UNESCO/OECD Guidelines on transborder higher education

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UNESCO/OECD Guidelines on transborder higher
education

• Brussels October 26 2005
• Counsellor Jan S. Levy

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Types of cross-border education activities
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There is a need for an educational response

• What should we achieve?
• Learners need to be protected from the risks of
  misinformation, low-quality provision and
  qualifications of limited validity
• Qualifications should be readable and transparent
  in order to increase their international validity
  and portability
• Qualifications should be recognised
  internationally with as few difficulties as
  possible
• National quality assurance and accreditation
  agencies need to intensify their international
  cooperation in order to increase their mutual
  understanding

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The educational response (2)

• Who should take responsibility of the response?
• Organisations with high degree of legitimacy in
  the world of education
• Global organisations, encompassing governments
  and stakeholders
• UNESCO and OECD joining forces
• Soft laws
• Legal instruments

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The educational response (3)

• How could it be implemented?
• Developing guidelines on quality provision in
  higher education
• Governments
• Higher education institutions
• Quality assurance and accreditation agencies
• Student bodies
• Information centres of recognition
• Professional bodies
• Development of reliable information tools for
  learners/students/institutions
• Global Database on nationally approved
  providers/provision

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Status

• Working group open to all OECD/UNESCO members and
  stakeholders
• One set of guidelines agreed upon in March - but
  two different decisions
• OECD in April agreed to aiming at a Council
  decision by the end of this year.
• UNESCO procedures did not permit adoption by this
  years General Conference. Guidelines are being
  issued as a secretariat document and as such
  distributed to the 190 member countries of UNESCO

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Status

• Even if the guidelines will have different status
  in the two organisations, they have been issued
  with the stamp of two major international
  organisations, and could be looked upon as a
  global reference for cross-border higher
  education.
• Example Nigeria informed GC that they already
  have presented the guidelines for parliament as
  the rules that should be followed in their
  country.

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Guidelines for Governments

• They should establish or encourage the
  establishment of a comprehensive, fair and
  transparent system of registration or licensing
  for CBHE providers wishing to operate in their
  territory
• Comprehensive capacity for reliable QA and
  accreditation of CBHE
• Provide accurate and easily accessible
  information on criteria and standards for
  registration etc.
• Develop or encourage bilateral or multilateral
  recognition agreements

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Guidelines for HE institutions/providers

• Underlining that staff contributions are
  indispensable for institutions commitment to
  quality
• Ensure that the programmes they deliver across
  borders and in their home country are of
  comparable quality
• Institutions should take into account the UNESCO
  recommendation concerning the Status of HE
  Teaching Personnel.

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Guidelines for HE institutions/providers (contd.)

• Take full responsibility for information and
  guidance when using agents to promote their
  programmes
• Respect QA systems in receiving countries,
  including when delivering distance education
• Use Codes of good practice when relevant
• Ensure financial transparency

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Guidelines for student bodies

• Student bodies bear the responsibility of helping
  students and potential students to carefully
  scrutinise information available
• The emergence of autonomous student bodies should
  be encouraged and supported, so that student
  bodies
• Can be involved as active partners at
  international, national and institutional levels
  in the development, monitoring and maintenance of
  quality provision
• Increase students awareness of potential risks
  such as misleading guidance and information
• Establish list of relevant questions to be asked
  by students enrolling in CBHE.

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Guidelines for QA and accreditation bodies

• Ensure that their work include CP provision in
  its various modes
• Sustain and strengthen the existing regional and
  international networks or establish regional
  networks
• Strengthen collaboration between the bodies of
  the sending and the receiving country
• Provide accurate and easily accessible
  information on the assessment standards,
  procedures and effects of their mechanisms.

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Guidelines for academic recognition bodies

• Underline the importance of the regional
  conventions
• Establish and maintain regional and international
  networks
• Strengthen co-operation with QA bodies
• Use codes of good practice for assessment of
  qualifications

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Guidelines for professional bodies

• Develop information channels accessible both to
  national and foreign holders of qualifications.
• Establish and maintain contacts between
  professional bodies of both sending and receiving
  countries and other stakeholders to improve
  qualification assessment methodologies.
• Establish, develop and implement criteria and
  procedures for comparing programmes and
  qualifications