EURASHE (European Association of Institutions in Higher Education) released its position on the recognition of qualifications. The statement responds to the EU’s public consultation on promoting the mutual recognition of qualifications and study periods abroad. This should serve for further EC recommendations within the discussion on European Education Area.
EURASHE holds the view that each level of the three-tier system including the Short Cycle Higher Education has a generic quality and value, irrespective the ‘status’ of the institution and the type of student. Therefore, the Association’s Statement includes 4 main arguments for further, effective implementation of instruments for easier recognition and enhancement of mobility of students and graduates within Europe.
- Automatic recognition. Countries which share common features should agree on mutual recognition of degrees and qualifications within the coming years in support of learning mobility and ultimately professional mobility. Yet the vision of automatic recognition across EHEA should be followed further.
- Alignment of access and admission procedures, also on the institutional level. There should be no distinction in principle between an academic and professionally orientated qualification as regards recognition: ‘A Bachelor is a Bachelor’.
- Cross-national cooperation and (international) mobility. There should be the full impl
- ementation of existing tools and instruments within the Bologna process at all levels as the main task for enhanced mobility and recognition. Also, we call for an enhanced support for capacity development and shared learning at institutional level.
- Full recognition of the ‘Short Cycle Qualification’. There should be a full adoption of the short cycle qualification as a specific, stand-alone qualification level within the Qualification Framework of EHEA and its recognition for the transfer to further levels.
EURASHE stresses that the concept of recognition is one of the key principles for students’ mobility within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), graduates and labour force within EU. Smooth and easy recognition of qualifications, academic achievements and other learning make a part of the desired vision driving developments within the Bologna process.
Please find the full statement here
Read the original news on EURASHE’s website