits in the frame of international mobility projects.

Higher Education Reform Experts (Supported by the European Commission)

could focus their further activities on the practical implementation of ECTS at

university level to compensate the obvious lack of information.

Students need to be encouraged to support and contribute to the change

process and the implementation of ECTS.

June 2015 5

Support to recognition offices:

The Erasmus+ capacity building strand can also support the development

of national recognition centres in Southern Mediterranean countries. The next

call should be published in October 2015. This implies however that national

authorities in partner countries commit politically to support such structures

beyond the lifetime of the project.

• The same tool could be used for the cooperation between ENIC-NARIC Centres

and their homologue in Southern Mediterranean countries. The revitalisation

of the MERIC network was mentioned extensively and both the EU via

Erasmus+ and UNESCO expressed their readiness to support the initiative.

Monday 1 June 2015

Opening session

Mr Xavier Prats-Monne, Director General of DG Education and Culture at the

European Commission, welcomed the participants and reminded them that this

seminar takes place in the frame of the dialogue between EU and Southern-

Mediterranean countries on higher education launched in 2012. He stressed the fact

that for the period of 2014-2020 Erasmus+ has increased its funds by 40% and that

the cooperation with Southern Mediterranean is one of the priorities. He encouraged

partners to use the potential of this programme for funding cooperation projects and

mobility flows as they are concrete means to build trust, which is a precondition for

qualitative collaboration. Mobility should bring a systemic impact as it is not just about

increasing the number of participants but also about building confidence between

people and institutions. He mentioned as well that the EU launched a broad

consultation on the future of its neighbouring policy and expects higher education

stakeholders to express their ideas and expectations for the future.

Ms Najla Bouden Romdhane, Senior Adviser to the Minister, Ministry of Higher

Education and Scientific Research, Tunisia, provided an overview of the challenges

faced by higher education in Tunisia as well as the initiatives put in place to overcome

them. She noticed that Southern-Mediterranean countries are rather regionally

focused but increasingly opening up to more internationalisation. She also mentioned

the reforms being carried out in Tunisia which aim at strengthening quality, improving

the training of trainers and supporting good governance and the involvement of

regional actors. Ms Romdhane underlined the requested increase of staff and student

mobility to Europe but also between Southern Mediterranean countries themselves.

She mentioned the key role of cooperation with European partners and of the

European Commission commitment to share their expertise in terms of mobility and

mutual recognition of diplomas. She called for further work on an "Internationalisation

at Home" programme and support for better mutual cultural recognition to overcome

radicalisation and stigmatization.

June 2015 6

Thematic session: The political and legal frame of recognition of credits and

degrees

Moderator: Mr Adam Tyson, Acting Director for Modernisation of Education, DG

Education and Culture, European Commission.

Ms Mette Andersen, Policy officer, Higher Education, DG Education and Culture,

European Commission, gave an update on the latest developments at EU level in the

frame of the Bologna Process, and it was stressed again that it offers useful tools but

that the core element is trust. Within the Bologna process, the recognition of both

credit mobility and degrees between countries is improving. Regarding the degree

recognition, the role of ENIC-NARIC centres was stressed. In universities, recognition

procedures at centralised level function more smoothly than recognition procedures at

faculty level.

Ms Andersen also gave an overview of previous cooperation initiatives in this field as

well as successful EU tools, e.g. the Bucharest Communiqué and the Pathfinder Group

for recognition, regional initiatives in the Baltics and Nordic countries, etc. She also

mentioned an increasing number of automatic recognition schemes (see recent

example of Benelux countries) and the broader use of learning outcomes in

programme design.

Ms Liliana Simonescu, Programme Specialist, United Nations Educational, Scientific

and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), gave an overview of the UNESCO/Council of

Europe legal frameworks in the European and Southern Mediterranean regions. She

reminded the audience of their basic principles: procedural guaranties, shifting of the

proof, information sharing between peers, code and guidelines, role of the committee.

Ms Simonescu stressed the fact that useful tools and guidelines can also be used by

countries which have not ratified the convention yet. She underlined the fact that the

ENIC-NARIC network can be considered as a good practice and that the UNESCO

would welcome and support the revitalisation of its equivalent under the

Mediterranean Convention, the so-called Mediterranean Recognition Information

Centre (MERIC).

Mr Ahmad Jammal, Director General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and

Higher Education, Lebanon, talked about the situation in Southern Mediterranean

countries regarding the use of transfer credit systems, the role of recognition

institutions and more generally the case of Lebanon. He reminded the audience that

recognition issues are crucial in countries with high migration rates and that Lebanon,

being one of them, has acquired a good understanding of foreign higher education

systems. He explained the role of the national independent committee for the

recognition of foreign qualifications and its importance for students in order to enrol in

HE programmes or enter the labour market. In this process, the information on the

countries/education systems involved is crucial and should be transparent, easy to

access and precise. The EU tools such as ECTS or Qualifications Frameworks help in

bridging with other credit systems and provide greater transparency.

In the case of Southern Mediterranean countries, Mr Jammal underlined the lack of a

common method in the use of credit systems, the necessity to shift paradigm towards

learning outcomes as a cornerstone in the elaboration of programmes, as well as the

June 2015 7

difficulties met when using grading systems or Diploma Supplement. He also identified

other difficulties in the recognition of foreign qualifications such as an increasing

number of cases (linked to globalisation and migration) and the integration of

profession-based trainings in the recognition process.

Discussion

Participants got back to the topic of trust which was extensively mentioned. The

existence of a strong quality assurance framework in HEI and the creation of a

“community of practitioners” among recognition bodies were identified as prerequisites

for it. The European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the

European Higher Education Area 1 and the Bologna Implementation Report2 were

also mentioned as a good source of information and overview on Bologna countries.

Regarding the developments in the frame of the Bologna process it was noted that

changes are gradual and long-term but surely noticeable since the beginning in 1999.

The ruling negativity in some countries or some aspects of the reform can be

explained by the willingness to tie the positive Bologna process effects to national

policies and not to recognise the European influence on these changes.

Thematic session: The challenges met in practice

Moderator: Ms Claire Morel, Acting Head of Unit, International cooperation in higher

education and youth, European Commission, DG Education and Culture

Ms Morel stressed that Erasmus+ is open to Mediterranean countries but also

reminded the rules attached to mobility projects: if credits acquired abroad are not

recognised when students are back home, the HEIs will not be able to participate

again. She also stressed the fact that the budget allocated to Southern Mediterranean

partner countries was not totally used under the first call for proposals and that a

second round is organised (deadline 24 September 2015).

Testimonies of mobile students

Ms Yasmine Sabri Hassan and Latifa Melk, Erasmus Mundus Association,

presented the results of an internal survey carried out by their association, which

maps the problems students are facing. They complained about the lack of

cooperation between universities and of clarity in the recognition procedures. They

reported difficulties to transfer credits between their "host" and "home" universities.

Students often have to repeat courses or are informed too late that required courses

are not available in the host university. A common protocol between "home" and

"host" universities has to be established to foresee all the recognition procedures. A

well-balanced degree programme and availability of the courses in "home" and "host"

universities are also crucial.

http://www.enqa.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/ESG_3edition-2.pdf 2 http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/education/eurydice/documents/thematic_reports/182EN.pdf)

June 2015 8

Mr Mahjoub Aouni, President of the Monastir University, Tunisia, focused on the

practical aspects of mobility by presenting the case of his university in regards to the

use of credit systems and the role of recognition institutions. The importance of the

Learning Agreement, which increases transparency, was stressed as well as the use of

ECTS. The calculation of credits, workload, length of programme and definition of

learning outcomes often lead to lively discussions between partners. Mr Aouni also

underlined the difficulties met such as the lack of credibility of ECTS outside the HEIs

as well as the fact that not all universities use the structure of semesters.

Discussion

There was a lively debate on the workload and the ways of measuring it, as well as its

meaning in the ECTS sytem. Several participants underlined the necessity to move

from a system based simply on workload to a system taking learning outcomes more

into account. This shift implies a new mind-set for both university staff and students.

Numerous participants stressed the need to hire permanent staff trained on

recognition issues and able to advise their colleagues and lead this work on learning

outcomes. The concept of "equivalence" vs "recognition" was also challenged.

Case studies

Ms Wafa Triek, Head of Processing Unit, ENIC-NARIC (CIEP), France presented the

peculiarities of the work of the CIEP and explained the necessary procedures for the

recognition of a Southern Mediterranean degree in France. The degree recognition

procedure requires previous academic records, identity documents in the language of

origin, and a transcript of records (sworn translations are not always necessary as the

CIEP office workers speak many relevant languages). A Europass type CV can be an

added value to understand the path of studies but it’s not mandatory. The CIEP uses

several criteria to assess a request, such as the eligibility of the degree (it has to be

recognised and accredited in the country of origin), its duration (but time is not the

key component), the requirements to apply for the studies (pre-selection procedure at

the university or not), the study process (studies in other languages, internship,

written and defended thesis, etc.), the learning outcomes, the existence or not of a

quality assurance body, etc. The procedure takes up to one month and costs EUR 70

(except for refugees). In the recognition documentation, the name of the degree is

also kept in the language of origin. Individuals also have the right to appeal within two

months after the decision.

Ms Suha Abdelrahman, Secretary General Advisor, Ministry of Higher Education and

Scientific Research, Jordan talked about the recognition of a European degree in her

country. She presented the legal aspects and responsible bodies involved in the

process. The degree recognition procedure might involve an expert in the field of the

study concerned and more documentation can be required. If the procedure is

successful, the equivalence certificate is issued. The applicant has the right to appeal if

the decision is not favourable. The required file consists of previous academic records

and their sworn translations.

June 2015 9

Discussion

Participants raised further issues such as the use of Qualification Frameworks, the

recognition of Vocational Education and Training experience (VET) and whether

distance learning is included in the recognition process. The question of the

professional recognition of degrees by employers was also raised.

Some participants inquired about the extent of university autonomy towards

recognition offices’ decisions. In France, the CIEP gives advice but the final decision

lies in the university. The CIEP representative also explained that the recognition of

the bachelor's degree is not a prerequisite for recognising a master degree and

students can also try to approach the HEIs directly and apply for studies if they wish.

Finally, she mentioned the existence of an internal database linking foreign

qualifications to the European Qualification Framework. The CIEP considers the

possibility to make it accessible for external users.

Recognising credits at higher education institution level

Workshop: Tools and tricks for recognising credits acquired abroad

Moderator: Mr Ahmed Elgohary, President, Egyptian Japanese University for Science

and Technology.

Mr John Reilly, Higher Education Consultant and member of the UK EHEA expert

team, University of Kent, presented the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation

System (ECTS) and programme design. He began by presenting the new ECTS User's

Guide 2015, which was jointly written by a team of European experts and is now a

formally ratified Bologna process document. He demonstrated the utility of ECTS for

designing educational programmes. He outlined the benefits of ECTS as a learner

centered, flexible system for the recognition of all learning in all cycles. Credits

provide a shared vocabulary and methodology, and an agreed measure of the volume

of learning, which is based on learning outcomes, the workload required to achieve

these outcomes and the associated assessment criteria. A prerequisite for using ECTS

for programme design is an Institutional Credit Framework, which establishes an

institution-wide standard number of credits per unit and levels within a cycle

(especially the first cycle) and staff development and training. Programme design

should take account of and be consistent with the institution and department mission,

and any professional requirements and there should be This should lead to the

establishment of the "Programme profile" which establishes the objectives, key

features of the programme, the overall programme learning outcomes and total

number of credits. Programme learning outcomes should reflect level and content, be

succinct, coherent, achievable (and assessable). The programme components

(modules) must be consistent with and contribute to the programme learning

outcomes – a learning outcomes mapping matrix is a helpful tool to achieve this. It

should above all be learner-centred, and cater for participation and inclusion of the

learners. The quality of the programme is then ensured through regular monitoring,

review, quality assurance, with frequent feedback from all stakeholders. Credits are a

simple, quality-driven tool benefitting both teacher and learner, for all subjects and all

June 2015 10

forms of learning; but as with all tools should be used with care, understanding and

training – which the new ECTS User's Guide can help provide.

Ms Raimonda Markeviciene, Head of International Programmes and Relations

Office, Vilnius University, followed with a presentation on useful agreements and tools

when organising mobility. Ms Markeviciene began by defining the quality in mobility,

and the role of the institution in ensuring this quality. Key to this are: diversity as an

institutional mind-set, transparency at every level, cooperation to ensure effective

communication and commitment, trust and mutual responsibility between partners,

and effective recognition. After outlining the basic principles of ECTS and recognition,

she introduced the existing institutional frameworks and regulations for recognition.

This was followed by an exchange of best practices, during which Ms Markeviciene

gave advice to other HEIs on how best to select partners, ensure that study

programmes offer easy solutions for study period recognition (e.g. establish mobility

windows), allocate responsibilities within the institution and work effectively with the

learners involved. She also made recommendations regarding the use of key key

documents and tools of ECTS that guarantee transparency of mobility activities, are

crucial for recognising study periods abroad as part of the home degree and ensure

quality of mobility. Finally, participants were introduced to the egracons.eu website

(http://egracons.eu/page/about), a platform to share best practices between HEIs

working on recognition.

Discussion

The main problem for the participants, in their capacity as administrators, lies with the

different interpretations of credit systems by the HEIs. There is a need to

establish a shared vocabulary, and ensure HEIs are clear in their interpretation.

European universities are confronted with the same set of issues, and so there is a

need for a more holistic approach to using such complex tools (QA, credits, etc.). To

use ECTS correctly, there is a clear need for statistical data at HEI and faculty level,

in order to compare, contrast, rank the work being done by different HEIs and

faculties.

Unlike the US credit system which is based on contact hours, the ECTS system

focuses on learning outcomes and the associated workload for the student, which can

be more difficult to measure, but more worthwhile. Participants agreed that there are

more advantages to the ECTS system, although the issue is that many administrations

are not familiar with it, or do not understand it. There is a clear need for awareness-

raising.

The panel assured participants that the ECTS system can and does suit the demands

of lifelong learning both formal and informal learning and experience: credits

can be used to assess and recognise informal, less structured learning by focussing on

the achieved learning outcomes (what the learner knows, understands and is able to

do). Writing learning outcomes and relating them to appropriate assessment is a

difficult task. There is a need for staff development. Students too need help in

responding to a new approach: learner-centred also means learner responsibility.

Often students may have seen their role as recipients of what is taught rather than as

actively engaged in defining and shaping the process. In a learner-centred-process

June 2015 11

model, the teacher's role changes and becomes more that of a facilitator of the

learning process in dialogue with learners. The focus on employability as a desired

outcome, although not the sole learning outcome, is an important aspec, and there is

a need to adapt the learning outcomes and programmes accordingly.

Participants underlined the issues related to ensuring an effective learner-based

approach in a context of "massification", especially if students numbers have

increased while the number of staff have not and the consequent difficulty of ensuring

that the outcomes have been reached without the proper means to evaluate and

follow-up. The panel agreed that this is a challenge and requires innovative

approaches which also engage the learners. The presentations sought to indicate the

potential of ECTS and good practice in implementing the system. Mr Reilly stressed

the need for simple feedback from learners at the end of every unit or module, and

the importance of encouraging ongoing informal feedback, discussing with the

students how things are going. The programme review comes by definition after the

programme is finished. But ideally every 4-5 years, HEIs should conduct a programme

review, and include external stakeholders and evaluators. European Students Union

(ESU) colleagues called for more frequent student feedback throughout the course,

which should not be more costly with online tools. If the learning outcomes are

changed accordingly, they will feel empowered, and more involved.

Workshop: Experiences of universities in introducing and using ECTS

Moderator: Klara Engels-Perenyi, Policy officer, Higher Education, DG Education and

Culture, European Commission

Mr Hassan Ezbakhe, Vice president for Academic Affairs, Abdelmalek Saâdi

University, Tetouan, Morocco, presented the challenges of adapting an existing system

to ECTS. Morocco introduced the LMD system (Licence, Master, Doctorate) already in

2000 but ECTS is still not used because of the pre-existence of a modular system of

studies. Abdelmalek Essaadi university is using an automatic equivalence where 1

semester = 4 modules = 30 ECTS but without really considering learning outcomes.

The Tempus Project CREMAR (http://projetcremar.uae.ma/), involving 5 European

universities, 15 Moroccan universities and the Ministry of Higher Education aims

therefore at supporting a real implementation of the ECTS system and a broader use

of the Diploma Supplement beginning with 30 pilot study programmes. The final aims

of the project are to align with the Bologna process, encourage double degrees and

student mobility, foster recognition of previous experiences and ensure the necessary

infrastructure for foreign students to come to Morocco. According to Mr Ezbakhe,

success factors are the support from the Ministry, the true commitment of Moroccan

universities and the necessity to involve/train researchers and professors to ensure

that ECTS will be used in practice.

Mr Moshe Amir, Director Bologna Training Center, Ben Gurion University, Israel,

explained the introduction of the ECTS concept in Israeli universities originating from

the Tempus project Corinthiam. Six European, two Palestinian and four Israeli

universities were involved in this project coordinated by the VUB, Brussels. It was

June 2015 12

based on three main pillars – the development of International Relations Offices, the

internationalisation at home and an ECTS pilot project.

The project involved intensive training and learning process for the staff and project

directors. The main idea was to experiment whether ECTS can be introduced alongside

the currently used credit system (USA based). The results showed that indeed, despite

the reluctance from some staff, the two systems could coexist. Additionally, the

secondary benefits from a better understanding of ECTS were improved module

planning and syllabus design and more transparency for students and employers. It

also eased the recognition procedures after the mobility. The project showed that the

knowledge and understanding of the Bologna process in Israel was limited and that it

hampered informed decision making about collaboration with European counterparts.

The project lead to the creation of a Bologna Training Centre which trains academic

departments on Bologna and ECTS mechanisms. Finally, a Learning Agreement

template was developed to ensure that Israeli students get their experience abroad

recognised upon return from mobility. The introduction of the Diploma Supplement

was more limited. Overall, the implementation of ECTS improved the quality of the

mobility activities, and beyond that it lead to general quality enhancement, based on

staff involvement.

Discussion

The question of coexistence of the ECTS and the US system was raised and Mr

Amir responded that learning outcomes are a completely new paradigm for Israeli

universities. There is no automatic formula to manage differences between the two

approaches but there is openness to understand both of, despite some contradictions.

The final aim is to facilitate student mobility between European and Israeli

universities. The Bologna Training Centre in Israel offers half-day workshops for

key faculty members, deans, rectors, that cover all aspects of Bologna – DS, ECTS,

internationalisation, etc. Mr Amir and three PhD students are running it.

According to the speakers, the hardest aspect of the introduction of ECTS is the

change of mind-set towards learning outcomes and a student-centred

learning process. Human interaction was very important for success as there was

some fear among staff members that the Bologna process might influence the content

of their teaching. Both speakers underlined the necessity to inform, convince and train

the teaching staff and key faculty members about the advantage of using ECTS. The

involvement of the Ministry in Morocco was also presented as an asset.

The statute of universities in Morocco (public vs private) and their

accreditation procedure was also discussed and challenged. Only diplomas of public

universities are recognised and a validation procedure exists for private universities.

(?).

June 2015 13

Tuesday 2 June 2015

Recognising foreign degrees at national level

Workshop: Role and capacity of recognition centres on both shores of the

Mediterranean

Moderator: Mr Mohammed Al Subu, Head of the Accreditation and Quality Assurance

Commission, Palestine

Mr Kevin Guillaume, President of the Network of the European National Information

Centre (ENIC), presented ENIC-NARIC centres – their role, status and practices in

Europe, as well as common principles and a variety of situations. Mr Guillaume

explained the aims of the ENIC-NARIC networks which are encompassing the values of

the Bologna Process and recognised that there are still many challenges to be faced.

The Lisbon Convention is the only binding text for the Bologna Process and recognition

is still at the very heart of it. However, recognition would need re-thinking at systemic

level as it is often seen as a technical and not policy-related issue, and as it is still the

main obstacle for mobility. How can there be such differences in procedures even

between close neighbouring countries? Such protectionism is an obstacle for

cooperation, mobility, migration and employability.

The ENIC-NARIC Networks offer the practical tools to facilitate the process of

recognition – the networks are based on the exchange of information and the

development of common projects. Mr Guillaume also stressed that trust remains the

core element of cooperation between HEIs and that recognition issues should not be

seen only as a technical problem.

Mr. Luca Lantero, Director, NARIC– CIMEA, Italy and Mr Ahmad ABU -EL-HAIJA,

Director, National Erasmus+ Office, Jordan, talked about the use of the Tempus

programme (now Capacity Building strand of Erasmus+) to strengthen the capacity of

national recognition centres in Southern Mediterranean countries and introduced the

project RecoNow (http://www.reconow.eu/en/index.aspx) in which the Italian ENIC-

NARIC Centre aims at strengthening the role of National Recognition Centres at

governmental level, preparing National Reports for recognition purposes, creating

recognition offices in Middle East countries and establishing rules and guidelines for

evaluating non-traditional, transnational and distance learning institutions and their

qualifications.

Mr Ahmad Abu El-Haija, Director, National Erasmus+ Office, Jordan, gave the

Jordanian perspective on the RecoNow project. He mentioned the increased

transparency for Jordanian stakeholders, and explained how qualifications, certificates

and transcripts are being brought more in line with international standards. There is

also more information available on the structure of degrees, accreditation procedures,

Diploma Supplement, grading and conversion tables. This process will also ease

mobility experiences and recognition. A revamped website is being developed and will

provide more information for international evaluators and recognition centres,

June 2015 14

incoming students, etc. Finally, staff trainings are taking place and an International

Education Unit has been established in the Ministry.

Discussion

The question of the recognition of practically oriented or professional degrees was

raised. Mr Lantero answered that such requests are handled on a case by case basis

by ENIC-NARIC Centres which are focusing on the learning outcomes rather than the

length of the study.

The European speakers insisted on the necessity to have reliable counterparts in

Southern Mediterranean countries with which they could exchange information on

their respective higher education systems and content of qualifications. They strongly

called for the revitalisation of the MERIC network with which they could share

information and good practices. The Bologna Policy forum was also mentioned as a

useful platform taking into account that the next ministerial meeting will take place in

Paris and that France is a member of MERIC. Participants also underlined the fact that

actions should not only be taken at the level of recognition centres and that expertise

on recognition issues should be strengthened at university level.

Workshop: Useful tools, sharing of best practices when recognising foreign

degrees

Moderator: Ms Mette Andersen, Policy officer, Higher Education, DG Education and

Culture, European Commission

Mr Bas Wegewijs, Team coordinator, ENIC-NARIC Centre, Netherlands, presented

the European Recognition Manual for Higher Education Institutions (EAR-HEI manual).

The aim of the manual is to create a more uniform recognition procedure. The manual

is a quick and user friendly reference guide which is freely available -

http://eurorecognition.eu/Manual/EAR%20HEI.pdf. The team that created the guide

consisted of representatives from NARICs in Poland, France, Lithuania, Ireland,

Denmark, Latvia and the Netherlands (the coordinator) and also included the

President of the LRC Committee (2007 - 2013), the President of the ENIC network

(2011 - 2013), a special advisor from USNEI as well as experts from the European

University Association (EUA), the German Hochschulrektorenkonferenz (HRK), Tuning

Educational Structures and the European Student Union (ESU). Mr Wegewijs explained

that the principles of the guide are easy to transfer to higher education systems and

to export to higher education institutions, but also in countries that have not signed

nor ratified the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

Ms Claudia Gelleni, Head of the Degree Recognition Department, ENIC-NARIC

Centre (CIEP), France, spoke about the use of Qualification Frameworks in recognition,

namely how they can be used in assessing foreign qualifications. The differences

between European Qualifications Framework (EQF)/Qualifications Framework Higher

Education under Bologna (QF-HE) and the related National Qualifications Frameworks

(NQF) were explained, indicating that e.g. EQF/QF-HE is good for comparing and the

NQF is good for understanding the basics of what a given qualification contains. Ms

Gelleni expressed the wish for lifelong learning to also find its place under these

June 2015 15

frameworks in all countries. She also underlined the fact that such frameworks help

recognition but can’t be used as a tool for automatic recognition. She explained as well

that the use of such frameworks has to be seen in the broader evolution of the

European systems, from an equivalence logic to a recognition of foreign qualifications

one.

Discussion

It was reminded that a decision of an ENIC-NARIC Centre was often not binding in

itself. More transparency and easier readability of qualifications is needed, as in the

end it is still the decision of the institutions and employers to trust or mistrust a given

qualification.

The potential of Qualifications Frameworks can still be exploited better. The Southern

Mediterranean countries were advised to focus on a fruitful and supportive atmosphere

for similar exercises and not only on the technicalities of the frameworks. Some

participants also stressed the difficulties to put in place qualifications frameworks in

their countries mainly because of the weakness in the organisation of employers and

social partners who should be closely involved in the process of defining the

frameworks.

Closing session

Moderator: Klaus Haupt, Head of Unit for Higher Education, Erasmus Mundus Joint

Master Degrees, Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency

Feedback from sessions

Rapporteur: Mr Ayham Jaaron, Head of Quality assurance Unit, An-Najah National

University, Palestine: Tools and tricks for recognising credits acquired abroad.

The aims of ECTS are to enhance cooperation between institutions, to facilitate

mobility experiences, to increase transparency in order to allow others to understand

the local programmes, and finally to make the study process more learner-centred by

applying the concept of learning outcomes. Several aspects still have to be further

fostered, namely a broader use of Diploma Supplements, a strong effort on staff

training at HEI level and a better awareness-raising on the ECTS guide beyond

Europe.

Rapporteur: Mr Rabia Khellif, Head of Quality Assurance, University of Annaba,

Algeria: Experiences of universities in introducing and using ECTS.

The presentations of Tempus projects aiming at broadening the use of ECTS in partner

countries highlighted both the possible coexistence of ECTS with standing systems but

also the need to further inform about its advantages in terms of transparency and

tools to support mobility with European countries. The change of mind-set towards

leaning outcomes and learner-centred teaching methods were identified as the main

challenges to be overcome.

June 2015 16

Rapporteur: Yasser Elshayeb, National Erasmus office, Member of the Supreme

Council of Universities' Equivalence Committee, Egypt: Role and capacity of

recognition centres on both shores of the Mediterranean.

The presentations of this session illustrated the role of ENIC-NARIC networks and the

diversity of services provided by this type of structures. Several stakeholders

mentioned the revitalisation of MERIC by expressing their support for it (the server

still exists). It is clear that recognition is not only a technical issue, but rather a

question of commitment and trust between partners. The Tempus project that was

presented was able to build the capacity of Universities and of the Ministry of Higher

Education on soft and hard issues related to the Recognition of Qualifications. The

need to involve Ministries was also strongly underlined.

Rapporteur: Ms Nada Moghaizel Nasr, Honorary Dean, University of Saint Joseph,

Lebanon: Useful tools, sharing of best practices when recognising foreign degrees.

In spite of the variety of existing tools (conventions, frameworks, manuals), we can

see that they are all based on a few basic common principles: quality education,

institutional autonomy, diversity as richness, mobility, fair and flexible recognition.

The 2013 Council of Europe/Unesco Recommendation on the use of qualifications

frameworks and the European Handbook EAR-HEI are very valuable tools. They show

that the challenge is to understand and apply the concept of learning outcomes which

is not essentially an administrative matter but rather a paradigm shift.

Awareness-raising as well as training of managers and teachers is much needed.

Sharing best practices, establishing training centres and an active use of existing tools

are crucial. Ministries, universities top management, programme managers, teachers,

students as well as potential employers should all be mobilized. The need to further

work on the recognition of prior work experience (in the perspective of Life Long

Learning) was also stressed.

Discussion

Southern Mediterranean participants highlighted the fact that discussions should have

focused more on the CoE/UNESCO South-Mediterranean convention. It was also

clarified that workload is important in ECTS but much less in recognition process

where learning outcomes are crucial. The positive role of cooperation networks

was highlighted as they contribute to building trust between stakeholders. The need

for similar cooperation in the VET sector was also mentioned.

Closing remarks

Ms Ilham Berrada, Vice-President in charge of academic affairs, Mohammed V

University, Rabat, Morocco, thanked participants for the fruitful discussions. Despite

the challenges ahead (especially in countries where the number of students is still

strongly increasing), she underlined the fact that such meetings are very useful as

they allow for the exchange of information on tools and trends in both regions but also

June 2015 17

as it gives confidence and energy back home in order to further work on the

modernisation of higher education systems.

Mr Klaus Haupt, Head of Unit for Higher Education, Erasmus Mundus Joint Master

Degrees, Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, reminded the audience

the objectives of the seminar, which could be successfully addressed thanks to the

quality of the speakers and discussions with participants. In spite of the diversity of

situations both in Europe and in Southern Mediterranean countries, a convergence of

ideas and a common concern to build strong recognition mechanisms was identified.

This is at the advantage of universities themselves if they want to open their curricula

to other countries and participate in the global internationalisation process. This is also

at the advantage of students, who should remain at the core of our policies and

practices. And finally this is at the advantage of the companies who hire them and

contribute to the economic development.

Mr Haupt insisted that the priority should be to focus our efforts on two main actors:

Higher education institutions, where a clear need for training on the recognition

of credits was identified. The Higher Education Reform Experts network

(financially supported by the European Commission) could be encouraged to

work further on the practical implementation of ECTS at university level.

Recognition offices, which are encouraged to use the potential offered by the

Erasmus+ programme, especially its capacity building strand. This could be

used for reviving the MERIC network.

The participants were finally encouraged to disseminate this information back home.

All presentations and background documents are available on the seminar’s website

https://eu-med-recognition-seminar.teamwork.fr/index.php?error=session.