7thRegionalConvenution PDF

The Regional Convention on the
Recognition of Studies, Diplomas

and Degrees in Higher Education
in Asia and the Pacific

Seventh Session of the Regional Committee

In conjunction with the

Seminar on the Assessment of Overseas
Academic Qualifications

Perth, Australia, 18-19 March 2003

FI NAL REPORT

UNESCO Asia and Pacific Commonwealth Department
Regional Bureau for Education, of Education, Science and
Bangkok Training, Australia

Commonwealth of Australia 2003
ISBN 1877032 58 1
DEST No. 7052.INTR 03A

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CONTENTS

7
th
Session of the Regional Committee for the Regional
Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and
Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific

1. Introduction.............................................................................1
2. Official Opening and Greeting................................................1
2.1 Opening of the meeting........................................................1
2.2 Congratulatory Message by UNESCO representative.........2
2.3 Global Trends in Quality Assurance, Accreditation and the
recognitions of qualifications and the role of regional
conventions under the auspices of UNESCO ......................3
3. Election of Officers .................................................................3
4. Presentation of Country Reports............................................3
5. Secretariat Report: Review of Progress in the Ratification and
Implementation of the Regional Convention ..........................7
6. Briefing on the Development of Higher Education Quality
Indicators................................................................................9
7. Dialogue on General Issues faced in the Exchange of
Students among Countries in the Region...............................9
8. Discussion of the Diploma Supplement................................12
9. The Development of an Electronic Network of Assessors
APARNET ............................................................................12
10. Decisions and Recommendations........................................13
Annex 1: Agenda..............................................................................19
Annex 2: Schedule...........................................................................21
Annex 3: Greeting and Welcoming Remarks by the Chair and Host
Nation Representative.......................................................23
Annex 4: Congratulatory Note by UNESCO representative.............27
Annex 5: Report of the Secretariat Progress in Implementation of
Recommendations of the Sixth Session of the Regional
Committee for the Regional Convention of Studies,
Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the
Pacific................................................................................29
Annex 6: Country Reports................................................................35
Australia..................................................................................35
Peoples Republic of China ....................................................45
Holy See.................................................................................53
India........................................................................................60
Republic of Korea...................................................................73
Lao Peoples Democratic Republic.........................................81
Republic of Maldives ..............................................................87
Mongolia.................................................................................91
Nepal ......................................................................................98
Sri Lanka ..............................................................................103

Seminar on the Assessment of Overseas Academic
Qualifications

1. Introduction ................................................................................113
2. Welcome to Delegates...............................................................113
3. Presentation of Country Papers on Assessment .......................113
Australia.................................................................................114
Lao Peoples Democratic Republic........................................115
4. Discussion of Assessment Methodologies.................................118
5. APARNET..................................................................................118
6. Assessing distance and online qualifications.............................120
Malaysia .............................................................................120
India....................................................................................120
7. Consideration of the Diploma Supplement.................................121
8. Resolutions ................................................................................122
9. Close..........................................................................................124
Annex A: Agenda ...........................................................................127
Annex B: Schedule.........................................................................129
Annex C: Comparative assessment methodologies
Country papers...........................................................131
Australia................................................................................131
Peoples Republic of China ..................................................135
India......................................................................................136
Lao Peoples Democratic Republic.......................................139
Malaysia ...............................................................................140
Mongolia...............................................................................143
Nepal ....................................................................................144
New Zealand ........................................................................145
The Philippines .....................................................................149
Samoa ..................................................................................157
Sri Lanka ..............................................................................158

List of Participants.......................................................................161

Report of the

Seventh Session of the
Regional Convention Committee

held in conjunction with the

Seminar on the Assessment of
Overseas Academic Qualifications

18-19 March 2003, Perth, Australia

1
1. Introduction

The Seventh Session of the Regional Committee for the Regional
Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in
Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific was held in conjunction with
the Seminar on the Assessment of Overseas Academic
Qualifications in Perth, Australia on 18 and 19 March 2003.

The Regional Committee meeting and Qualifications Assessment
Seminar were jointly organised by the UNESCO Asia and the Pacific
Regional Bureau for Education as the Secretariat to the Regional
Committee and Educational Standards Branch, AEI Group,
Department of Education, Science and Training, Australia.

The major objectives of the Seventh Session of the Regional
Committee were:

1. To examine the periodic reports on the progress made
and the obstacles encountered by the Member States in
the application of the Regional Convention since the Sixth
Session of the Regional Committee meeting held in
November 2000 in Bangkok, Thailand; and

2. To facilitate dialogue between state parties and partners
to address new challenges and issues faced in the
recognition of qualifications in the region and recommend
new strategies and measures to implement the Regional
Convention.

2. Official Opening and Greeting

2.1 Opening of the meeting
As the Chair of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Convention
Committee, Ms Rhonda Henry (Department of Education, Science
and Training (DEST), Australia) welcomed all delegates and
observers to Australia and to the Seventh Session of the Regional
Committee.

In her welcome address, Ms Henry thanked Mr Wang and Mr Kim of
the UNESCO Asia and the Pacific Regional Bureau for Education for
their cooperation in the organisation of the meeting. Ms Henry
identified that the objectives of the Seventh Session were to review
progress in implementation of the Regional Convention and give
consideration to ways in which its objectives could be achieved.
7
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Session of the Regional Convention Committee
2
Ms Henry noted that there are now seventeen State Parties to the
Convention, which will be 20 years old this year. On considering the
age of the Convention, she indicated that it was timely to review and
set out a specific program of activities for improving the recognition
of qualifications in our region. She identified two priority issues:
the exchange of information about qualifications
through an electronic network for assessors, and
the provision of useful information regarding
qualifications presented for assessment through the
use of a Diploma Supplement.

Ms Henry acknowledged the importance to our region of the access
to higher education for students of other countries, the development
of consistent criteria for assessing overseas qualifications, a
dynamic approach to facilitating further student and teacher
exchange, the recognition of prior learning and partial studies and
the establishment of improved record keeping as it relates to
qualifications recognition.

Ms Henry concluded by welcoming the input of ideas and comments
by all participants over the two days and by encouraging all States,
both Member and Observer, to adopt an active and cooperative
approach to the challenges posed to the achievement of practical
outcomes. She said that such an approach would better place
participants, both in the short and longer term, to meet our
obligations under the Regional Convention and implement its
provisions.

2.2 Congratulatory Message by UNESCO representative
On behalf of Dr Sheldon Schaeffer (Director, UNESCO Asia and the
Pacific Regional Bureau for Education) who expressed his regret at
being unable to attend the meeting, Mr Wang (Secretary, Regional
Convention Committee, UNESCO Asia and the Pacific Regional
Bureau for Education) welcomed all participants to the Seventh
Session of the Regional Committee. He expressed his thanks to
Australia for hosting the meeting and to all delegates for their
attendance, presentation of country reports and participation.

Mr Wang stressed the importance of qualifications recognition
among state parties to the Convention in todays rapidly changing
environment, where countries are experiencing globalization of
economies, debates regarding quality versus quantity, the rapid
growth of the knowledge society and increasingly mobile labour
forces.

Presentation of Country Reports
3
These pressures make it ever more important for States of our
region to work together to facilitate mobility and to demonstrate
solidarity in the exchange of information and the promotion of best
assessment practice with regard to qualifications recognition in Asia
and the Pacific.

2.3 Global Trends in Quality Assurance, Accreditation and the
recognitions of qualifications and the role of regional
conventions under the auspices of UNESCO
Mr Wang indicated that Ms Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic (Chief,
Access, Mobility and Quality Assurance Section, Higher Education
Division, UNESCO HQ) sent her apologies as she was unfortunately
unable to attend the meeting, but that a copy of her paper was in the
handouts.

3. Election of Officers

Nominations for all positions were called by Ms Henry. One set of
nominations, proposed by Professor Tillekeratne of Sri Lanka, was
as follows:

Chair: Dr Qifeng Zhou, Peoples Republic of China;
First Vice Chair: Dr Hyun-Chong Lee, Republic of Korea;
Second Vice Chair: Dr Antony Stella, India; and
Rapporteur: Ms Rhonda Henry, Australia.

The meeting subsequently elected these members unopposed and
congratulated all new office bearers on their election. Dr Zhou
assumed the chair.

4. Presentation of Country Reports

The nine participating countries were invited to present their country
reports. Full reports are attached to the meeting record. The
following is a synopsis from each countrys paper of their
assessment methodology and issues raised for consideration by the
Seventh Session of the Committee:

Australia presented by Ms Rhonda Henry
The Australian Government has no official or legally binding process
for the recognition of the overseas qualifications of Australian
permanent residents and citizens. The Government does not
mandate standards, but rather facilitates a national focus for
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qualifications assessment through AEI NOOSR, Australias National
Information Centre, which:
promotes recognition that is fair, equitable, accessible and
transparent, and
publishes Country Education Profiles, which describe
overseas education systems and guidelines for assessment.

Australia is also party to multilateral and bilateral agreements on the
recognition of higher education qualifications which are designed to
facilitate international cooperation and mobility.

Australia considers that:
there are four significant issues in being able to take our
Regional Convention forward, including differences in: school
education, length, structure and specialization of programs of
study; the practice of occupations and professions for which
qualifications prepare graduates; and differing assessment
methodologies in countries of the region; and
qualifications recognition is a complex activity which would be
greatly assisted through initiatives such as the sharing of
information via an electronic assessors network and the use
of Diploma Supplements.

Peoples Republic of China presented by Dr Qifeng Zhou
China is actively pursuing greater international exchange and
cooperation in education. The Education Law of the Peoples
Republic of China and the Higher Education Law of the Peoples
Republic of China provide the legal basis for such educational
exchange and cooperation. Since 1988, China has signed fifteen
bilateral recognition agreements and a further three are under
negotiation. Recognition activities are carried out by the Service
Center of Study Abroad of China (SCSAC) and the National
Development Center for Degrees and Postgraduate Education of
China (NDCDPEC), under the authority of the Office of Academic
Degrees Committee of the State Council (ADCSC).

Over the past two decades China has sent over 580,000 students to
study in 103 countries and has enrolled almost 456,000 international
students from 170 countries in its higher education institutions. China
supports bilateral agreements and cooperation to strengthen
recognition activities.

The Holy See presented by Monsignor Francesci Canalini
Given the transnational nature of higher education inherent in the
system of the Holy See there are established requirements for
graduates seeking recognition of academic degrees. This usually
5
occurs under bilateral treaties which accord both ecclesiastical and
civil recognition. The Office of Authentication of the Congregation for
Catholic Education also validates degree documents. This assists
substantially in obtaining civil recognition for degrees conferred by
the Holy See.

The Holy See is party to four UNESCO Regional Conventions in the
field of Higher Education. Mgr Canalini stated the Holy See's
historical commitment to the promotion of Higher Education and its
interest in shared recognition of diplomas and degrees. He raised as
an issue for consideration the requirement that the personal
interaction in the gaining of higher education remains paramount and
recommended that the Seventh Session of the Regional Committee
give special regard to the impact of globalization, including the
characteristics of each nation and the new providers of education: e-
education and virtual universities.

India presented by Dr Antony Stella
Qualifications recognition within India is developing and members of
the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) now recognise each
others awards. However, difficulties remain in the recognition of
credit for students wishing to transfer to a different institution mid-
course. India is keen to extend mutual recognition of qualifications
internationally and in addition to the Regional Convention, Indian
organisations such as the National Assessment and Accreditation
Council (NAAC) and the AIU are engaging with organisations
overseas to explore mutual recognition arrangements.

Dr Stella stated that a strategy to ensure countries have confidence
in one anothers systems would facilitate the recognition of
qualifications and suggested that three major elements should be
present in each country:
a consistent framework that reflects the national system of
higher education;
appropriate mechanisms to assure the quality of educational
provisions; and
a confidence building partnership between nodal agencies.

Lao Peoples Democratic Republic presented by Dr
Phonephet Boupha
In the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, the authority to recognize
academic degrees lies with the Ministry of Education. Recognition of
qualifications is based on the education system and program of
study of the originating country. Also taken into consideration are the
issues of equitable access, quality, relevance, and the administration
and management of higher education in Lao PDR. The recognition of
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degrees is seen to be the main issue relating to student mobility and
student and staff exchange.
Suggested issues for discussion at the Seventh Session of the
Regional Committee included the sharing of best practice on the
mutual recognition of studies in higher education; a list of approved
universities and other educational institutions in each country; and
the obligation of newly ratified countries to ensure there is a clear
policy dialogue with their Ministry regarding Convention obligations.

The Republic of Maldives presented by Dr Mahamoodh
Shougee
Overseas qualifications assessments are conducted by the Maldives
Accreditation Board (MAB), which was established under the
Ministry of Education in 2000. In order to gain validation,
qualifications must be issued by an institution that is recognised and
registered in the institutions home country. The entry requirements
and academic load of the overseas qualification must also be
comparable to that of the relevant qualification within the Maldives
National Qualifications Framework. The MAB is developing a
database of information on overseas institutions where Maldivian
students study and obtain degrees.

Issues raised by the Maldives to be discussed at the Seventh
Session of the Regional Committee included the need for an Asia
Pacific internet portal with information on institutions and
qualifications to assist the assessment process and regional training
for assessors. The Maldives also raised the difficulty of assessing
transnational and online education qualifications as an issue for
discussion.

Mongolia presented by Mr Munkhbaatar Begzjav
The Mongolian Ministry of Science, Technology, Education and
Culture (MOSTEC) is the main body dealing with recognition issues,
although there is no legislative provision for this. In addition to the
Regional Convention, Mongolia has also established bilateral
agreements with Cuba and China and negotiations are underway
with the Russian Federation, the Ukraine, Bulgaria and
Czechoslovakia.

Nepal presented by Mr Rameswor Shrestha
There is no central agency for dealing with qualifications recognition
issues, although the Curriculum Development Centre of Tribhuwan
University is acknowledged as the main authority in this area.
Bilateral and multilateral agreements are initiated and established at
the university level, with the Ministry of Education and Sports
assisting where requested.
7
Mr Shrestha stated that with increasing mobility due to globalisation,
recognition issues were becoming more prominent. He suggested
that each country should have an organisation to deal with
recognition issues and agreements.

Republic of Korea presented by Dr Hyun-Chong Lee
The ROK is implementing a number of strategies to deal with the
globalisation of education and to facilitate the internationalization of
Korean higher education. The ROK has established a number of
bilateral cultural agreements including educational exchange
agreements, and participates in the UMAP program of credit point
exchange. Reforms are underway to bring about a cultural shift to
make universities and their students more internationalized and
internationally competitive.

Dr Lee raised the issues of transnational provision of higher
education, impediments to student exchange and the need to
develop tools for recognition such as a credit bank system.

Sri Lanka presented by Professor K Tillekeratne
The University Grants Commission established the Committee on
Quality Assurance, which is conducting a Quality Assurance project
in Sri Lankan universities. Part of this project involves the
development of a Sri Lankan Qualifications Framework (SLQF) and
Qualification Descriptors.

Professor Tillekeratne raised concerns about the ability to meet
increasing demand for higher education without compromising in
quality. While this could be alleviated by the adoption of dual mode
delivery and/or the franchising of courses prepared by other
universities, he indicated that Sri Lanka was uneasy at the likelihood
that transnational providers would gain concessions at the next
round of negotiations on the General Agreement on Trade and
Services (GATS). He also proposed that the Seventh Session adopt
a resolution calling for the establishment of an international
regulatory body to examine and monitor the credentials of
transnational providers.

5. Secretariat Report: Review of Progress in the
Ratification and Implementation of the Regional
Convention

Mr Wang reported on the changing environment and emphasised the
urgent need for action to facilitate mobility and qualifications
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recognition in the region. He highlighted an increase in the focus on
higher education, including numbers of new and foreign providers,
expansion of delivery modes such as distance, online and
e-learning, and the regionalization of economies, free trade zones
and resultant mobility of the professional workforce.

He warmly welcomed a new Member State, the Lao Peoples
Democratic Republic, which ratified the Regional Convention in
January 2003. He also acknowledged the significant progress made
by the Philippines towards ratification.

Mr Wang reported on the progress made by the Secretariat against
the Recommendations from the Sixth Session of the Regional
Committee. The implementation of the UNESCO higher education
program across the Asia-Pacific region has included both the Sixth
and Seventh Sessions of the Regional Committee, an International
Seminar on Mutual Recognition of Qualifications: Practices,
Challenges and Prospects in University Mobility, January 2001,
Tokyo; the promotion of quality assurance and university mobility
throughout the region through the first Regional Workshop on Quality
Indicators in Higher Education, August 2002, Bangalore; and
projects within designed element of the transfer and mutual
recognition of credits with 3 pilot projects and the formation of the
Global Network of University Innovation Asia and the Pacific.

Actions taken by the UNESCO Asia and the Pacific Regional Bureau
for Education include:
the development of the Higher Education Section of the
UNESCO Bangkok website which provides information on
national information centres from 30 countries in the region;
online presentation of the Handbook on Higher Education
Diplomas in Asia and the Pacific, and progress towards the
publication of the second edition which is expected by the
end of 2003;
provision of financial support for participation in the ASEAN
University Network;
participation in the UMAP meeting in Bangkok, March 2003;
and the
collaboration in the organization of the Central Asia Forum
on Higher Education in Transition, Kazakhstan, September
2002 and June 2003.

Quality Indicators; Student Exchange
9
6. Briefing on the Development of Higher Education
Quality Indicators

A report on the outcomes of the Expert Group Meeting on Indicators
of Quality and Facilitating Academic Mobility through Quality
Assurance Agencies in the Asia-Pacific Region, held in Bangalore,
India, August 2002, was presented by Dr Antony Stella.

Dr Stella identified that the drivers for such a meeting include the
need to develop comparative and statistical data on regional quality
assurance in higher education to further:
the understanding of trends in higher education in the region;
policy development;
academic mobility; and
improvements in education systems across the region.

The major issues identified include the differing national contexts, a
lag in quality in some countries, variation in the orientation of quality
agencies and the absence of an internationally agreed threshold
standard for quality.

The meeting resulted in a detailed set of recommendations to be
taken forward at the national, regional and agency levels to further
the goal of identification of common standards and indicators of
quality for both Higher Education institutions and Quality Assurance
Agencies.

7. Dialogue on General Issues faced in the Exchange of
Students among Countries in the Region

Ms Henry introduced the session and said that issues pertinent to
this agenda item had been identified in many of the country reports.
She then went on to suggest that an open dialogue might best allow
for the issues to be raised and discussed.

Mr Wang opened the discussion with a comment on the need for
open dialogue between Member States of the Convention and the
need to identify fundamental issues at the regional level so as to
take the Convention forward strategically.

Dr Lee of the Republic of Korea spoke of the paradigm shift which
the region is experiencing through the transnational provision of
higher education. Student exchange is now a standard element of
higher education. The influence of the knowledge society, the media,
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and bilateral and multilateral agreements has led to a range of
international organisations (UMAP, UNESCO, INQAAHE) focusing
on issues of student, teacher and professional mobility, recognition,
credit transfer and the quality assurance required to underpin mobile
learning.

Dr Lee raised the question of student exchanges. He listed some of
the related practical impediments including difficulties in obtaining
visas, language requirements, lack of information regarding the
different education systems and the need for quality assurance. To
facilitate recognition between both sending and receiving countries,
issues specific to assessment that must be addressed include how
to:
recognise different types of programs, curriculum and credit
structure;
minimise gaps in the levels of infrastructure, resources and
funding between countries and institutions, for example gaps
in the average cost per student and in the cost of courses
and institutions; and
recognise qualifications for professional practice.

Emphasising that education contributes to the economy and the
establishment of international friendships and partnerships, Dr Lee
identified the need to develop tools for recognition such as a credit
bank system, the need to work within existing contractual
arrangements, and the overriding need to find a win-win solution to
minimise gaps between student sending and student receiving
countries.

Dr Shougee of the Maldives commented on the need to use
parameters such as assessment criteria in the recognition of
qualifications. Acceptance of such criteria ultimately depends on the
level of confidence placed in the overseas institutions and quality
assurance agencies (QAAs). Just as there has been strong growth in
private and public higher education institutions, there has been a
mushrooming in the number of QAAS. This raises the issue of the
importance of the autonomy and relative credibility of QAAs.

Dr Boupha of Lao PDR identified that recognition of overseas
qualifications is currently not an issue in Lao PDR. However, this is
not reciprocated in some receiving countries such as Singapore,
Australia and Japan. Dr Boupha also commented that it may be
useful to draw from the experience of the Recognition Conventions
of other regions.

Student Exchange
11
Dr Stella informed the meeting that in India there are problems with
the recognition of qualifications where awards are issued by affiliate
colleges rather than by the mother institutions and where
qualifications are awarded under collaborative cross-national
arrangements. She highlighted a need to cooperate and share
information openly.

Concern regarding education for profit ventures was raised by Dr
Shougee. A particular issue is that the granting of credit for prior
learning is at times more flexible under these circumstances,
resulting in conversion degrees based on large amounts of credit
transferred from prior learning. There is a need to understand the
basis on which institutions grant such credit.

Mr Fisher, representing UMAP, commented on the challenges to
student exchange and the resultant cultural exchange, including:
the reduced number of students traveling overseas to study
due to the expansion and availability of e-learning delivery
arrangements, and
the question of professional recognition and practice in the
home country which usually inhibits such exchange.

Mr Fisher suggested that these problems could be avoided by the
use of a regionally accepted process such as UMAP, where credit
transfer provides a standard approach and process for recognition of
studies in student exchange programs. He said that details of UMAP
credit transfer arrangements were available at www.umap.org.

Dr Zhou of the Peoples Republic of China raised issues relating to:
differences in the required period of studies to obtain
qualifications between countries, thus allowing the acquisition
in some countries of a masters degree in 1 year, compared to
3 years in PRC;
difficulties in obtaining visas, with high rejection rates being
experienced by some student sending countries, and
document fraud.

Mr Munkhbaatar of Mongolia identified that his government promotes
study abroad, but English as the language of instruction presents
difficulties for Mongolians studying abroad.

Professor Tillekeratne of Sri Lanka concurred with Mr Fisher that
UMAP is a very good scheme. However, there remain impediments
to student mobility including synchronization of the academic
calendars, English as the medium of instruction, difficulties relating
to professional study, and the challenges in finding sponsorships.
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Rev. Tauer of the Holy See raised the question of why the UMAP
system could not apply to recognition of completed degrees.

Ms Henry of Australia thanked the meeting for the contributions and
offered as the newly-elected Rappoteur to compile a comprehensive,
categorised list of the issues which had been raised. The aim of such
an approach is to clarify the issues facing the region. This list of
issues facing the region is to be circulated to all member states for
clarification, input and further discussion.

8. Discussion of the Diploma Supplement

Ms Henry made brief mention of the Diploma Supplement, its
successful application in European countries under the Lisbon
Recognition Convention and the pilot project currently being
undertaken in Australia. The Diploma Supplement makes
qualifications more internationally transparent by providing
descriptions of the studies undertaken to achieve the qualification,
the awarding institution and the higher education system of the
country concerned. She noted that a detailed presentation and
discussion would take place at the Qualifications Assessment
Seminar on the following day.

9. The Development of an Electronic Network of
Assessors APARNET

In fulfillment of the recommendation of the Sixth Session of the
Regional Committee, an electronic network of national information
centres in the region has been established. Through Australias
assistance, the Asia-Pacific Academic Recognition Network
(APARNET) website and e-discussion list is now functional at
www.aparnet.org. Computers were provided for delegates to explore
the APARNET.

Ms Henry noted that a detailed presentation regarding the
APARNET and consideration of future hosting arrangements would
be discussed at the Qualifications Assessment Seminar the following
day.

Decisions and Recommendations
13
10. Decisions and Recommendations

Following comprehensive discussion, the Committee unanimously
adopted the following decisions and recommendations:

1. Recognising the commitment to the Regional Convention on the
Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher
Education in Asia and the Pacific demonstrated by Member
States and the need to promote the ideals and potential of the
Convention at all levels, appreciating the interest expressed by
observer States in the Regional Convention, the Member States
invite observer States to strongly consider signing and ratifying
the Regional Convention.

2. Requests all Member States to work continuously to influence
those who have yet to adopt the Regional Convention and its
principles.

3. Recognising the commitment to the Regional Convention on the
Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher
Education in Asia and the Pacific demonstrated by Member
States and the need to promote the ideals and potential of the
Convention at all levels, appreciating the interest expressed by
observer States in the Regional Convention, the Member States
invite observer States to strongly consider signing and ratifying
the Regional Convention.

4. Requests all Member States to work continuously to influence
those who have yet to adopt the Regional Convention and its
sprinciples.

5. Requests UNESCO Asia and the Pacific Regional Bureau for
Education as the Committee Secretariat to work closely with
Members States to encourage the interest of non-signatory
States to ratify and implement the Regional Convention.

6. Taking cognizance of the remarkable impact the Regional
Convention has had on higher education in the region and the
effort made by the Committee Secretariat in its implementation,
requests the Secretariat to publish this report and circulate it to
all Member States and those which have not yet signed and
ratified this regional convention in particular.

7. Requests UNESCO HQ to brief UNESCO regional Member
States delegates on the outcomes of the Seventh Session of
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the Regional Committee.

8. Appreciates and endorses the efforts of UNESCO Asia and the
Pacific Regional Bureau for Education to further the interests of
the Regional Convention and its member states through actions
taken, including:
the International Seminar on Mutual Recognition of
Qualifications: Practices, Challenges and Prospects in
University Mobility, 28 January to 8 February 2001,
Tokyo, Japan.
the Regional Workshop on Quality Indicators in
Higher Education, 7-9 August 2002, Bangalore, India.
two new pilot projects with elements of transfer and
mutual recognition of credits aiming at the
establishment of a Greater Mekong Sub-region Virtual
University in future and the Global Network of
University Innovation Asia and the Pacific.
establishment of the Higher Education section on the
UNESCO Bangkok website to act as a clearing house
for recognition in the region.
updating the Handbook on Higher Education
Diplomas in Asia and the Pacific and making it
available online.

9. Requests that Member States draw to the attention of their
policy makers the need to take into account the immediacy of
the qualifications recognition agenda and the urgent challenges
imposed by the impact of globalisation and pursuit of free trade
agendas in countries of our region.

10. Recognising the need to progress and expand an active agenda
towards recognition of qualifications and taking into account the
current initiatives of our region in the provision of transnational
education, requests agreement to hold assessment seminars in
conjunction with all future Regional Convention meetings.

11. Notes the efforts of INQAAHE in developing a quality indicator
framework for Quality Assurance agencies in the region and
notes the on-going development of this initiative.

12. Recognising that countries have raised issues facing the broad
region regarding student exchange, the Rapporteur will compile
a list of issues for circulation among State Parties to the
Regional Convention for their clarification and input.

Decisions and Recommendations
15
13. Recognising the increasing student mobility globally and in the
region, endorses the concept of a Diploma Supplement as one
of the tools to make qualifications more transparent and support
student mobility. Delegates who are participating in this initiative
will be asked to report on progress at the next Regional
Convention Committee meeting.

14. Building on the initiatives of previous meetings, requests that
Member States adopt the use of and provide future support to
an electronic network for the exchange of information, to be
known as APARNET (Asia Pacific Academic Recognition
Network).

15. Appreciates the efforts of the Department of Education, Science
and Training, Australia in hosting and co-organising the
Seventh Session of the Regional Committee with UNESCO
Asia and the Pacific Regional Bureau for Education and in
hosting the Seminar on the Assessment of Overseas Academic
Qualifications.

16. Appreciates the proposal made by the Office of the Academic
Degrees Committee of the State Council (ADCSC), Peoples
Republic of China to host the next session of the Regional
Committee for the Regional Convention in 2005.

17. Urges UNESCO Asia and the Pacific Regional Bureau for
Education to work together with ADCSC, China, to hold the
above cited session.

11. Close

The meeting closed following concluding remarks from Dr Zhou,
Mr Wang and Ms Henry.

Annexes

Seventh Session of the
Regional Convention Committee

19
Annex 1: Agenda

1 Opening of the Meeting
1.1 Greeting and Welcoming Remarks by the Chair and Host
Nation Representative
1.2 Congratulatory Note by UNESCO representative
1.3 Group photograph taken

2 Election of the Bureau Members

3 Approval of the Agenda

4 Presentation of Country Reports

5 Review of Progress in the Ratification and Implementation
of the Regional Convention

6 Briefing on the development of higher education quality
indicators

7 Dialogue on general issues faced in the exchange of
students among countries in the region, concerning
assessment and recognition of overseas academic
qualifications

8 Discussion of the diploma supplement

9 The development of an electronic network of assessors
Asia Pacific Academic Recognition Network (APARNET)

10 Adoption of the Report of the Regional Committee meeting
and strategies & recommendations for promotion of the
ratification and implementation of the Regional Convention

21

Annex 2: Schedule

Tuesday, 18 March 2003 Regional Committee Meeting

Time
Agenda
Item
Number
Agenda Item
09.00-09.20 1 Opening of the Meeting (chaired by Ms Rhonda Henry)
1.1 - Greeting and Welcoming Remarks by Ms Rhonda
Henry
1.2 - Congratulatory Note by Mr Wang Yibing
09.20-09.30 1.3 - Group photograph taken
09.30-09.45 2 Election of the Bureau Members (Chaired by Ms Rhonda
Henry)
09.45-10.00 3 Approval of the Agenda (Chaired by Dr Qifeng Zhou)
10.00-10.15 Morning tea break
10.15-12.45 4 Presentation of Country Reports (Reported by a
representative of each Member country)
12.45-13.45 Lunch
13.45-14.15 5 Review of Progress in the Ratification and Implementation
of the Regional Convention (Reported by Mr Wang Yibing)
14.15-14.45 6 Briefing on the development of higher education quality
indicators (Reported by Dr Antony Stella)
14.45-15.30 7 Dialogue on general issues faced in the exchange of
students among countries in the region, concerning
assessment and recognition of overseas academic
qualifications (Chaired by Dr Qifeng Zhou)
15.30-15.32 8 Discussion of the diploma supplement (Reported by Ms
Rhonda Henry)
15.33-15.35 9 The development of an electronic network of assessors
Asia Pacific Academic Recognition Network (APARNET)
(Reported by Ms Rhonda Henry)
15.35-16.00 Afternoon tea break
16.00-17.00 10 Adoption of the Report of the Regional Committee
meeting and strategies & recommendations for promotion
of the ratification and implementation of the Regional
Convention
17.00-17.30 11 Closing of the Seventh Session of the Regional
Convention Committee meeting

19.30-20.00 Pre-dinner drinks
20.00 Dinner

23
Annex 3: Greeting and Welcoming Remarks by the Chair
and Host Nation Representative

As the present Chair of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional
Convention Committee, I would like to welcome all delegates to
Australia and to Perth for this meeting.

Australia is pleased to host the Convention and to have organised it
in cooperation with our friends and colleagues from UNESCO
PROAP in Bangkok. We are also pleased to be hosting the
assessment seminar tomorrow, at which we are hoping to share
information about assessment procedures with all the delegates who
are attending.

We hope that the assessment seminar will be the first in a number of
meetings at which we can have more a more intensive exchange of
ideas about how we actually go about assessing qualifications in our
region.

We are of course here today to review our progress in implementing
the Regional Convention and to consider ways in which we can
make further progress in achieving its objectives.

The Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas
and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific (the
Regional Convention, for short) was adopted at Bangkok on the 16
th

of December 1983.

It was ratified by the Peoples Republic of China in 1984 and then by
Australia in 1985. It entered into force on 23 October 1985, one
month after it was ratified by Australia.

There are now sixteen States Parties to the Convention: Azerbaijan,
Australia, China, the Holy See, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the
Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, the People's Democratic Republic of
Korea, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, Sri Lanka,
Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.

The Convention will be 20 years old in December, and in some ways
it is showing its age. I will explain in a moment why I think that is the
case.
7
th
24
But first I would like to look briefly at the main provisions of the
Regional Convention, to remind us all about what exactly it commits
us to.

Article 2 of the Convention states that

The Contracting States intend to contribute through their joint
action to the promotion of the active cooperation of all the nations
of the Asia and the Pacific region in the cause of peace and
international understanding and to the development of more
effective collaboration with other Member States of UNESCO
with regard to a more comprehensive use of their educational,
technological and scientific potential.

It then goes on to be much more specific. It gives a long list of
objectives to which the Contracting States commit themselves,
including:

making their higher educational institutions as widely accessible
as possible to students or researchers from other Contracting
States;

recognizing the studies, certificates, diplomas and degrees of
students and researchers from other Contracting States;

using terminology and evaluation criteria that are as similar as
possible to each other, to make it easier to ensure the
comparability of qualifications;

adopting a dynamic approach to admission to further study,
bearing in mind both the students qualifications acquired after
formal study, and any other less formally acquired learning which
they may have;

adopting flexible criteria for the evaluation of partial studies,
based on the educational level reached and on the content of the
courses taken; and

establishing and improving the system for the exchange of
information regarding the recognition of studies, certificates,
diplomas and degrees.

Finally, the Contracting States agree to do three more things:

Annex 3: Greeting & Welcoming Remarks

25
constantly improve their curricula and methods of planning
and promoting higher education, including harmonisation of
the conditions of access to higher education;
promote regional and worldwide co-operation in the matter of
comparability and recognition of studies and academic
qualifications; and
(to quote) take all feasible steps at the national, bilateral and
multilateral levels, in particular by means of bilateral,
subregional, regional or other agreements, arrangements
between universities or other higher educational institutions
and arrangements with the competent national or
international organizations and other bodies, with a view to
the progressive attainment of the goals defined in the present
article.

As this reminds us, the Regional Convention sets us a daunting list
of tasks. When we look at how the Convention suggests we should
achieve these objectives, we find that it is much less specific. It
states that the Contracting States should take all feasible steps to
recognise secondary school leaving certificates, completed higher
education qualifications and incomplete studies.

I suggested a little earlier that the Regional Convention was showing
its age. If we look at a more recent UNESCO Convention, the
Lisbon Recognition Convention (which is only seven years old), we
find that it is more specific and helpful about how the ratifying states
should go about implementing its provisions. And if the Regional
Convention were being written today, I feel sure that its authors
would be more specific about the feasible steps which should be
taken.

This, it seems to me, is the greatest and most urgent task that we
face today and at future meetings of this Committee.

As the Convention does not contain detailed directions for its
implementation, we need to establish a detailed and specific
program of activities to help us achieve these recognition tasks.

We need to set out a specific program, even if it is a long-term
program, for improving the recognition of qualifications in our region.

In thinking about these challenges, Australia considers that there are
two ways in which we can improve qualifications recognition in our
region. These measures are at the top of our list for achieving the
aims of the Convention.

7
th
26
We need to have better communications between the people who
actually assess qualifications in each country. This is why we think
that the setting up of an electronic network for assessors is so
important.

Such a network will allow assessors to exchange information
about qualifications much more quickly and easily than they
do at present, and should have an archive to form a
permanent point of reference for the future.

It will also allow them to exchange information about their
assessment methods and problems and seek the advice of
other assessors.

Secondly, we need to improve qualifications documents to make
them more helpful. We believe this can best be done by developing
the Diploma Supplement in our region.

If the Diploma Supplement is widely adopted in the Asia-
Pacific our region it will make the task of assessing
qualifications much easier and quicker, and it will also
contribute very substantially to the mobility which the
Convention seeks to promote.

I am sure that some of you have come along with other ideas to
contribute to our discussions over the next two days. I am looking
forward to a fruitful exchange of ideas over the next two days.

27
Annex 4: Congratulatory Note by UNESCO representative

Distinguished participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to welcome all of you to the 7
th
session of the
regional committee for the Regional Convention on the Recognition
of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and
the Pacific.

Allow me, first of all, to express my sincere thanks to Ms Rhonda
Henry, Branch Manager of the Education Standards Branch, the
Department of Education, Science and Training, who is currently the
Chair of the Regional Committee, as well as to the dedicated staff of
the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition, Australia, for
hosting this committee meeting in conjunction with the qualifications
assessment seminar and for bringing all the participants together in
this pleasant place in Australia. It is, in fact, the first meeting ever in
the Pacific since the first session of the regional committee
convened in Bangkok on 1990.

My thanks also go to the distinguished participants for their
contribution of reports and presentations to ensure the success of
this session.

This session is organized at a time when the implementation of the
regional convention is facing a rapidly changing environment. This
includes the accelerating pace of the globalization of economies, the
serious impact of the new round on WTO talks on higher education
as a service, the quantity and quality dilemma, the increasing
pressure for more and better higher education as a key strategy to
face the rapidly growing information and knowledge society, the
increasing role of ICT as a driving force in development and its
impact on higher education, and the growing importance of the
mutual recognition of qualifications between Member States in a new
atmosphere of more exchange programmes and an increasing flow
of labour across borders.

Nations in this region have been undergoing rapid changes and
enormous challenges in higher education requiring more harmonized
efforts and collaboration between Member States. In a globalized
world no single nation faces such changes and challenges without
strong collaboration and partnerships. The issue of mutual
recognition is increasingly requiring strong collaborative efforts by
and participation of Member States in this world of change and
diversity.
7
th
28
Slow but steady, the Asia and Pacific region has been building a
region-wide partnership and solidarity to face such challenges. As an
example, let us look at the regional convention on mutual recognition
of qualifications. Since the establishment of the convention in 1983
with the signatures of representatives from 33 countries, the
convention has been steadily expanding its signatories with the
ratification by 19 nations to date. The latest achievement was
marked by Lao PDR, which joined the convention only on 2 February
2003. The Philippines is also in the progress toward its ratification.

May I take advantage of this opportunity to brief you on the second
session of the WCHE regional follow-up committee, organized in
Bangkok in February 2003. The regional follow-up committee was to
prepare regional inputs to the international WCHE follow-up, which
will take place this June in Paris the so-called WCHE + 5. The
major objective of the WCHE + 5 is not just to summarize
experiences and lessons learned and exchange information on best
practices, but also to formulate new strategies for the implementation
of the Declaration and Framework for Priority Action of the WCHE
and promote closer collaboration between Member States to face
the newly arising challenges in higher education.

It is no doubt that the issue on the mutual recognition of higher
education will be dealt with as one of priority issues on the agenda of
the WCHE + 5. The outcomes of this session will definitely be a
contribution from the region to the coming WCHE + 5.

I hope and believe that with an exchange of experiences and ideas,
a review of progress made, an examination of the challenges ahead,
and the formulation of new strategies and policies, the seventh
session of the regional committee will mark another jump in the
direction of the promotion of mobility and mutual recognition of
qualifications in higher education in Asia and the Pacific.

I wish the meeting great success.

29
Annex 5: Report of the Secretariat Progress in
Implementation of Recommendations of the Sixth Session
of the Regional Committee for the Regional Convention of
Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in
Asia and the Pacific

I. The changing environment and urgency facing mutual
recognition of qualifications in the region
1. Since the Sixth Session of the Regional Committee held 10
November 2000, Bangkok, Thailand, the accelerating pace of
economic globalization, the arising information and knowledge
society plus the 1998 WCHE declaration calling for a higher
education for all based on merits without discrimination on the one
hand and basic education for all as an unfinished task and an
absolute top priority in majority of developing countries on the other
bring about a dilemma and challenge for majority of developing
countries in the region. Increasing number of countries has adopted
a strategy in which the national budget for higher education is
focused on building group of public universities as centres of
excellence and few into World class, while encouraging expansion of
distance and open learning and the private sector as two wings to let
higher education take off in their national contexts.
2. New and foreign providers of higher education have been
increasing. In China there are 657 joint programmes offered by
Chinese and foreign counterparts, out of which 191 are over college
levels. Corporates such as IBM, Microsoft, Sisco, etc. have been
involved in offering such programmes. Kazakhstan, the Central Asia
Republic, has jointly established with foreign counterparts the
following universities or university branch: the International Kazakh-
Turkish University, Branch of Moscow State University and
Kazakhstan-British Technical University. One of the important
strategies in the booming of private higher education in recent years
in Malaysia has been the collaboration with foreign partners in
provision of programmes in many of the 690 private colleges. Four
branch campuses of foreign universities have also been established
in Malaysia.
3. ICT-driven distance and open learning (DOL) and E-learning
programmes are other factors creating pressure and complexity for
mutual recognition. Besides offering of e-learning programmes from
outside of the region, offering of on-line courses from within the
region is also growing. The Indira Gandhi National Open University
(IGNOU), India is the case in point, which offers
7
th
30
academic programmes now in: UAE, Kuwait, Sultanate Oman,
Doha, Mauritius, Republic of Seychelles, Maldives, Ethiopia, Liberia,
Singapore, Viet Nam and Myanmar.
4. The regionalization of economies is bringing about impact as well
as some urgency for mutual recognition of qualifications in the
region. The target set by ASEAN to be a free-trade zone by 2003,
the negotiation of ASEAN with China, Japan and Korea for an
ASEAN+1 and ASEAN+3 in ten years definitely will raise the issue of
mutual recognition of qualifications if the cited free-trade zones
include the element of free flow of labours and professionals.
The changing regional environment with all the above-cited factors
and the experience and lessons from European Union in particular
require early and prompt action to be taken by governments as well
as university leaders, if they expect a smooth implementation of the
future policy of free labour and professional movement as part of the
free-trade zones.

II. Actions taken by the Secretariat
Although the implementation of UNESCOs higher education
programme in such a vast, most populous and diversified region is a
one-man show, the Secretariat of the Committee has done
everything possible to follow the recommendations made by the
Sixth Session of the Committee held 10 November 2000, Bangkok,
Thailand.
1. Action to follow the Recommendations 1 and 2
1) The report of the 6
th
Session of the Regional Committee held 10
November 2000, Bangkok, Thailand was published and
distributed to all Member States with both hard copy and CD
versions.
2) As recommended, the present 7
th
Session of the Regional
Committee is now co-organized with the Department of
Education, Training and Youth Affairs of Australia, 18-19 March
2003 in Perth, Australia.
3) The International Seminar on Mutual Recognition of
Qualifications: Practices, Challenges and Prospects in
University Mobility was organized 28 January 8 February
2001 at National Institute for Educational Research (NIER),
Tokyo, Japan. Four participants in charge of recognition of
foreign qualifications each from France, Germany, U.K. and
U.S.A. were invited for dialogue with counterparts from Asia
Annex 5: Report of Secretariat
31
and the Pacific regarding mutual recognition issues in
admission of foreign students.
4) Promotion of quality assurance and university mobility through
the Regional Convention. Considering the importance of
quality assurance and transparency and confidence building in
the quality of higher education institutions among countries of
the region as basis for mutual recognition of qualifications, the
first Regional Workshop on Quality Indicators in Higher
Education was organized in collaboration with the National
Accreditation and Assessment Council, Bangalore, India, 7-9
August 2002. Its outcome and report will be presented at this
session.
5) Transfer and mutual recognition of credits was designed as
important element of the following two new projects:
- the pilot project in 3 areas: GMS Tourism, ICT and Mekong
Studies, at a distance and on-line aiming at establishing a
Greater Mekong Sub-region Virtual University in the future
started from a policy-maker workshop held at Sukhothai
Thammathirat Open University (STOU), 1-4 August 2001,
Thailand, with 5 expert group meetings organized as of end
of 2002;
- the Global Network of University Innovation Asia and the
Pacific (GUNI-AP) was established September 2002 with 8
founding member universities from Australia, China, India,
Indonesia, Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand.

2. Action to follow the Recommendation 3

The Higher Education Section of the UNESCO Bangkok website
[http://www.unescobkk.org/education/aceid/higher-edu/academic-
mobility/NICs.htm] plays a role of clearing house for mutual
recognition in the region with the following contents:
- Information on national information centers on qualifications in
higher education from 30 countries in the region. This has been
created as a follow-up to the recommendation of the sixth
session of the committee. The information available on the
website are organizational details of NICs such as title, type of
institution, address, telephone, fax number, organizational
structure, personnel, functions, etc, which are information
needed in contacting those centers that provide information on
higher education qualifications in each respective countries;
7
th
32
- Over 1,000 universities in 30 countries in the region, which have
website, are enrolled in this list enabling people to access
information on those individual universities through the internet;
- Handbook on HE Diplomas in Asia and the Pacific; and
- News, etc.
3. Action to follow the Recommendation 4
The Handbook on HE Diplomas in Asia and the Pacific was put on-
line on Higher Education website of UNESCO Bangkok and is in the
updating process.
The Handbook, first published in 1998, has been a useful reference
in assisting university people to know higher education and
qualification systems in particular in 20 countries in Asia and the
Pacific plus 4 countries from other regions, namely, France,
Germany, UK and USA. It provides information on higher education
systems in those countries such as types of higher education
institutions, coordination of higher education, institutional
governance, as well as degree system such as types of degrees and
diplomas, title and abbreviation of the degrees and diplomas. It also
contains information on study programme, admission requirements,
degree conferring agencies, assessment of higher education
institutions, and international recognition of degrees.
Action has been taken by the Secretariat to upgrade it in order to
reflect changes occurred over the last four years and with inclusion
of countries in the region that were not introduced in the first edition.
Invitation issued to co-authors of the first edition as well as to
countries to be newly included. The publication of the second edition
of the book is expected by the end of the year.
4. Action to follow Recommendations 1 and 5
1) The Secretary of the Committee and Specialist in Higher
Education participated in the RIHED Board meetings calling
for attention to the importance of the Regional Convention
and pushed for ratification among ASEAN members with the
following outcomes:
- Lao PDR officially ratified the Convention since January
2003; and
- The Government of the Philippines sent the bill to the
Senate and prepares for the second hearing and eventual
ratification.
2) Financial support was provided for some ASEAN members to
participate in ASEAN University Network (AUN) activities
Annex 5: Report of Secretariat
33
aiming at developing common quality criterion with a purpose
for future mutual recognition.
3) A lecture was given by the Secretary of the Committee and
Programme Specialist in Higher Education at the recent
UMAP meeting in Bangkok, 5 March 2003 regarding the
importance, urgency and complexity of credit transfer and
mutual recognition the changing environment.
4) The Central Asia Forum on Higher Education in Transition
after ten years was organized in collaboration with UNESCO
Almaty, 13-15 September 2002, Almaty, Kazakhstan with the
purpose to promote mutual understanding and future
recognition of credits between Central Asia Republics. The
Second Session of the Forum will be jointly organized by
UNESCO Bangkok, Almaty and Tashkent in the coming June
to prepare the establishment of a Central Asia Association of
Universities, which will hopefully be instrumental for mutual
transfer of credits and recognition of qualification among
Central Asian universities in the future.

35
Annex 6: Country Reports

Australia Ms Rhonda Henry

1. Introduction

The Australian Higher Education System
Higher education in Australia generally refers to those institutions
which award degrees, although they may also award sub-degree level
qualifications. These institutions are principally universities that are
established by or under Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation.

The main purposes of Australian higher education are:
to enable individuals to develop their capabilities for effective
participation in the workforce, for constructive contributions to
society and for personal growth and fulfilment;
to advance knowledge and understanding;
to aid the application of knowledge and understanding to the
benefit of the economy and society;
to enable individuals to adapt and learn, consistent with the
needs of an adaptable knowledge-based economy at local,
regional and national levels; and
to contribute to a democratic, civilised society.

Access to higher education may be based on completion of the Senior
Secondary Certificate of Education (Year 12), with admission to
undergraduate study often depending on the level and academic
achievement of the year 12 award. In some cases, entry for school
leavers may be based on additional requirements such as an interview,
portfolio of work, and/or a demonstrated interest or aptitude for the
study programme. Most institutions make provision for the admission
of mature age students, who may be admitted without the Year 12
prerequisite if they meet other criteria such as relevant work
experience, an entrance examination, a demonstrated aptitude for
study and/or completion of appropriate bridging programs.

Higher Education Institutions
Australian universities are generally comprehensive institutions
offering a wide range of programmes. They vary significantly in size
ranging from the largest with around 40,000 students down to the
smallest at around 2,000 students. Most have between 10,000 and
7
th
36
20,000 students. Many universities are located in the major cities but
there is a significant number located in smaller regional centres. The
larger universities usually have a number of campuses. Most
universities are organised on the basis of faculties or schools but
may also have a number of specialised and/or research centres or
institutes. Publicly funded universities obtain their income from a
number of sources: government, course fees, industry investment,
bequests and commercial activity.

Universities have the authority to accredit their own programmes and
are primarily responsible for their own academic standards. The
capacity to responsibly exercise this authority is among the criteria
for recognition as a university. The National Protocols are designed
to ensure that consistent criteria and standards are employed across
Australia for the recognition of new universities, the operation of
overseas higher education institutions in Australia, and the
accreditation of higher education courses to be offered by providers
that, because they are not universities, are not self-accrediting and
have their courses accredited by the Australian States and mainland
territories which have the responsibility for managing higher
education accreditation.

The Protocols cover:
The recognition of Australian universities, including
legislative protection of the terms university and
degree;
delivery arrangements involving other institutions;
overseas higher education institutions seeking to
operate here; and
The endorsement of courses for overseas students

There are 39 universities (including 2 private universities) and four
other self-accrediting higher education institutions. Programmes and
degrees offered by non-university institutions often have an applied
focus and are most commonly in fields such as art, business, drama,
hospitality, music, religion and theology, and teacher education. There
are also over 85 other institutions accredited by State and Territory
accreditation authorities to offer programs leading to specific higher
education awards.

Higher Education Coordination, Accreditation and Quality
Assurance
Higher education is administered at the Federal level through the
Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST)
(http://www.dest.gov.au), which has responsibility for higher
education policy development and programme administration. The
37
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) provides a
comprehensive, nationally consistent framework for all qualifications
in post-compulsory education and training. The Australian
Qualifications Framework Advisory Board, which was established to
protect the AQF qualifications guidelines and to promote and monitor
the national implementation of the AQF, maintains a public register
listing:
1. State and Territory accreditation authorities (all sectors)
2. universities and other self-accrediting higher education
institutions
3. non Self-accrediting higher education institutions and their
AQF-approved qualifications
4. registered training organisations and their AQF-approved
qualifications (VET sector).

The register is available at http://www.aqf.edu.au/accred.htm. The
authorities and institutions listed as self-accrediting have the
endorsement of the Australian education Ministers represented on
the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and
Youth Affairs (MCEETYA), and the registers protect the integrity of
Australian qualifications. Universities and other self-accrediting
institutions and State and Territory accreditation authorities are
audited by the Australian University Quality Agency (AUQA)

Overseas Students
Australia is primarily an exporter rather than an importer of education
services, and during the last decade international students have
become a very important part of the Australian higher education
scene. Students coming from outside Australia to study at Australian
institutions are usually referred to as overseas students, and there
were 145,500 overseas students enrolled in Australian universities in
2002. This represents around 18 per cent of all enrolments.

Since January 1990, all new overseas students have been charged
full tuition fees. The only exemptions are students sponsored under
a foreign aid programme or who hold scholarships such as an
International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS) award,
Australian-European Awards Programme awards, Commonwealth
Scholarship and Fellowship Plan awards, or who are subsidised
overseas students required to pay under the Overseas Student
Charge arrangements.

Higher education institutions are also strengthening their
international presence by making some programmes available off-
shore. In 2001, 34 per cent of overseas students enrolled in
Australian higher education institutions were studying offshore.
7
th
38
According to data reported by overseas economies to the OECD, in
2000 there were 5,358 Australian students studying overseas.

Figure 1: Outline of the Australian education system

2. National Policies and Practices on Recognition of
Qualifications in Higher Education

Introduction
The Australian Government has no official or legally binding process
for the recognition of overseas qualifications of Australian permanent
residents and citizens. In Australia, powers to make decisions about
international qualifications lie with the following bodies:
in relation to employment professional bodies and individual
employers;
in the case of regulated occupations the State/Territory
regulatory authorities; and
for academic purposes individual education institutions.
(c)
(c)
(d
(d)
(a) End of compulsory schooling.
(b) In some states, Year 7 is part of primary education, while in others it is part of secondary
education.
(c) Certificates I and II can be offered in the Schools Sector as part of VET in schools.
(d) some Diploma and Advanced Diplomas are offered in the Higher Education Sector.
39
These bodies determine whether the qualification in question is
comparable to an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
qualification.

Tertiary institutions in Australia have a high level of autonomy and
make decisions on previous credit and qualifications gained
overseas for academic purposes. There are a large number of
institution to institution and other agreements facilitating this.
Overseas-trained people seeking to practice occupations which are
regulated by government, primarily the health professions but also
including legal practice, surveying and architecture, must seek
registration by State/Territory regulatory authorities. The AEI-
NOOSR Guide to Professional Recognition in Australia publishes
information relating to assessment criteria and processes for a range
of regulated and self-regulating professions in Australia. This
information is available at www.detya.gov.au/NOOSR/profocc.htm.

When the qualifications of overseas-trained people are assessed as
part of an application for skilled migration, the competent authority is
the appropriate approved migration assessing body. AEI-NOOSR is
responsible for approving assessing bodies before their gazettal by
the Minister for Immigration and monitoring their performance to
ensure that assessment pathways are fair, accessible, equitable and
transparent.

AEI-NOOSR (National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition)
AEI-NOOSR, which resides in the Educational Standards Branch of
the Federal Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST),
is the Australian National Academic Recognition and Information
Centre (NARIC). Established in 1989, AEI-NOOSR is the national
expert and coordinating body on skills assessments and recognition
of overseas skills recognition. AEI-NOOSR facilitates the recognition
decisions made by these assessing bodies and promotes recognition
that is fair, equitable and transparent through a number of products
and services. AEI-NOOSR:

provides advice to the Australian Government on recognition
matters;
publishes the Country Education Profiles, which describe
overseas education systems and provide guidelines for
assessing the comparability of their qualifications to Australian
qualifications. The Country Education Profile (CEP) series of 87
booklets covers 90 countries. They are used by professional,
regulatory and migration assessing authorities and State and
Territory Governments, to inform their assessments of overseas
7
th
40
qualifications and by Australian higher education institutions to
inform admissions decisions for overseas students;
provides advice to Australias higher education institutions (which
are autonomous and set their own admission requirements) on
the assessment of overseas qualifications for admission
purposes;
provides educational assessments of overseas qualifications for
general employment purposes;
provides assessments of teaching qualifications for the purpose
of migration under the general skilled migration program;
promotes the mobility of Australian professionals and the
recognition of Australian qualifications overseas;
approves professional bodies as assessing authorities within the
Migration Regulations and monitors recognition pathways and
assessment practices for overseas-trained professionals;
provides advice to registration boards and professional
associations with responsibility and competence for assessing
the qualifications of overseas-trained professionals;
assists overseas-trained professionals who are Australian
permanent residents to meet professional recognition
requirements through the Bridging for Overseas-Trained
Professionals Loan Scheme (BOTPLS) and the assessment fee
subsidy scheme;
provides a national focus for professional bodies and agencies
(including State and Territory Overseas Qualifications Units)
involved in the recognition of overseas skills, through the
provision of advice and information regarding relevant
Government policies; and
assists in the development of assessment skills and encourages
best practice by other assessing authorities and university
admissions officers, through seminars and training programs.

Generally speaking, AEI-NOOSR assesses postsecondary
qualifications (for example, at technician level) and above. It does
not assess trade-level qualifications. These are assessed by Trades
Recognition Australia (TRA), a part of the Federal Department of
Employment and Workplace Relations.

Overseas Qualifications Units
The Australian States and Territories each maintain an office, known
collectively as the Overseas Qualifications Units (OQUs) to assist
overseas-trained people in the recognition of their qualifications. The
OQUs provide information and a free assessment service, with
assessments based on AEI-NOOSRs published guidelines. The
assessments issued by OQUs may be used for general employment
41
purposes, to assist in application for admission to a registered
profession or membership of a professional body, or to facilitate
admission to further study. The OQUs refer clients with
qualifications which are not covered by AEI-NOOSRs published
guidelines to AEI-NOOSR for individual assessment. The OQUs are
currently supported by AEI-NOOSR through the provision of
assessment advice and professional development seminars for
assessment officers.

3. International Cooperation, Bilateral and Multilateral
Agreements

Australia is party to two treaty-level UNESCO Conventions on the
recognition of higher education qualifications.

Asia-Pacific Regional Recognition Convention
Australia became a party to the Regional Convention on the
Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education
in Asia and the Pacific (the Asia-Pacific Regional Recognition
Convention) in 1986. As the current Chair of the Asia-Pacific
Regional Recognition Convention, Australia is committed to
contributing to the development of academic recognition practices
within the region and to promoting the exchange of information
between assessors, as mechanisms to facilitate academic, student
and professional mobility.

Lisbon Recognition Convention
Australia signed the Council of Europe/UNESCO Convention on the
Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education in the
European Region (the Lisbon Recognition Convention) in September
2000. The Convention was tabled for ratification before both Houses
of the Australian Parliament on 12 March 2002. On 3 October 2002
the Governor-General in Council authorised the Minister for Foreign
Affairs to draw up, complete and deposit an instrument of ratification,
which was deposited at UNESCO, Paris, on 22 November 2002.

Australia was eligible to become a party to the Convention because
it was also a party to the UNESCO Convention on the Recognition of
Studies, Diplomas and Degrees concerning Higher Education in the
European Region (1979), which the Lisbon Convention substantially
replaces, and as such was invited to become a party to this
Convention. Australia considers that it is appropriate to ratify the
Convention because it signals a commitment to uphold principles of
fair practice and non-discrimination in assessment and recognition
procedures. It also signals Australias commitment to promote
7
th
42
measures which assist the international education community by
making higher education qualifications more portable, whether for
further study or employment in other countries.

The Lisbon Recognition Convention aims to improve the
international assessment and recognition of higher education
qualifications. The most important obligations placed on the
Australian Government as a result of ratifying the Lisbon Recognition
Convention concern assessment practices in Australia. These are:
to endeavour to ensure that the procedures and criteria used in
assessment and recognition of qualifications (for example, by
autonomous higher education institutions) are transparent,
coherent and reliable;
to encourage higher education institutions to recognise higher
education qualifications conferred by a recognised higher
education institution in another Party, unless a substantial
difference can be shown between the qualification conferred and
the corresponding qualification in Australia; and
to endeavour to ensure that a holder of a higher education
qualification issued in one of the other Parties to the Convention
can obtain an assessment of that qualification upon request.

Other obligations include:
encouraging all education institutions to comply with any
reasonable request for information for the purpose of assessing
qualifications earned at that institution; and
ensuring that clear and adequate information on its education
system is provided when requested by other Parties for
assessment purposes.

The treaty also obligates Australia to maintain a National Information
Centre (NIC). The functions of the NIC are to facilitate access to
authoritative and accurate information on the Australian higher
education system and qualifications and the higher education
systems and qualifications of other parties. AEI-NOOSR is the
national expert and coordinating body on skills assessments and
recognition, and carries out these functions.
Finally, Australia has an obligation under the Convention to promote
the use of the Diploma Supplement by higher education institutions.
This is a document issued in addition to the degree documents,
which helps make the qualification more transparent in an
international context. It provides a description of the qualification,
information on its level, the content of the program of study leading
to the qualification, and an explanation of the function of the
qualification (whether the qualification admits the recipient to further
43
study or registration as a professional). The Diploma Supplement
also provides information on the status of the awarding institution,
which may include whether the institution is private or public,
identifying any franchising arrangements in the delivery of the
program of study leading to the qualification, and the general
educational classification of the institution (for example, university or
college of technical and vocational education).

There is no obligation placed on Australian higher education
institutions to adopt the Diploma Supplement, although the Federal
Government views the promotion of the Diploma Supplement as an
important part of its long-term strategic approach to developing an
improved international framework for the recognition of higher
education qualifications. DEST is therefore currently undertaking a
pilot project with a number of universities to develop examples of
Diploma Supplements and investigate the implications for
universities of issuing them.

The Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement
Australia has only one bilateral treaty-level arrangement for the
mutual recognition of qualifications, the Trans-Tasman Mutual
Recognition Arrangement. In 1996 the Commonwealth, States and
Territories and New Zealand signed the agreement establishing the
Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Arrangement (TTMRA). The
TTMRA forms a significant part of Australias and New Zealands
policy of Closer Economic Relations (CER), which aims to develop
an integrated trans-Tasman economy. Under the TTMRA a person
registered to practise an occupation in Australia is entitled to practise
an equivalent occupation in NZ and a person registered to practise
an occupation in New Zealand is entitled to practise an equivalent
occupation in Australia, without the need to undergo further testing
or examination.

4. Emerging Issues Concerning Recognition of Studies,
Diplomas, and Degrees in Higher Education

DEST considers that it is of great importance that we use the
UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Convention and its Committee to
continue and intensify our efforts to improve the current
arrangements for qualifications recognition in our region.
Qualifications recognition is a complex activity requiring a variety of
considerations. Australia acknowledges that the assurance of
comparable quality between two systems is an important part of the
recognition of qualifications and that there is great value in fostering
regional quality assurance arrangements. We also consider that
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44
there are considerations other than quality involved in the
qualifications recognition process between two or more countries,
including:
the differing structure and characteristics of the underpinning
systems of school education;
differences in the length, structure or level of specialisation of
the respective programs of study;
differences in the way programs are delivered (for example,
by distance education or by traditional study on campus)
which may in some cases lead to different educational
outcomes;
variation in the practice of an occupation or profession for
which the qualification is intended to prepare graduates
where appropriate; and
differing assessment methodologies in the countries
concerned. For example, some countries may be more
concerned with the length or structure of the program or the
mode of study, while other countries may place more
emphasis on the competencies achieved at the end of the
program of study and training.

Australia considers that establishing a stronger regional network of
recognition bodies and (where possible) bilateral and multilateral
recognition arrangements with other countries is the most
appropriate and effective way to understand and recognise the
differences that exist in higher education sectors in regional
countries and to develop effective mutual recognition arrangements.
A good, cost-effective example of the value of developing a strong
recognition network is seen in the Europe-based ENIC-NARIC
Network, while the two APEC professional mobility projects led by
Australia illustrate the benefits of multilateral information sharing and
network building.

In relation to the issue of the recognition of qualifications awarded
following non-conventional programs of study (such as on-line study
or study at a transnational institution), Australia does not consider
that study undertaken by these means is necessarily an obstacle to
effective recognition. AEI-NOOSRs guidelines for the assessment
of educational qualifications do not differentiate between
qualifications awarded following traditional programs of study
undertaken on campus and those awarded following distance
education of some kind, including on-line education or study at an
overseas campus of the awarding institution. Instead, AEI-NOOSRs
assessment methodology relies on assessment of a range of factors,
including:

45
the education system. This can include historical factors and
influences, the organisation of the quality assurance
measures;
the status of awarding institutions in the country of origin.
This can include the date of establishment of institutions,
whether they are public or private, student and staff ratios,
library and laboratory facilities, programs offered, and quality
control mechanisms;
entry requirements to the program of study undertaken. This
can include the level of education required for entry to
programmes of study, the role of entrance examinations, and
the competitiveness of entry;
the programme structure, including its level, length, structure,
orientation, breadth and degree of specialisation.

In particular, AEI-NOOSRs assessment methodology centres on the
status of the awarding institution, and whether it has the appropriate
authorisation to make the award in question in the home education
system.

5. Suggestions for the 7
th
Session of the Regional Committee

Australia considers the development of an electronic assessors
network (modelled on the European ENIC-NARIC Network) to be of
great importance, so that information can circulate freely about higher
education systems and qualifications, and so that countries can freely
exchange information about assessment methodology and good
assessment practice. For this reason Australia would like to urge the
7
th
session of the Regional Committee to give serious consideration to
the establishment and maintenance of the electronic network
(APARNET), and hosting arrangements for the network in the future.

Peoples Republic of China Dr Zhou Qifeng

1 Introduction
1.1 Brief description of the higher education system;
1.1.1 There are three categories in the higher education: general
higher education, higher education for adults and higher professional
education. Institutions in China include universities and full-time
institutes for various special field studies.
1.1.2 The general institutions include comprehensive universities,
universities and institutes for special field studies, colleges or higher
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46
professional schools. Graduates of high middle schools and
students qualified to the graduates can be admitted to obtain
specialty education at these institutions.
1.1.3 The study periods at different education levels are different: it
generally takes four years for undergraduate education; it may take
five years or longer for some disciplines. It takes two or three years
for studies at colleges and high professional schools. Postgraduate
study includes two stages, for master and doctor degrees
respectively. It takes two and a half years or three years for a master
degree, and three or four years for a doctor degree.
1.1.4 Academic year is divided into two semesters in China. The first
semester starts in September while the second starts in February of
each year. Besides there are legal winter and summer vacations
and national holidays of New Years Day, the International Labors
Day at the 1st of May, the International Childrens Day at the 1st of
June and the National Day at the 1st of October.

1.2 Degree and Postgraduate Education
1.2.1 The 13th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Peoples
Congress of PRC discussed and approved National Degree
Regulations of PRC in 1980. Following that, the State Council
approved Temporary Executive Methods of National Degree
Regulations of PRC in 1981. Academic standards for Bachelor,
Master and Doctor Degrees are specified. Therefore, a degree
system of the new China has been established.
1.2.2 In the recent twenty years achievements have been made in
degree and postgraduate education in China. These achievements
are well known by the world. A large number of Bachelors, Masters
and Doctors are trained independently in China that provides
development of Chinese modernization with qualified high-level
personnel.
1.2.3 A degree awarding system was basically established. In the
system the discipline categories are fairly complete and the degree
quality can basically be guaranteed.
At present, the enrollment of postgraduate students in China is more
than 230,000, among them 54,000 for Doctor Degrees. In China 726
units are authorized to award Master degree (hereinto 457
universities or collages), 312 units are authorized to award Doctor
Degrees (hereinto 245 universities or collages), and 55 institutions
have established their graduate schools. The scope of the discipline
covers 12 discipline categories, namely philosophy, economics, law,
education, literature, history, science, engineering, agriculture,
medicine, military and management. In addition there are 11
professional degrees, namely MBA, Architecture (Bachelor and
Master), Law Master, Education Master, Engineering Master,
Clinical Medical (Doctor and Master), MPA, Agricultural Application
47
Master, Veterinarian (Doctor and Master), Oral Medicine (Doctor
and Master), Public Health (Doctor and Master). People who are
qualified to an equal standard can apply for Master or Doctor
Degrees according to specified procedures.
1.2.4 ADCSC passed Temporary Rules of Awarding Master and
Doctor Degrees to the Employed People who are Qualified to
Postgraduate Graduation and its implement details in 1990. On the
base of practices ADCSC issued Rules of Awarding Master and
Doctor Degrees to People who are Qualified to Postgraduate
Graduation in 1998. These documents specify the rules of
requirement to applicants, procedures of acceptance and degree
awarding, and approval procedures of authorization for units to carry
out the activities.
1.2.5 According to these rules it has to keep the standards and
guarantee quality to application of Master and Doctor Degrees by
those people who are qualified to postgraduate graduation. The
applicants should have at least five years experiences in the applied
field or relevant fields. Besides they should have recently published
academic papers or works at national or international journals, these
papers or works should carry importance to his or her working fields.
To guarantee the quality ADCSC organizes foreign language
examination and comprehensive examination of specialty courses
unified in whole country every year since 1995.

1.3 Admission of Institutions
1.3.1 Admission for General Institutions
1.3.1.1 Basic Requirements: Chinese citizens, who apply for admission
examination of institutions should love their motherland, abides by
the laws. They should be graduates from upper secondary schools
or qualified to the graduates. Besides they have to take part in
admission examinations unified in whole country.
1.3.1.2 Admission Examination: Strict examinations system for
institution admissions can guarantee the quality of new students in
China. The admission examination system for institutions is under
reformation at present. For the examination subjects more power to
select examination subjects will be given to institutions meanwhile
students can have more choices accordingly; For examination
contents links to actual life and ability testing will be more
emphasized; For the admitting procedure the way through networks
will be gradually adopted.
Besides admission examinations arranged two times every year at
spring and autumn are under testing. Examination papers,
management and organization of examination and student selecting
are managed and controlled by autonomous regions for the
institutions that locate at the regions and use language of ethnic
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48
group. Applicants who apply for these institutions dont necessary
take part in unified examination of country.
1.3.2 Study Levels of Higher Education
1.3.2.1 Non-degree Study (two or three years in general) After
completion of designed courses and passing examinations the
students of short training classes at general institutions, those of
short-term professional universities and those of institutions for
adults will be given graduate diplomas or certificates recognized by
the State, but no degrees.
1.3.2.2 Study for Bachelor Degrees (four years in general): The
undergraduate students will be awarded Bachelor degrees if they
meet the following requirements: The students have completed all
courses designed in the teaching programs and have been
approved to graduate; and The records of course studies and
graduate theses show that the students have quite well gained
fundamental theory, special knowledge and basic skills in their fields
and have primary ability to carry scientific research or special
technological work.
1.3.2.3 Study for Master and Doctor Degrees: The students with
Bachelor degrees or qualified to a same standard will be awarded
Master degrees if they meet the following requirements.
After passing examination the students have been admitted to study
two and a half years or three years at institutions or research
institutes authorized to award Master degrees, and have passed
examinations of Master degree courses and theses. The records
can meet a specified standard; and the students show that they
have gained solid fundamental theory and systematic specialized
knowledge of their fields and have ability to carry scientific research
or special technological work independently.
The students with Master degrees or qualified to a same standard
will be awarded Doctor Degrees if they meet the following
requirements: After passing examination the students have been
admitted to study three or four years at institutions or research
institutes authorized to award Doctor Degrees, and have passed
examinations of Doctor Degree courses and theses. The records
can meet a specified standard.
The students show that they have gained solid and extensive
fundamental theory and systematic and deep specialized knowledge
of their fields and have ability to independently carry scientific
research or special technological work; and they have made creative
achievements in sciences or special technologies.

1.4 International exchanges and collaborations are widely
conducted.
1.4.1 To conduct international exchange and cooperation with all
possible partners is concrete embodiment of the independent,
49
autonomous and peaceful diplomatic policy pursued by the peoples
republic of china, and it is an important avenue by which china fulfills
its due obligations to the promotion of cooperation and development
of the international community, and at the same time, constitutes an
important link in borrowing and assimilating the good experiences of
the international community in developing and reforming education
as a valuable input to domestic educational development and
reform.
Educational legislation of the peoples republic of china provides a
firm legal basis to the educational cooperation and exchange of
china. The education law of the peoples republic of china provides:
the state encourages international exchange and cooperation in
education, and the higher education law of the peoples republic of
china provides: the state encourages and supports international
exchange and cooperation in higher education.
In China, international exchange and cooperation in education
involves governments, education institutions, and non-governmental
organizations both multilaterally and bilaterally, the Chinese
government takes an active part in the work sponsored by UNESCO
and has developed many cooperative projects involving such
international organizations as UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA,
and the World Bank. The Chinese government has signed
documents on educational exchange and cooperation with over 160
governmental and regional bodies. Many Chinese educational
institutions, ranging from primary schools to universities, have
developed cooperative relations with their counterparts at the same
level in many countries. Many Chinese academic institutions have
developed various collaborative programs with foreign universities
and enterprises. At present there are 657 Sino-foreign jointly run
educational institutions in Mainland China. There are a number of
non-governmental exchanges engaged in developing bilateral or
multilateral educational exchanges with foreign countries, and
Chinese education association for international exchange is one of
them and has established amicable and mutually beneficial relations
of exchange and cooperation with more than 130 organizations in
over 30 countries in the world.
The main forms of international exchange and cooperation in the
educational field now encompass activities related to the exchange
of teachers, exchange of students, and jointly run educational
institutions. China sends its teachers to a number of countries and
also recruits teachers from other countries. And China now leads the
world in sending large numbers of students to study abroad. And
during the past two decades, China has sent over 450 thousand
students to study in 103 countries, and 140 thousand of them have
returned to China after completion of their studies. At the same time,
China is one of the countries in the world receiving large numbers of
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50
international students, and during the past decades an aggregate
number of nearly 456 thousand foreign students from 170 countries
in the world have come to China to study in Chinese institutions. In
2001, there are over 61thousand foreign students enrolled in
Chinese institutions. A large number of Chinese HEIs have
established a variety of collaborative relations with their counterparts
in foreign countries, including collaborative research.
1.4.2 Foreign Students study in china: Category and Requirement of
Admission of Foreign Students
1.4.2.1 The foreign students should abide by Chinese laws and
regulations; abide by regulations and rules made by institutions, and
respect social customs of Chinese.
1.4.2.2 Undergraduate students. They should be qualified to a
standard of graduates of high middle schools of China, and under 25
years old. The study period is four or five years.
1.4.2.3 Postgraduate students. They should be qualified to graduates
of undergraduate study in China (Bachelor degree), and are
recommended by two professors or associate professors. Their
graduate certificates and degree certificates should be evaluated
and recognized. If they have completed undergraduate studies in
China and wish to study further for Master degrees at the same or
other institutions they have to take part in and pass the admission
examinations. The applicants with outstanding records and
recommendations may be admitted without examination subject to
an approval. Their ages should be under 35. The study period is two
and a half or three years.
Students for Doctor Degrees. They should be qualified to Master
degree standard of China, recommended by two professors or
associate professors and approved by the institution applied. Their
ages should be under 40. The study period is three or four years.
1.4.2.4 Admission examination. After submitting application the
students of natural science, engineering, agricultural and medical
subjects should take standard examinations of fundamental
mathematics, physics and chemistry. The students of economic
(business) administration should take examination of fundamental
mathematics. According to relevant regulations the examinations are
organized by and taken in Chinese Embassies at the countries.
1.4.2.5 Language requirement. The students who are not skilled in
Chinese or skilled not enough to study should learn Chinese and
pass a language proficiency test before normal specialty studies.
The postgraduate students of Chinese philosophy, economy, law,
education, Chinese language and culture, Chinese history, art and
traditional Chinese medicine should first take two years of basic
Chinese courses.
1.4.2.6 Degree and certificate. The students may have graduate
certificates after completion of studies and passing examinations.
51
The students may also have certificates of Bachelor degrees or
Master degrees according to the National Degree Regulations of
PRC. The postgraduate students for Doctor degrees may gain
Doctor degrees after passing the final examinations and oral
examination of theses. Those students who failed to pass
examinations may have certificates of study.

2 National Policies and Practices on Mutual Recognition of

2.1 Authentication on studies, diplomas and degrees from
foreign institution: The Office of ADCSC agreed Service Center of
Study Abroad of China (SCSAC) to carry out recognition activities of
studies, diplomas and degrees of foreign countries.
2.1.1 On Bilateral Agreement of Recognition of Studies, Diplomats
and Degrees. Chinese government always considers that to carry
out activities of recognition of studies, diplomas and degrees and
sign bilateral agreements between countries have important and
practical meanings for promotion of people exchanges in the world.
China is a country that signed the Regional Convention on
Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education
in Asia and the Pacific. Besides active implementation of
responsibilities and duties specified in the Convention, China
actively develops bilateral collaborations with other countries. In
recent years China has already hold bilateral talks and signed 15
agreements of recognition of studies, diplomas and degrees with
Sri-lanka(1988) , Russia, Algeria, Peru(1991),Mauritius(1992),
Uzbekistan(1993),Cameroon(1994),Romania(1995),Egypt,
Hungary(1997),Ukraine, Mongolia(1998), Belarus(2000),
Germany(2002) and Britain(2003). Negotiations are underway with 3
and more other countries. Further, China encourages and supports
its institutions to strengthen exchanges and collaborative with
foreign institutes.
If the students who from these counties offer are good for efficiency
in effect material, these studies diplomas and degrees can be
recognized.
2.1.2 China Government has no agreement with a lot of countries.
SCSAC had collected much information from these counties. If
students go home from these counties, SCSAC will provide service
to them.
Until the end of 2002, SCSAC had received more then 200,000
consultations and evaluated certificates for about 7000 students who
get certificate from abroad. At recently years, more and more
students certificates need to certificate. In 2002, the quantity of
evaluation certificate has rise up to 3000. Furthermore, the scope of
to need evaluated is spread continuance for more countries and
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52
more learning levels. The scope of to need evaluated include 32
countries and regions, junior college certificate and doctor degree.
The scope of evaluation include certificate from foreign institutes,
Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
SCSAC had been set up compactness relationship with foreign
institutes and make good cooperation with education section of
Chinese embassy in the world. It had established a library which had
collected a lot of education information in the word. SCSAC also
design an evaluation system. Clientele can apply evaluation by
World-Wide-Web soon.

2.2 Authentication on studies, diplomas and degrees of
institution in China.
At resent years, more and more students go abroad to study or do
business. The Office of ADCSC agreed National Development
Center of Degree and Postgraduate Education of
ChinaNDCDPEC to carry out recognition activities of studies,
diplomas and degrees of China. NDCDPEC had contacted with
authority institutes in China.
Also NDCDPEC had set up cooperation relationship with embassy
of Canada, Germany, Austria, New Zealand, and Australia in Beijing
and provides service to clients who want going to these countries. At
the year of 2002, NDCDPEC had received 10,000 applications and
provides 30,000 appraisal reports.
NDCDPEC also had design an evaluation system. Clientele can
apply evaluation by World-Wide-Web.

3 Arising Issues Concerning Recognition of studies, Diplomas
and Degrees in higher Education
3.1 Education and degree systems of different countries are not
same. There are quite differences in recognitions of education and
qualifications. The criterions are not unified in school systems,
degree standards, subject categories, admissions, teaching
programs, curriculums, teaching contents and new student
qualifications. All of these brought about difficulties in recognition of
studies, diplomas and degrees.
3.2 There are quite differences of studies and levels among
schools of various levels and types even in one country, such as full-
time and part-time schools, public and private schools. However, all
of these schools can award degrees and graduate certificates.
Some of these certificates even cant be recognized in their own
country. It made comparability of studies, diplomas and degrees
decrease among countries.
3.3 The information of exchanges on education and degree
systems among countries are very limited especially on the reform of
education and degree systems.
53

4 Suggestions
4.1 The developing of network technology brings large
opportunity and possibility to information exchange. The member of
convention should adopt effective measures to build up channels to
constantly information exchange. Also it can increase the
intercourse and accreditation by exchange of samples of study,
degree and graduate certificates and diplomas.
4.2 To meet the trends of economy globalization and promote
collaborations of education and economy among countries all of the
countries should speed the process actively of recognitions of
studies, degrees and diplomas and promote people exchange.
4.3 To setup a evaluate system in the area of Asia and pacific and
consigns well-known institution to evaluate quality of universities and
collages in this area and come into being commonality standard.

Holy See Monsignor Francesci Canalini

1. Brief Description of the Higher Education System

A) Structure of the Higher Education System, Number and Type
of Institutions, Number of Students, Degree-conferring
Agencies

The Academic Centres at university level for which the Holy See
bears responsibility all over the world are classified according to two
types in light of the finality and contents of the studies: Ecclesiastical
Universities and Faculties, and Catholic Universities. Ecclesiastical
Faculties may exist alone (free-standing), within an Ecclesiastical or
a Catholic University or within a civil university.

Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties are engaged in teaching
and research in the religious sciences proper to the Church. These
institutions are governed by a common academic legislation
everywhere in the world, i. e. the Apostolic Constitution "Sapientia
Christiana" of 1979
1
and they confer degrees on the authority of the
Holy See. At present, these institutions number one hundred and
fifty-seven, and are listed in the Annuario Pontificio 2003, the
official yearbook of the Holy See
2
.

1
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp
-ii_apc_15041979_sapientia-christiana_en.html
2
Holy See, Annuario Pontificio 2003, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Vatican City, 2003,
pages 1605 1638.
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54

There are, at the moment, fifteen institutions erected by the Holy See in
the Asian and the Pacific region (Australia, Sydney: Catholic Institute
of Theology. India, Alwaye: Pontifical Institute of Theology and Philo-
sophy; Bangalore: Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram Pontifical Athe-
naeum of Philosophy and Theology, St. Peters Pontifical Institute of
Philosophy and Theology; Dehli: Vidyajyoti Faculty of Theology;
Kottayam: Paurastya Vidyapitham Pontifical Oriental Institute of
Religious Studies; Madras: Satya Nilayam Institute of Philosophy
and Culture; Pune: Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth Pontifical Athenaeum
of Philosophy and Religion; Ranchi: Faculty of Theology of Ranchi.
Indonesia, Yogyakarta: Wedabhakti Pontifical Faculty of Theology.
Japan, Tokyo: Jochi Daigaku Sophia University; Nagoya: Faculty of
Theology. Philippines, Manila: Pontifical University of Santo Toms,
Loyola School of Theology. Taiwan, Taipei: Fu Jen Catholic
University.)

Besides these, there are thirty-five affiliated institutions in the Asian
and the Pacific region that grant academic degrees through the
authority of an Ecclesiastical Faculty which upon permission by the
Holy Sees Congregation for Catholic Education - takes the
academic responsibility for the quality and the standard of the
studies offered in these institutions (Australia 1, Bangladesh 1,
Fiji Islands 1, India 19, Japan 2, Pakistan 1, Philippines 6,
Sri Lanka 4). The affiliating Ecclesiastical Faculty, which sometimes
is situated in the same country, sometimes outside the country,
oversees the courses and awards the degree.

At the present moment, there are about four hundred and thirty
students from the Asian and the Pacific region studying at the
various Pontifical Faculties in Rome, Italy. A certain number of
students from the Asian and the Pacific region is pursuing academic
degrees at Ecclesiastical Institutions in other European or North
American countries, such as Austria, Germany, the United States or
Canada.

At this moment, it is not possible to present exact statistical details
and numbers of students. A new database and data entering system
currently under development should assist in providing more precise
information in the future.

Only Ecclesiastical Faculties and their Affiliated Institutes, and not
the Catholic Universities, are affected by the Holy Sees adherence
to UNESCO Regional Conventions. Catholic Universities grant
degrees by civil recognition and so do not depend on the Holy See in
the same manner.
55

Catholic Universities, like Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties,
are found in many countries of the world: for instance, the Pontifical
University of Santo Toms de Aquino in Manila, Philippines, the
Jochi Daigaku Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, or the University
of Notre Dame in Fremantle, Australia. These, however, follow the
academic legislation and structure of the respective nations. And
while the first two were founded or approved of by the Holy See, the
latter is a foundation by the ecclesiastical authorities of the area.

All Catholic Universities teach and carry out research, in the light of
the Christian faith, in the disciplines common to all universities.
These universities and university-level colleges (about nine hundred
and fifty in number throughout the world) award degrees on the basis
of civil authority. The recognition of their degrees outside the country
where they are located is had in the same way as that of the degrees
of the civil universities of their country. Catholic Universities are
governed by Canon (Church) Law, the Apostolic Constitution "Ex
Corde Ecclesiae", the Ordinances for its local application and the
Statutes of the Institution.

B) Educational System of the Ecclesiastical Universities and
Faculties

The three major Faculties of an Ecclesiastical University are
Theology, Philosophy and Canon (Church) Law. There are, however,
other areas of studies which can be included in an Ecclesiastical
University or constitute an Ecclesiastical Faculty or Institute. A partial
listing of these can be found in Appendix II of "Sapientia Christiana"
(for instance: Biblical Studies; Oriental Ecclesiastical Studies; Moral
Studies; Church History; Christian Spirituality; Catechetics; Liturgical
Studies; Sacred Music; Ecumenical Studies; Psychology; Social
Sciences; Arabic-Islamic Studies, and so on).

The fundamental structure of this educational system and the goals
of its diverse stages, consist of three cycles.

The first cycle lasts for two, three or five years according to the
scientific field. This cycle provides a fundamental introduction to the
subject matter and to its proper scientific methodology, and when
successfully concluded ends with the degree of Baccalaureate.

The second cycle lasts at least for two years and consists in the
beginnings of a specialization in the field. Successfully concluded,
this cycle ends in the Licentiate.

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56
The third cycle, lasting for a suitable time (usually at least two
years) and involving the completion of scientific formation and the
writing and defense of a doctoral dissertation concludes successfully
with the Doctorate.

Generally the language of instruction in an Ecclesiastical Faculty is
that of the place. In some instances, it is possible that Latin may be
used for this purpose. Even where the language of the place is used,
some courses may be offered in one or another of the more
commonly spoken modern languages.

C) Enrolment

With regard to the qualifications for admission to the Ecclesiastical
Faculty (also in the case of foreign students), the following norms are
to be observed:

To enrol in a Faculty in order to obtain an academic degree, one
must present that kind of study certificate which would be necessary
to permit enrolment in a civil university of ones own country or of the
country where the Faculty is located ("Sapientia Christiana", art. 32
1).

The Faculty, in its own Statutes, should determine what, besides
what is contained in 1 above, is needed for entrance into its course
of study, including ancient and modern language requirements
("Sapientia Christiana" art. 32 2).

Entrance into the second cycle requires the attainment of the degree
of the previous one or the completion of studies judged by the
Faculty to be equivalent. Entrance into the third cycle requires the
previous attainment of the Licentiate in the field of studies.

A suitable knowledge of Latin is required for enroling in any of the
Faculties of sacred sciences. Depending on the material studied,
Greek, Hebrew and other ancient languages may also be required.
For the level of the third cycle two modern languages in addition to
the student's mother tongue are ordinarily required. In all cases the
Faculties may set the language requirements they judge appropriate.

D) Government Agency in charge of Coordination of Higher
Education

As established by the Code of Canon Law, canon 816, as well as by
the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus of 1988, article 116, the
Holy Sees authority governing and coordinating higher education is
57
the Congregation for Catholic Education. According to the Apostolic
Constitution "Sapientia Christiana", art. 12-14, the subordinate higher
authority of an Ecclesiastical Faculty is the Chancellor and/or Vice
Chancellor, i.e. the local authority.

2. National Policies and Practices on Mutual Recognition of

A) Recognition of qualifications awarded in foreign countries

When a student has begun studies in one institution and wishes to
pursue them in that of another Party to the Convention, the receiving
institution may demand that its particular requirements for enrolment
in a certain curriculum be respected (art. 1 1. a).

For its part, the Convention pleads in favour of adopting a dynamic
approach in matters of admission to further stages of study, bearing
in mind knowledge acquired, as attested by certificates, diplomas
and degrees... (art. 2 2. iv) and of adopting flexible criteria for the
evaluation of partial studies, based on the educational level reached
and on the content of the courses taken (art. 2 2. v).

With regard to the Holy Sees recognition of the degrees of the
academic institutions of other Parties to the Convention, the
following points may be recalled:

a) There are certain offices within the Church for which an
ecclesiastical (canonical) degree is required, e. g. officials of an
ecclesiastical tribunal, teachers of a sacred discipline or of
disciplines connected with the sacred in an Ecclesiastical Faculty
(cfr. "Sapientia Christiana", Norms of Application art. 17), and in
some countries the teaching of Catholic Religion in primary and
secondary schools, etc.

b) A degree earned in an institution of another Party can be
recognised for teaching in an Ecclesiastical Academic Centre, when
it is not a question of sacred disciplines or disciplines connected with
the sacred.

c) It is also possible that a doctorate of an institution of
another Party can be recognised even in the teaching of the sacred
disciplines, provided that the person holds the ecclesiastical
(canonical) licentiate in the discipline to be taught.

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58
B) Practical Application, to date, of recognition of degrees
issued by institutions dependent on the Holy See

The Congregation for Catholic Education, the department of the Holy
See responsible for the Ecclesiastical Academic Centres, is not in
possession of information regarding cases of the recognition of
degrees by appeal to the principle that both the State in question and
the Holy See are signatories of this Convention. On the other hand,
the Congregation does know that the degrees granted by
Ecclesiastical Universities, Faculties and Institutes are recognised in
many States in virtue of other juridical instruments. In countries
where such matters are subject to bilateral treaties such as
concordats, the degrees in question have simultaneously
ecclesiastical and civil recognition. In others, an agreement may
exist between local ecclesiastical and civil authority for the
recognition of ecclesiastical academic degrees. The countries, in
which these arrangements exist at present, however, are not within
the geographical area of the present Convention (some examples:
Germany and Austria in the first group and Argentina and Nicaragua
in the second).

An example of another kind of instrument of recognition, and this
within the region of the Bangkok Convention, is found in the Republic
of the Philippines. There exists there an "Order" N. 129, S. 1991 of
18 November 1991, signed by the Secretary of the Department of
Education, Culture and Sports, which provides for the Government's
recognition of degrees in the theological and biblical fields earned in
the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the Holy See, whether located within
the Republic of the Philippines or outside the country.

C) Holy Sees Office responsible for questions relating to the
recognition of studies

The Congregation for Catholic Education (Address: Palazzo delle
Congregazioni, Piazza Pio XII, Vatican City State - Tel. +39. 06. 698-
84167, Fax +39. 06. 698-84172) has an Office for Authentication
(Vidimazione) which assists in obtaining civil recognition in some
countries for degrees conferred on the authority of the Holy See.
This office guarantees the validity of the document attesting to an
academic degree. The holder of such a degree must present it for
two further acts of authentication: at the Secretariat of State of the
Holy See and then at the Embassy or at the Consulate of the Nation
in which the recognition is desired. The civil effects of degrees thus
authenticated have their value in accordance with the academic
legislation of the various nations.

59
Agreements

The Holy See is now Party to four UNESCO Regional Conventions
in the field of Higher Education, namely those for Latin America and
the Caribbean (Mexico, 1974), for the European Region (Paris,
1979), for the countries of Africa (Arusha, 1981) and for the countries
of Asia and the Pacific (Bangkok, 1983).

On the European level, the Holy See is also a signatory member to
the European Councils Convention for enhancing mutual qualified
recognition of academic degrees. Recently, the Holy See has started
the process to become a signatory member to the so-called
Declaration of Bologna, a project of the Ministers of Education of
the European Union to achieve greater compatibility among national
European academic systems and to facilitate mobility of students,
graduates and teachers.

4. Arising Issues Concerning Recognition of Studies, Diplomas
and Degrees in Higher Education

The Holy Sees commitment to promoting higher education, in its
historical roots, traces back into the middle-ages, when the first
Universities were founded. Today, the Holy Sees institutions of
higher learning are present throughout the world, wherever the
Catholic Church is present. Through mutual respect between the
Holy See and national Governments, the Holy See is interested in
allowing for shared recognition of diplomas and degrees on the basis
of the principles set forth in its legislation.

The system of higher education of the Holy See has, by its nature,
developed as a transnational system, so to speak. The system is
founded on a set of basic, indispensable and fundamental principles,
established by its legislation, to be implemented according to local
costums, needs and norms in such a way that all institutions
resemble each other in a strong analogous manner and not only by
way of a least common denominator. Basic uniformity is guaranteed
both by legislation and by government that is responsible for the
enforcement of the legislation.

Issues such as electronic education, virtual universities and on-
line distance education are arising and are being brought to the
attention of the Holy Sees Congregation for Catholic Education.
They are being dealt with both on conceptual as well as on practical
levels. The underlying principles guiding the evaluation, however,
7
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60
should consist in a clear and truly humane notion and concept of the
human being as a person and the consequences that result from this
concept. Education including higher education will always rely
upon human, personal interaction. The extent to which the use of
distance learning in higher education by means of modern electronic
technology may be regarded as an enhancement of a persons
human qualities, beyond what is the communication of the necessary
knowledge, requires careful assessment.

5. Suggestions for the 7
th
Session of the Regional Committee

The Holy Sees Delegation will follow the seventh session of the
Regional Committee with great and profound interest, especially with
regard to the issues arising from the impact of globalization and how
these issues are seen and encountered by the various nations, as
well as with regard to what is called new providers of higher
education, e-education and virtual universities.

India Dr Antony Stella

Over the last fifty years, as one of the largest democratic societies,
India has made significant progress on several fronts, especially in
the field of higher education. Institutionalized formal higher education
system in India has been patterned after the 19th century British
universities. The first three modern universities of India were
established in 1857, as "affiliating universities", on the erstwhile
model of the London University. The primary functions of the
affiliating universities were prescribing courses and syllabi, holding
examinations and conferring degrees on the successful candidates
trained in the colleges affiliated to them. This tradition of establishing
universities by law-making bodies and conferring the degree
awarding power only to university level institutions continues even
today.

India has one of the largest network of higher education with 298
university level institutions (central universities, state universities,
deemed-to-be universities, institutes of national importance), 13,150
colleges, 7.23 million students and 0.4 million teachers. The size of
the system may look impressive but it covers less than 6% of the
relevant age group. In order to be competitive in the global economy
India has already initiated measures to move towards 15% coverage
during the next five years. However, the demand for higher
61
education from the population seems disappointing. As against the
nearly 2530% annual growth in enrolment in the mid-1950s and
1960s, the demand for higher education has declined to about 5%
per annum since the early 1970s.

Of the 7.23 million students enrolled in higher education, 88% are
enrolled at the undergraduate level, 9.5% in the postgraduate level
and the remaining 2.5% at the diploma and doctoral level. If we take
away the enrolment in the diploma courses, the doctoral level
students constitute only 1% of the total student enrolment. In the
year 1998, in general higher education alone the enrolment in
undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels was 90.86%,
8.44% and 0.70% respectively. Again, of the total, 15% are enrolled
in professional programmes like medicine, engineering, law,
agriculture, management, education etc.

Type of Institutions
India is a typical example of how private initiatives came to be
encouraged in developing countries. When the country became
independent in 1947, there was a dearth of educated and skilled
work force to undertake the massive nation-building activities and the
national government virtually nationalized all the then existing
private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and commenced funding
them directly. These institutions have come to be known as grant-in-
aid institutions as against government run public universities and
colleges.

By the late 1980s the number of colleges increased from 500 to
about 5000. By then, the resources of the government reached the
limit and most of the state governments were forced to stop
establishing or funding new colleges. Therefore, the government
encouraged the private initiatives without any commitment for
financial support, with a stipulation that they should function under
the academic regulations of the university in that area. It resulted in
the emergence of a new category of private institutions which are run
with student fees without financial support from the government. This
new crop of private initiatives locally called self-financing institutions
now outnumber the public ones in some states, more so in the
southern states of India. The policy of the government is to
encourage privatisation without giving room for commercialisation.
While such private initiatives are encouraged at the college level,
there has been reluctance in accepting the concept of private
universities. There are various reasons for this, the chief among
them being the vociferous objection from a section of the public.

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62
Levels of Study
Currently, higher education can be pursued after 12 years of
schooling. There are three levels of qualifications in higher education
- undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels. Diploma
programs are also available at the undergraduate and postgraduate
levels the duration of which varies from less than a year to three
years.

The bachelor's degree in arts, commerce and sciences is awarded
after three years of tertiary education. In some places there are
Honors and special programs, with varying duration or with the
same duration with a change in the content of the curricula. The
bachelor's degree in professional fields like agriculture, dentistry,
engineering, pharmacy, technology and veterinary medicine
generally takes four years, while in architecture and medicine, it
takes five and five and a half years respectively. There are other
bachelor's degrees in teacher education, journalism and library
science that are second degrees. The bachelor's degree in some
areas like law and teacher education can either be taken as
integrated degree programs or as second-degree programs with
corresponding variation in the periods of study.

The master's degree (MA, MSc and M.Com.) is normally of two
years duration. A pre-doctoral program, Master of Philosophy
(M.Phil.), is taken after completion of the master's degree. This can
either be completely research-based or can include course work as
well. The Ph.D. is awarded two years after the M.Phil., or three years
after the master's degree. Students are expected to write a
substantial thesis based on original research. The research degrees
(M.Phil. and Ph.D.) take variable time depending upon the individual
student. Traditionally, the colleges cater only to bachelors level
education, though there are some exceptions in states like Tamil
Nadu. While most of the universities focus on teaching at
postgraduate level and research, 88% of the undergraduates and
56% of the postgraduates are in colleges.

Major Players in Higher Education
At the time of independence, the founding fathers of independent
India decided that education should be a state subject. In 1976, the
constitution was amended and education was brought to the
concurrent list. While the role and the responsibility of the states
remain essentially unchanged, the union government has a larger
role to play. It has to reinforce the national and integrative character
of education, maintain quality and standards, and monitor the
educational requirements of the country as a whole.

63
At the national level, the University Grants Commission (UGC)
established in 1956, has a major role. It has the mandate for the
determination and maintenance of standards of higher education.
Towards fulfilling this mandate, UGC has evolved various strategies,
mostly guidelines, such as the Minimum Standards of Instruction for
the Grant of the First Degree through Formal Education and
Regulations for the Non-formal/Distance Education Mode.
Institutions that do not comply with these guidelines are not eligible
to get support for certain development schemes from UGC.

The state governments are the major providers of the state
universities and colleges of the respective states. UGC is a major
provider only to a few universities (18 central universities and a few
Deemed to be Universities) and the colleges affiliated to Delhi and
Banaras Hindu Universities. State Universities and colleges receive
UGC support generally less than 5% of their budget only for certain
development schemes. To monitor the satisfactory functioning of the
state run HEIs, the states have various review mechanisms and
annual audits.

In the case of colleges, in addition to the states, the affiliating
universities take care of some of the essential norms and guidelines
to be complied with by the colleges. This monitoring system was
effective when a parent university had around 30-40 affiliates. But
the growth in number of affiliates has reduced the effectiveness of
academic leadership of universities to mere monitoring of minimum
requirement. To overcome the rigidity of the affiliating system, UGC
has introduced the concept of Autonomous Colleges where select
colleges that have proven ability to manage their affairs well are
given academic autonomy. The autonomous colleges can innovate
in the curriculum and conduct their own examinations within the
broad guidelines given by the parent university. However, the degree
is awarded by the parent university, accepting the evaluation of the
college.

Apart from the review committees, inspections and internal
regulatory mechanisms in the UGC-State-University-Colleges chain,
the professional bodies play a significant role in licensing and
ensuring quality in the professional areas such as medicine,
engineering, law, education and agriculture. While the University
Grants Commission is responsible for coordination, determination
and maintenance of overall standards, professional bodies are
responsible for certification of the professional programs and
authorizing the candidates to practice their profession. There are
more than 30 such bodies.

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64
Students who cross borders
The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) has been maintaining a
data bank on international students in Indian universities since 1985.
According to the AIU data, 7791 international students from about
103 countries were enrolled in 116 Indian Universities, with more
than 95% from the developing countries of Asia and Africa during
2000-01. But the data on Indian students who study abroad is not
readily available and not well organised.

The available data on students who cross the national boundaries for
higher education indicate that the flow is highly skewed. Due to
liberalisation of Indian economy that started in 1991 and due to the
increased affluence of the Indian middle class families, there has
been an increase in the number of Indian students who go abroad
for higher education. However, the number of students who come to
India for higher education is not very encouraging. For example, in
the year 1998-99, there were 42,000 Indian students in US alone,
mostly for postgraduate studies, compared to only 707 Americans
who studied in India during that period. During the same period, the
total number of foreign students in India was only 5323. While the
UK and USA are well established destinations for Indian students,
Australia, France and Canada are strengthening their market
strategies to attract more Indian students to their home campuses.

As of today, if one has to go by the figures on the number of
students who cross the national borders, it is true that cross border
education is not a substantial activity in India, compared to the size
and spending of the national system of higher education. The bulk of
students who opt for cross border education travel to the provider
countries and join the formal national educational systems there.
From the data pertaining to the number of persons who have been
issued students visa in India for the year 1988 and 1999, it is
estimated that about 24000 students migrate each year to pursue
their higher studies in foreign universities. This is not a significant
number as compared to 7.23 million full-time students enrolled in the
country. The number of students enrolled in the collaborative
provisions offered in India through arrangements like twinning is not
available and it may not be much. However, in view of the
developments in GATS, cross border operations are already on the
increase in the country and the issue of recognition of qualifications
will become important in the near future.

Recognition of Qualifications within and beyond the country
Ensuring recognition of qualifications within the country is well in
place. The usage of the term University is regulated by UGC and
the degree awarding power is vested only with university level
65
institutions that are 298 as of today. Consequently, recognition of
qualifications awarded by these 298 universities has not been a big
problem in the country. The uniform pattern of 12+3+2 years of
studies has been implemented throughout the country except for the
professional education where the number of years prescribed for the
first bachelor qualification varies. Further, the consistency of the
nomenclature of the awards is ensured through a registry, which is
periodically updated and published by UGC, for the benefit of the
institutions and other stakeholders. These features have enabled all
the full member universities of AIU to formally agree to recognize the
awards of each other on a reciprocal basis. Universities from Sri
Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan have become associate members of AIU
fulfilling the criteria laid down by AIU and they enjoy the recognition
benefits. However, since the credit system of higher education is not
prevalent in the country except for a few premier institutions and a
few autonomous colleges, mobility during mid-course, even within
the same state poses problems.

India has been positive about extending mutual recognition of
qualifications beyond the country, especially in the Asia Pacific
region. It is a signatory to the regional convention of UNESCO for
recognition of studies, diplomas and degrees in higher education in
Asia and the Pacific adopted at the conference of states in Bangkok
in 1983, in which 33 states participated. India ratified the convention
on 2
nd
August 2000, which entered into force on 2
nd
September
2000. Experience indicates that the regional convention has
promoted a congenial atmosphere to remove the procedural
bottlenecks to make student mobility possible. However, this does
not guarantee automatic recognition of qualifications and institutions
continue to have their own screening mechanisms and criteria.

In the process of screening, the reservations expressed by the
institutions are about three major issues:
(i) Inconsistency in the levels and structure of the different
national systems of higher education,
(ii) Lack of appropriate mechanisms that assure the quality of
educational provisions in some countries, and
(iii) Absence of a reliable mechanism or nodal agencies that
can be referred to on mutual recognition issues.

The recent developments in India do away with most of these
reservations and they are highlighted below:

(i) Consistent Framework for the National System of Higher
Education
The comparability of the structure of the national system of
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66
education and the qualifications offered are the academic currency
for transaction among the nations to promote academic mobility.
Generally, at the national level the institutions cater to the national
priorities and are oriented to serve the local context. However, the
international expectations are not the same as the national priorities.
The cultural and linguistic differences within the nation may add to
the complications of making the national system comparable at the
international level. To strike a balance between the national
priorities and international expectations, India has realised that the
levels of study and qualifications awarded should be well
denominated with sufficient and precise description of the purpose,
content, duration and the expected outcome. This would be achieved
through the development of the National Qualifications Framework
(NQF). The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)
and the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration
(NIEPA) are working together to evolve a NQF at the instance of the
Ministry for Human Resource Development and the University
Grants Commission.

A National Policy Committee has been constituted drawing
representation from a broad spectrum of academia to advise on the
policies to be adopted in evolving the NQF. As a pilot case, the
Policy Committee in its meeting held on 17
th
February, 2003 has
recommended that details may be worked out for Information
Technology (IT). Accordingly a Technical Committee has been
constituted and it is expected that the first set of draft guidelines,
spelling out the elements of NQF for Information Technology, will be
ready in the next three months. Once NQF for IT is firmed up, it will
greatly facilitate the academic and professional mobility related
decisions beyond the country, at least in that area.

(ii) Assuring Quality of Educational Provisions
With globalisation, quality becomes the premium and the NQF
should be backed by well-authenticated quality assurance
mechanism. In India, despite the built-in regulatory mechanisms
mentioned earlier, there were criticisms that the country has
permitted the mushrooming of institutions of higher education with
fancy programs and substandard facilities. To address the issues of
deterioration in quality, the National Policy on Education (1986 &
1992) and the Plan of Action -1986 & 1992 interalia recommended
the establishment of national accreditation procedures. The UGC
acted on the policy recommendations and established the National
Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) in 1994 as an
autonomous body with the mandate to assess and accredit
institutions of higher education or the units thereof in the country.
Accreditation by NAAC is voluntary and the outcome is valid for a
67
period of 5 years. So far around 400 institutions have been
accredited by NAAC. The All India Council of Technical Education
(AICTE) set up the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) in
September 1994, in order to assess the qualitative competence of
educational programs in the engineering and related areas from the
diploma level to the postgraduate level. While AICTE takes care of
the regulatory role, NBA does program accreditation and it is
voluntary. The Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR)
established its Accreditation Board (AB) in 1996 to set, enforce and
monitor compliance with norms and standards for agricultural
education in India. It is proposed to complete the accreditation
process for all the Agricultural Universities with their 200 constituent
colleges by the year 2003-2004. The Distance Education Council
and the National Council of Teacher Education are working on their
accreditation procedures in collaboration with NAAC. Some of the
other professional bodies are attempting to establish their own
accreditation bodies. The response of the higher education system
to the quality assurance mechanisms has been very positive and
encouraging.

(iii) Reliable Mechanisms and Nodal Agencies
A reliable mechanism that builds on the strengths of the above-
mentioned critical elements - NQF backed by legitimate quality
assurance agencies would greatly facilitate academic mobility. This
combination should lead to partnership building and mutual
recognition between nodal agencies. Among the various nodal
agencies that can play a lead role in facilitating mutual recognition of
qualifications, quality being central to these issues, the Quality
Assurance Agencies (QAAs) have an important role. In spite of
variance in ownership and functioning of QAAs, the world over, the
process of external quality assurance is a combination of self study
and peer review and the commonalities should facilitate the QAAs to
enter into partnerships that would promote academic mobility.

Mutual recognition between national accrediting agencies has
existed in North America for a number of years and these
agreements mean that the award/qualification is recognized in both
countries and the field of practice in both countries is open to the
graduates of accredited institutions. Such agreements between USA
and Canada and between USA and Mexico came into being long
before the Washington accord introduced it in engineering. Following
these lines, NAAC has entered into a dialogue with other quality
assurance agencies to explore the possibilities of mutual recognition
of quality assurance agencies and their outcomes. It has been
discussed in many meetings including the meetings of the
International Network of Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher
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th
68
Education (INQAAHE) and the Asia-Pacific Quality Network and
NAAC is active in pursuing this matter. The forthcoming meeting of
INQAAHE at Dublin during 14-17 April 2003 is expected to lead to
further developments.

The on-going partnerships programmes are worth noting. India is a
participant of the University in the Indian Ocean Region (UMIOR)
programme which was initiated in 2001. This programme requires
waiver of student fees and transfer of credits under appropriate
credit-transfer mechanisms (Powar KB, 2002). In another significant
development, the AIU on behalf of the Indian universities has signed
an agreement on co-operation in higher education in 1999, with
Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee (AVCC) which provides for
sharing of information, staff and student exchanges, mutual
recognition of qualifications, staff development, researchers
exchange programme, and university management. The first
exchange programmes for research project leaders has been done
successfully and it is expected that other aspects of the agreement
including the mutual recognition issue will also see reasonable
success.

Globalization, New Providers and mutual recognition practices
As of now, there is no foreign university or their campuses in the
country. However, there is no ban or regulatory control on the
transnational providers to offer their programmes in collaboration
with local partners or through virtual modes. There is no bar on the
movement of persons and materials for the educational services.
Even the foreign exchange regulations and repatriation of funds from
India are liberalized in line with the policy evolved for the other
economic activities. There is also no cultural and linguistic barrier as
the country is well exposed to other cultures and the medium of
instruction is English at the higher education level for more than a
century. Besides, India is a signatory to the WTO and therefore
obligated to liberalize further any existing barrier that will hinder their
presence. India has also submitted proposals to WTO seeking easier
market access for professionals in several sectors, including health,
information technology, accountancy, education and communication
as part of its drive for liberalization of trade in services. By sending
this proposal, India has made an initial commitment to the principle
of trade in educational services.

There has been a spurt in the activities of foreign educational
institutions since 1990s and their promotional drive is focussed
mainly on attracting the students for studies in their home campuses.
A cursory analysis of the advertisements by the TNE providers that
appeared between 1
st
July and 31
st
December 2000, indicate that
69
89% of the Indian partners are not affiliated to any Indian recognised
university suggesting that the collaborations may be with doubtful
partners whose motive could only be commercial gains.

In 2000, TNE providers mostly from five countries offered programs
mainly at the masters level through franchise or some such
arrangements with Indian institutions. Most of the TNE offerings fall
under just one or two areas of studies especially under computer
science and management. In August 2002, based on the information
collected from advertisements and articles in newspapers, the United
States Educational Foundation in India (USEFI) made an attempt to
identify the offshore activities by American institutions in India.
According to that data in the year 2002 there were 26 American
institutions that had offshore activities in collaboration with Indian
institutions. Two of them were not listed in the Directory of
Accredited Institutions of Post Secondary Education published by
American Council on Education (ACE). Most of the collaborations
were on information technology and management related programs
with an exception of two one on Journalism and the other on Art in
Design.

In India the traditional viewpoint still is that higher education
institutions have to be publicly recognised, and that it is the nation-
state that gives formal public validity to their degrees. But, in the
globalised scenario, where academic programmes and providers are
moving across borders, the existing regulations that are oriented to
the national context do not cover cross border education adequately.
In addition, there have been strong criticisms that the foreign
providers establish collaborative arrangements with mostly
substandard institutions in the country. Consequently, the
government has not given recognition to the awards of such
linkages. Although the Government of India recognizes foreign
degrees studied abroad, it does not, as yet, recognize similar
programs if studied in India under collaborative arrangements. The
Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), for instance, works in
partnership with the University of Warwick and Indian Institute of
Management, Bangalore does so with Lancaster University in
offering degrees in management studies. The degrees offered by the
UK universities in these provisions are not formally recognized in
India. The non-recognition of the qualifications by the government
will affect only the prospects of getting the government jobs, which
are in any way not much in comparison to the size of the global job
market.

Efforts to regulate this situation through appropriate quality
assurance measures are underway and the government is looking
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more closely the following issues:
1. Licensing and regulation procedures for foreign providers
2. Quality assurance and accreditation for imported and
exported education services
3. Funding protocols including subsidies and scholarships
4. Qualification recognition and credit transfer systems
(Nigavekar, 2002)

Efforts are underway to evolve a set of basic codes and criteria for
the operation of foreign education institutions in the country. In a
draft Policy paper prepared by the Ministry of Human Resources
Development for regulating the operation of Foreign Educational
Institutions in the country and promoting Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) in the Education Sector, the committee constituted for the
purpose has outlined the salient features of this policy framework.
They are:
Operations of the foreign educational institutions should not have
deleterious effect on Indian culture and ethos and shall be open
for practitioners of all religion.
There shall be mandatory registration of foreign education
service providers with a Registering Authority on such terms and
conditions and following such procedures as may be provided.
Institutions and programs offered should be accredited in own
countries and awards recognised as equivalent to awards given
for their on-campus programs.
They shall adhere to a code of practice relating to publicity to
facilitate informed decision making by the students and their
parents.
They shall avoid gross commercialisation consistent with the
principle of no profit no loss for education services laid down by
the Honble Supreme Court of India.
They shall maintain minimum standards as laid down by
concerned agency and will be subject to external quality review
by designated agency.
They shall furnish all information about operations in the country
in the interest of transparency of their operations.

India is also promoting its export of education services. MHRD has
identified the Committee for Promotion of Indian Education Abroad
(CoPIE) as the nodal agency to lay down specific guidelines for
registration of foreign education service providers. It will also develop
the policy framework for undertaking educational ventures abroad.
The consideration in favour of this policy is that India with its huge
higher education system with many institutions of international
standing can benefit both economically and politically by exporting
71
education, especially to the third world countries and to those that
have substantial Indian population. Consequently, the universities
are now permitted to open institutions and campuses abroad and a
significant number of the universities are offering academic
programs in the third world countries.

The importance given to strengthening the export of education
services from India and to attracting the foreign students is well
reflected in the X plan document of the UGC. One of the seven
specific objectives given in the X Plan of the University Grants
Commission is to contribute to the transformation and improvement
of the conceptions, methodology and practices related to Export of
higher education, and reorientation of international co-operation
(UGC, 2002, p.15). The plan document indicates that promotion of
internationalisation and export of higher education including the
study of India abroad programme will be taken up as one of the
thrust areas (UGC, 2002, p.44). It also makes available some grant
for promotion of export of higher education. The objective is to
evolve a policy to promote the free flow of students from other
nations to India and vice-versa through such project support (UGC,
2002, p.62). With this understanding, India has made initial
commitments in GATS and the issue of mutual recognition is well on
the agenda.

Suggestions for the Seventh Regional Committee
Recognition of qualifications depends very much on the confidence
the systems have in each others process. A well-planned strategy to
ensure and maintain this confidence would facilitate recognition of
qualifications. There are three critical elements - consistent
framework that would reflect the national system of higher education,
appropriate mechanisms to assure the quality of educational
provisions, and a confidence building partnership between nodal
agencies that would contribute to recognition of qualifications and
India has made significant progress in all these aspects. In
particular, the developments in ratifying the regional convention on
recognition of qualifications, evolving the National Qualifications
Framework and setting up the National Quality Assurance Agency
need a mention. Similar efforts may be promoted in the other
countries.

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References
Gnanam A (2002) New Providers in Higher Education in India, Case
study for UNESCO.
Ministry of Human Resource Development, (1999) Discussion Paper
on Internationalization of Education, Department of Education,
Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India,
New Delhi.
Nigavekar, A.S. (2001) GATS and Higher Education: What is at
Stake for India, Paper circulated at a National Level Meeting on
Trade in Education Services under WTO Regime, NIEPA, New
Delhi (unpublished)
Powar, K.B. (2001) (Ed.) Internationalization of Indian Higher
Education, Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi.
Powar, K.B. (2002) (Ed.) Internationalization of Higher Education,
Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi.
Rao, V (2002), Collaborative Arrangements of American Institutions
in India, Unpublished.
Sharma, G.D. (2000) Trade in Education Service Under WTO
Regime-An Indian Response, Paper Circulated at a National Meeting
on Trade in Education Services under WTO Regime, National
Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), New
Delhi (unpublished).
Stella, A. (2001) Quality Assessment in Indian Higher Education:
Issues of Impact and Future Perspectives, Allied Publishers, New
Delhi.
Stella, A. and Gnanam, A. (2001) Assessment and Accreditation in
Indian Higher Education: Issues of Policy and Prospects, Books
Plus, New Delhi.
Stella, A. and Gnanam, A. (2002) Assuring Quality and Standards in
Higher Education: The Contemporary Context and Concerns. Allied
Publisher, Bangalore.
University Grants Commission (UGC) (2002), X Plan of University
Grants Commission, UGC, New Delhi.

73

Republic of Korea Dr Hyun-Chong Lee

I. Higher Education System

There are several different types of higher education institutions in
Korea: colleges and universities with four-year undergraduate
programs (six years for medical and dental colleges), four-year
teacher's universities, two-year vocational colleges, the Air and
Correspondence university, open universities, and miscellaneous
schools of college status with two- of four-year programs such as
nursing schools and theological seminaries. As of 2002, there were
376 higher education institutions in Korea, with a total of 3.58 million
students and 59,750 faculty members.

A consortium called the Korean Council for University Education,
formed of the presidents of universities, supports the administrative
and financial work of universities based on autonomous discussions.
Table 1 and Table 2 show the summary of Higher Education
Institutions regarding schools and student quota. In 2003, 154
universities out of total number of 200 higher education institutions in
Korea are private institutions.

Table 1. Higher Education Institutions (universities)
Schools
Number of Schools Number of Students Number of Professors
Total
National
&
Public
Private Total
National
& Public
Private Total
National
& Public
Private
University 171 27 144 1,771,73 387,299 1,384,439 44,177 11,144 33,033
Univ. of
Education
11 11 - 23,259 23,259 - 721 721 -
Industrial
University
18 8 10 187,040 85,956 101,084 2,543 1,296 1,247
Total 200 46 154 1,982037 496,514 1,485,523 47,441 13,161 34,280
*Data for Air and Correspondence University are not included
*Numbers of students and professors are based on the data as of April 1, 2002
Table 2. Higher Education Institutions
Student Quota
First-Year Student Quota
Schools
Number
of
Schools
2001 2002
Increase-
Decrease
University 171 316,780 424,184 107,404
University of Education 11 4,735 5,145 410
Industrial University 18 33,220 63,057 29,837
Univ.
Total 200 355,235 492,386 137,651
*Data for Air and Correspondence University are not included
Classifi
School
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II. International Exchange of Higher Education

Academic Exchange
The Korea has bilateral cultural agreements with 86 countries and
educational exchange agreements with six countries as of February
2001. Exchange programs provided under such agreements are
intended to effect reciprocal exchanges of information, mutual
understanding and cooperation between different peoples.
The Korean government encourages and supports the development
of Korean studies at overseas institutions of higher learning by
providing grants for staff development and lectures, facilitating the
exchange of academics, financing research and publication and
supplying materials. At the present time, 338 universities and
research institutes in 51 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe,
Africa, and North and South America are performing research in
Korean studies.

The government sponsors refresher programs abroad, which enable
professors to remain up to date on the frontiers of science and
technology as well as approach domestic learning with a
comparative perspective. The Korea Research Foundation also
sends approximately 100 scholars overseas, annual (110 in 2001)
for the purpose of stimulating international scholarly exchanges and
boosting the morale of university professors.

Overseas Studies Policy
Policy efforts are being made to shift away from sending students to
overseas to receiving students from overseas to meet goals
broader such a shift will help in building a firm base to enter the
central stage of the knowledge-based society of the twenty-first
century world, enhancing the international competitiveness of
Koreas education through the qualitative improvement of higher
education.

International Exchange of Education
In order to construct a network for educational cooperation with the
worlds prestigious universities, Korea participate in a consortium for
credit point exchange among the universities in the Asia-Pacific
region, namely, UMAP (University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific),
thereby expanding international exchange of students and credit
points. Simultaneously, educational and academic exchanges
among Seoul National University, Beijing University, and the
University of Tokyo are promoted and the Education Ministerial
Conference attended by Korea, China, and Japan are held regularly.

75
Student exchanges are receiving growing attention as a means of
providing cultural experiences in other countries as well as in Korea.
The Korea-Japan summit conference of 1988 and the Korea-Japan
joint declaration made in October 1998 paved the road to expand
student exchange between two countries. In the Korea-Japan
program, the two countries have mutually sent 150 university
students and teachers a year since 1990. In addition, in 1999, Korea
university students have been sent annually to Japanese universities
of engineering began with 100 and will be increased annually until it
reaches 1,000 in 2010.

III. The Trends of Higher Education

1. Raising excellence of higher education through
diversification and specialization of university education

In order that Koreas universities attain the competitiveness that
meets the requirement of the knowledge-based society, an effort is
needed first of all, to raise the excellence of higher education
through diversification and specialization of universities. To improve
the quality of university education, managing the university by
stressing excessively comprehensive contents is avoided. Instead, a
uniquely diversified system of higher education that fits the
knowledge-based society is constructed. Each university is
encouraged to specialize in the areas that are most suitable to its
situation, so that the existing hierarchy among universities is
loosened and excellent universities with diverse areas of
specialization can emerge.

Each university should decide its own area of concentration, either
training students for research and development or training them for
industrial vocations, so that the function and role of universities can
be differentiated. The Brain Korea 21 project will also continue for
seven years, following its original intent. Matching the benchmarks of
the prestigious universities of advanced countries and encouraging
exchanges with them will train high quality manpower with an
international perspective. That is, project Brain Korea 21 is a project
for competing with foreign universities, going beyond the old practice
of domestic competition. At the same time, in order to increase the
demand for education and research in provincial universities, an
individual universitys area of comparative superiority should be
supported in a way that promotes its specialization, in considerations
of strategic industries, local culture, and the tradition of each region.
Thus, each university is encouraged to establish and implement its
own development plan based on its founding spirit and practical
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condition, in order to strengthen institutional specialization and the
capacity for independent growth. Furthermore, each region is
encouraged to activate network-based management of regional
universities.

2. Improving the quality of university education by
strengthening its autonomy and accountability.

Any organization within an inflexible system cannot cope with
changes in its environment. Thus, government regulations regarding
higher education institutions need to be abolished, so that the
universities can make decisions independently and cope with
societal changes actively and flexibly. The Korean government plans
to enable the universities to seek their own development with
autonomy and creativity. Simultaneously, the universities are
required to preserve their accountability to match such a
deregulation attempt. To institutionalize university autonomy,
establishment of a decision-making organ within the university is
considered.

The knowledge-information society of the twenty-first century
demands development of diverse abilities and creative human
resources. Therefore, the student selection procedure of universities
should be diversified to allow students with unique capacities and
creativity to be easily admitted to higher learning. To this end, new
college entrance procedures are implemented in 2002. Development
of the means by which universities can select human resources
based on individual specialty and aptitude is encouraged.

3. Raising efficiency in higher education through innovation in
university management and restructuring.

The educational trend of emphasizing intellectual excellence in the
knowledge-based society is gradually moving toward the direction of
giving foremost priority to the improvement of the learners
intellectual ability related to a nations development, the core view of
university reform lies in elevating excellence in university education.
Such excellence implies that restructuring and changes should take
place in curricular management, professorial accomplishment,
student achievement, and systemic efficiency. In order to promote
the restructuring vigorously, a comprehensive development measure
for the innovative growth of national universities is being prepared.
77

4. Helping shape an atmosphere in the university that is
conductive to research and learning.

In order to improve the conditions of university education, investment
in higher education should be expanded and the number of students
per professor should be reduced.

In order to form an atmosphere in which new professors are
recruited on the basis of the existing facultys consensus regarding
the applicants ability and accomplishment, full autonomy of
universities is guaranteed. Both the standard and procedure of fair
recruitment and contract renewal will be clarified. Related laws are
undergoing amendment for the purpose of promoting he utilization of
diverse types of human resources as professors, which will be
instrumental for flexible curricular management. The contract-based
hiring of professors become effective in 2002 for the purpose of
promoting open and diversified recruitment of professors and
strengthening the competitive system of universities.

The government plans to streamline both the system and
atmosphere of the university in order that students with high
scholastic achievement in the university can occupy advantageous
positions in their career choice after graduation, whether they go on
to graduate schools or they choose to get a job. In compliance with
the governments efforts, the universities are expected to strengthen
student management, including strict credit point evaluation, and
they are also expected to implement, students course evaluation,
and to implement diverse graduation procedures that address the
uniqueness of different academic majors.

5. Expanding the scope of university education in order to
cope with the lifelong learning society.

Since rapid social change has the effect of shortening the life cycle
of knowledge, the need for lifelong education is greatly increasing.
Thus new means of instruction and learning are being sought, such
as providing diverse educational opportunities to the work force in
industry through part time registration in university or the educational
credit bank systems and establishing the cyber university that allows
lifelong learning beyond the restrictions of time and space.

6. Upgrading the infrastructure for academic and research
information.

In order to elevate the international competitiveness of education
and research, a support system for information communication that
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enables easy access from all research facilities to the up-to-date
academic information from domestic and foreign sources is being
constructed.

To improve universities with a stable communication service with a
high connection speed 24 hours a day at an optimal cost, the
government supports an autonomous body of inter-university
collaboration.

7. Globalization of university education.

University education in the twenty-first century ought to be
considered in the overall framework of globalization. Especially
because education is likely to become transnational education and
the trend of globalization is expected to bring about learning
mobility and borderless education in the twenty-first century, the
globalize tendency in university reform cannot be neglected.

To meet the global standard of the universities, information science
and foreign language are prerequisite for graduation. And human
and material resources among universities of Korea and foreign
countries will be exchanged actively.

VI. Main Issues of Higher Education

1. Improving university education
The first task for improving university education in the long run will
be to reduce the number of students per professor: the number will
be reduced to 20 by 2010 when full time lecturers are included; it will
be down to 10 when part-time lectures, visiting lecturers, and
teaching assistants are included. Per-pupil expenditure in higher
education institutions will be increased form the current 3,000 US
dollars to 10,000 US dollars by 2010.

2. Strengthening graduate school education and functional
specialization.

Through an effective monitoring of the project groups involved in the
Brain Korea 21, which is being undertaken for the purpose of
developing graduate school-centered university education at the
international level, follow-up measures should be prepared to
support and incorporate provincial universities, private universities,
and the fields of arts and science, which have been omitted from the
Brain Korea 21. Also, financial support for graduate schools that has
been provided in a dispersed manner will be integrated into Brain
Korea 21 for overall fine-tuning.
79
To improve research conditions in graduate school-centered
universities, the following measures will be implemented: fully
staffing the faculty with full-time professors; securing matching funds
or university-industry cooperative funds from the industrial sector;
promoting university venture enterprises; and constructing a
comprehensive supervision system for intellectual ownership and
applying for international patents. In addition, in order to upgrade the
training in both theory and practice of the professions like law and
medicine, establishing professional graduate schools will be
reviewed.

Government-set student quotas for graduate schools should be
shifted from a discipline-specific quota to the total quota, so that
individual universities can autonomously determine the student size
of each academic discipline. Graduate schools that pursue research-
centered university education will be allowed to promote functional
specialization by reducing their undergraduate student quota when
they choose to increase the quota for graduate schools. Also, the
types of graduate schools will be clarified as general graduate
school, professional graduate school, and special graduate school,
with clarified roles and functions specific to each type.

3. Developing excellent universities connected with local
industries.

To develop excellent universities in connection with local
industries, a knowledge hub will be formed with a local university
selected as the center of the project for local university growth. Such
a knowledge hub will have a university, a research institute, a
venture enterprise, a service provider, and assorted association
within a single boundary to enable education, research, and
production to occur within a single complex. The following means will
be employed to provide competitive universities in provinces with
incentives for development: freezing the student quota of the
universities located in the Seoul metropolitan area; suppressing the
founding of new universities; reducing the number of student per
professor and renovating the educational environment. Including
facilities and equipment; forming the base for university growth in
connection with local businesses and local governing bodies;
expanding the means to attract excellent high school graduates;
making dormitories available to all students and promoting
development of university towns; giving tax benefits when a
university located in the Seoul metropolitan area chooses to move to
a provincial region.

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4. Improving the system of supporting and evaluating academic
research.

In order to strengthen the support for academic research, the levels
of grants for university research and development as a proportion of
GDP and the funds for promoting academic research as a proportion
of the university research and development funds will be increased
annually. To improve the evaluation system, the evaluation of
professors accomplishments will be objectified through utilization of
the results from a strict evaluation of academic journals; also, the
validity of the Brain Korea 21 will be enhanced and rational grounds
for promoting professors will be provided in the form of contract
hiring or an annual salary system. To this end, there will be central
supervision of university research grants. At the same time, Korean
academic associations and university research institutes that publish
academic journals regularly in foreign languages will be eligible to be
chosen as excellent academic journals, which will receive partial
financial support for their publication.

5. Developing Basic Academic Disciplines

Financial support for basic academic disciplines, i.e., liberal arts and
natural science, is aimed at preserving the elite corps of scholars. In
addition, the scholarship package system will be implemented to
streamline the connection of undergraduate-graduate school-post
doctorate-research career.
For the short-term support of the basic academic disciplines, the
Commission for Developing Basic Sciences will be formed with the
following objectives:
enabling decision-making that encompasses all government
ministries
securing the budget for supporting the basic academic
disciplines
shaping the legal base for such support
choosing priority fields of basic sciences and running a
support program for the training
restructuring of universities and the fields of basic academic
disciplines
establishing a long term development plan

6. Increasing university autonomy and enhancing
accountability

As an effort to increase university autonomy, the undergraduate
system centering on uniform integration of different departments will
81
be avoided and the direction of restructuring will focus on providing
students with several major areas based on a careful review of the
entire university curriculum and student demand. National
universities will be tested with a stronger commitment to basic
academic disciplines and the areas in need of strategic planning at
the national level. The budget accounting system of the national
universities, which is currently bifurcated into general accounting and
accumulative accounting, will be integrated under a special
accounting system to promote autonomous management. Also, a
university board of trustees constituted of persons who are not
faculty members of the university will be established. Meanwhile, as
an attempt to raise university accountability for the purpose of
ensuring university member right to know and enhancing
transparency and trustworthiness of the finance of private
universities, budget making and statement of balance of private
universities will be made public.

University evaluation will be more effective through accreditation for
engineering education, accreditation for medical education, etc. Both
professionalism and efficiency of the government-led evaluation of
universities will be improved and administrative and financial support
for universities will be connected to the evaluation of the quality of
both the education and research provided by university in order to
enhance the excellence of university education.

Lao Peoples Democratic Republic Dr Phonephet Boupha

I. Introduction

The higher education is an integral part of the education system.

From 1975 to 1995, to respond to the needs of the society, many
higher education institutions have been established under different
Ministries and the number of students has been steadily increased.
There were 37 small public institutions at the post-secondary
education in which 10 were offering higher education. Therefore
higher education was facing seriously with many problems such as
poor-coordination of the management of these small institutions
which are under several ministries, inadequately and low relevance
of the programs, poor quality of education at the upper secondary
level which needs to be supplemented by preparatory programs in
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post secondary institutions, dilapidated facilities, under-qualified
teaching staff, low external efficiency of the institutions.

In line with the changing economic structure, measures have been
undertaken to improve efficiency, quality and equity of higher
education.

Referring to the Decree of the prime Minister dated of June 1995, 10
higher education institutions were merged into National University.

The National University is a state run University under the
supervision of the Ministry of Education and comprise ten faculties.
The role of the National University is to offer higher education to
promote and perform scientific research, especially in the applied
sciences and to deliver technical services to the society.

The number of enrolled students in 2001-02 in higher education
amounted to 2697 (456 females) and in University level amounted to
7113 of which 2635 females.

From 1995-2001, 12482 staff in Higher Diploma and Bachelor
Degree were build up within the country of which 3591 females.

It is noted that from 1995-96 to 2001-02 there were 1266 graduated
from foreign Universities, of which there were 99 Ph.D, 403 Master's
Degree and 764 Bachelor Degree holders.

The private higher education has been developed quickly after
release the Prime Minister's Decree on Private education of August
1995 in promoting the investment in education and providing a
regularly framework within the context of the national education
system. Between 1991/91 and 2001-02 the overall enrollment in 7
private higher education institutions (commerce, business
administration, computing, technology, English) increased from 101
to 448.

Although there is an rapid growth and change in higher education, in
terms of equitable access some issues and challenges needed to be
addressed.
- There are two conflictive demands on manpower resulting in
two different contradictive manpower structures such as the
manpower structure demanded by individuals in higher
education and the manpower structure demanded by the
labour market.
83
- The disparity between provinces and districts in providing
access still persists which the consequence of low
representation of women and ethnic minority groups.
- The student intake is limited which limited access to tertiary
education for the graduates from upper secondary schools.
Although the student/teacher ratio is 1/21 for higher education level
and 15/1 for bachelor degree level, there is still high percentage of
unqualified and under qualified teachers at higher education level
and lack of teachers in some subject.
The brain drain is a critical issue among the teachers which affected
the education sector due to their status and low salary.

Higher Education institutions in the Lao PDR consist of:
National University of Laos
Five Teachers Training Colleges
and 7 private higher education institutions of which 3 are at
the Bachelor Degree.

Higher Education is one of the fastest growing parts of the education
system.

The curricula combine a two year program of foundation studies
followed by specialized studies of 3 to 5 years according to faculty.

II. National policies and Practices on Mutual Recognition of

In terms of relevance and management, the revised Decree of NUOL
dated of 09 June 2000 stipulated the academic and administrative
autonomy of the University. The Ministry of Education was
delegating managerial functions to the National University.

The National University has substantial institutional autonomy in
relation to the academic functions of curriculum/program design and
development, selection and admission of students, determination of
the criteria and procedures for student progression and staff
appointment and promotion, the determination and award of
qualifications and the nature and directions of its research activities.
In addition the NUOL has also the financial autonomy which could be
satisfied to the administrative processes.

The Ministry of Education has the right to recognize the academic
degrees or award certificates granted by an institution of higher
education or external agency (state/professional body, etc...).

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The National University has the right to confer academic degrees
and award certificates as follows:

1. Doctoral degrees
2. Master degrees
3. Graduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificates
4. Bachelor degrees
5. Higher Diplomas
6. Diplomas of foundation studies.

The National University is responsible to the Minister of Education
for the criteria and programs of study for these qualifications and for
their conferment and award.

The previous curriculum of higher education was rather narrow,
designed specially for the needs of the concerned ministries. The
new curriculum of the NUOL, wider and more complex is a credit
system.

At the present the National University and the Ministry of Education
had taken action on the question of inter-sectoral curriculum
coordination and integration and transfer of credit, especially in
technological and science-based professional education. It is
necessary to make arrangements for a nationally based curriculum
development system in order to facilitate the transfer of credit within
the system and reduce wasteful duplication and barriers to student
progression between programs and institutions and to recognize the
credits and validate some equivalence of diplomas and degrees
granted by higher education institutions and external agency.

The profile of the higher vocational diploma, bachelor program and
master's program have been recently officially determined by the
Ministry of Education. The general principle settlement, the
organization of teaching and learning, the use of credit system and
the duration of study, the structure of curriculum, the morality of the
student and the register, the evaluation of the learning and the
successful of the study have been stated in the Decree of the higher
education profile on Higher Vocational Diploma, Bachelor's program
and respectively Master's program dated of 17 July 2001.

The special courses on English, Architecture and economic and
Management... have been encouraged to offer the opportunities for
graduates of upper secondary school to study at the National
University.

85
Distance education have been introducing through the cooperation
with some foreign universities and institutions.

The Education of law was promulgated also in the year 2000 and
stated the national framework and agencies on mutual recognition of
qualifications in Higher Education and the requirements of the
establishment of the new schools including public and higher
education institutions.
It was stated that all new educational programs levels have to be
approved by the Ministry of Education.

The recognition of qualifications in higher education within the
country and the mobility of the students from higher education
institutions was not the main issue.

Therefore in the practice the mutual recognition of qualifications in
Higher Education is based on the agreements through international,
bilateral and multilateral agreements.

III. International Cooperation, Bilateral and Multilateral
Agreements

International cooperation is one of the important activities which
contribute to the development of higher education in terms of
quantity and quality.

Lao PDR places much importance on international cooperation
through bilateral and multilateral cooperation and could benefit from
these cooperation based on national, regional and international
needs. The establishment strong relationships with similar
institutions in other countries has been promoted in order to
exchange experiences and facilitating staff and student exchange,
provide opportunities for training teachers and develop joint research
and development programs.

The National University has established relationship with the
universities, institutions or organizations of different countries such
as : Australia, Belgium, China, Canada, France, Japan, Newzealand,
South Korea , Thailand USA and Vietnam. The organizations and
Non-Governmental Organizations are AUN, AUSAID, ASAIHL, AUF,
CCL, CUSO, DAAD, JICA, SEAMEA RIHED, etc..........

Different projects have been successfully through the assistance
from many countries and international organizations.
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The student mobility and the mutual recognition of qualifications in
higher education have been approved by the Ministry of Education
and its professional body based on the international, bilateral and
multilateral agreements.

The issue on mutual recognition in higher education have been
discussed within the cooperation with UMAP, SEAMEA RIHED,
Confrasie, Latin America etc...

IV. Arising Issues Concerning Recognition of Studies,
Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education

Issues from impact of globalization and mutual recognition practices-
new providers of higher education, transnational higher education, e-
education, virtual universities, etc. are concerned with the education
system and the contents of the study programs of each country.

Besides the issues of equitable access, quality and relevance and
the administration and management of higher education in Lao PDR,
the mutual of recognition of degrees are the main issues for the
student mobility, student and staff exchange.

The students graduated from higher education institutions in Lao
PDR were not automatically granted to higher education institutions
in overseas due to the not acceptance of the mutual recognition of
prior learning and previous qualifications and degrees.

V. Suggestions for the 7
th
Session of the Regional
Committee

The share of best practice on the mutual recognition of studies,
diplomas and degrees in higher education would be benefit to the
new member for ratification this regional convention.

The list of approved universities and other higher education for each
overseas country could be disseminated to the countries in the Asia
Pacific Region for their information.

There is a need to organize a policy dialogue with the Minister of
Education on the ratification of the convention of the recognition of
studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the
Pacific.
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Republic of Maldives Dr Mamood Shougee

1. Introduction

Higher education in the Maldives is provided by the Maldives College
of Higher Education (MCHE), and a number of small-scale private
learning centres. MCHE, established in 1998 by the Government of
Maldives, is the only degree-granting institution. It was formed
through the merger of several tertiary institutions in the Maldives.
MCHE offers 28 certificate programs, 6 diploma programs, 2
advanced diploma programs, and 2 degree programs. Its faculties
include: Health Sciences, Hospitality and Tourism, Management and
Computing, Engineering Technology, and Marine Studies. MCHE is
governed by a College Council. In 2002, 2055 students were
enrolled in MCHEs long-term courses, i.e. courses that are up to or
longer than one-academic year. And 2592 students participated in
short-term courses of MCHE in 2002.

Private sector is encouraged to participate in higher and continuing
education. In spite of limitations, a number of small private learning
centres have emerged. Sixty-six such institutions are registered with
the Government up-to-date. Many of them offer certificate and
diploma level programs in computer studies, information technology,
management, and business studies. Seventy-five short and long-
term certificate and diploma level programs conducted by such
institutions were registered in 2002. It is estimated that 2500 to 3000
students would be enrolled with such private institutions at given
time.

It is estimated that 1000 to 1500 Maldivian students are pursuing
diplomas, degrees and graduate qualifications abroad at any given
time. This number is significant in consideration of the countrys
small population size of 270,000. Many of them are on scholarships,
while an increasing number of students are funding their own
studies. The most popular study abroad destinations for Maldivian
are Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, Australia and
Egypt.. The increasing number of students studying abroad has lead
to the need to develop a policy and procedure for Governments
recognition of qualifications earned abroad.


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a) Recognition of qualifications awarded by higher education
institutions within Maldives

The rapid expansion of higher education means that quality
becomes a formidable challenge. As a step towards quality
assurance, the Maldives Accreditation Board (MAB) was created on
August 14, 2000, under the Ministry of Education. On the
recommendation of the MAB, the Government formulated the
Maldives National Qualifications Framework (MNQF). This
Framework consists of 11 levels of qualifications: Certificates I,
Certificate II, Certificate III, Advanced Certificate, Diploma, Advanced
Diploma, Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree and Doctoral Degree.
MNQF sets out minimum entry requirements, credit hours and credit
points for each of the 11 qualifications. All qualifications issued by
MCHE and private institutions must fit requirements of one of the 11
qualifications of MNQF.

MNQF provides a comprehensive and coherent framework that
facilitates quality improvement, quality assurance, and private sector
participation in post-secondary education. It also ensures that
students, employers, education providers and the community at
large easily understand the learning outcomes involved in various
qualifications. The main objective of the MNQF is to provide
learners, employers, and education providers with qualifications that
a nationally standardized and quality assured. Specifically, MNQF is
designed to: (1) rationalize and recognize various industry,
vocational and academic qualifications within a coherent system, (2)
support flexible and continuous upgrading of knowledge and skills
through life-long learning, (3) and (4) provide a framework for private
education providers to demonstrate credibility and quality.

The provider of a course of study, leading to any of these
qualifications, is required to submit a course document detailing the
following: credit points, entry-requirements, curricular content,
qualifications of instructors and details of academic and physical
facilities available for course delivery. Policies and procedures
regarding examinations and assessment, granting of advanced
standing (if any), student record keeping, attendance, disciplinary
matters and fee payment are required to be detailed in the course
document. A panel appointed by MAB would review the course
document and provide the approval to commence a course of study.
Following the commencement of the course of study, MAB reviews
the progress of the course by a process observation, document
analysis, and student and staff interview.

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Theoretically, MNQF allows all qualifications to have a purpose and
interrelationships. The theoretical framework is designed to provide
articulation from one qualification to the other, by recognizing prior
learning. MNQF is designed to provide pathways for learning.

The intended beneficiaries of MNQF include the learners, the
employers, and the providers of education and training. Learners
benefit by increased transferability and mobility through recognition
of qualifications from various institutions and sources. Employers
benefit through assurance of quality of qualifications relevant to the
industry needs. Education and training providers benefit by validating
the quality of their courses and certificates and by offering
standards-based training for nationally recognized qualifications.

b) Recognition or Validation of Qualifications Offered by
Institutions Abroad

Qualifications conferred by institutions abroad could be submitted to
the Maldives Accreditation Board for recognition. It is voluntary and
most candidates submit such qualifications with respect to
application for Government employment and scholarships. The
process is voluntary and is subject to a service fee of US$7.78. A
standing panel constituted by MAB, consisting of 8 members,
reviews and recommends qualifications issued abroad for validation.
The MABs Panel for Validation of Overseas Qualifications
considers the following principles in validation such qualifications.

1. The qualification should be issued from an institution that is
recognized and registered in the institutions home country

2. The original of the qualification, including a valid transcript
and any other relevant supporting documents, should be
available.

3. The concerned qualifications academic-load, in terms of
credit points, or the duration, in academic years, should fit
that of the relevant qualification in MNQ.

4. The concerned qualifications entry requirement should
meet the entry requirement of the corresponding
qualification of the MNQF.

Agreements
Apart from the Regional Convention on the Recognition of Studies,
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Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific,
no bilateral or multilateral agreement is followed in recognition of
qualifications in higher education. However, with respect to
recognition of qualifications issues abroad, MAB continuously
collects and updates information from institutions in countries where
Maldivian students study abroad. In this regard, MAB liaises with
respective accrediting bodies and national authorities. When a
qualification from a previously unknown institution is submitted for
validation, every effort is made to obtain detailed information
regarding the institution and the concerned qualification. In this
regard, MAB is developing a data-base of institutions from which
Maldivian students obtain qualifications abroad.

4. Arising Issues

1. The pressing issue is the recognition of overseas qualifications.
Prior to October 2001, qualifications obtained abroad were
reviewed by the Department of Public Examinations for official
government purposes only. However, the formation of the MABs
Panel on Validation of Overseas Qualifications, has opened the
door for anyone interested to apply for validation of overseas
qualifications. As a result, Maldivians and expatriates are
increasing applying for validation of overseas qualifications. In
2002, 661 overseas qualifications were submitted for validation,
out of which only 9 were rejected and 63 were held unprocessed
due to lack of sufficient information. This is an 89% validation
rating. Overseas qualifications validated in 2002 include: 316
certificates, 135 diplomas, 103 bachelors degrees, 2 graduate
diplomas, 19 Masters degrees and 1 doctoral degree. Up to 12
th

March 2003, a total of 214 qualifications have been validated, 4
were rejected, and 28 were held for additional information.
Regarding this issue, information gathering for institutions and
their academic programs is a challenging task. To this effect, an
internet portal of the Asia Pacific Region with a standard set of
information regarding institutions and respective qualifications
would be helpful for all accrediting agencies as MAB. The lack of
trained personnel to conduct such validation is also pressing
challenge. Therefore, regional training in this regard would is
suggested.

2. The mushrooming of new private academic institutions,
transnational higher education, and e-education is an emerging
issue with respect to validation of overseas qualifications. The
status of new institutions with respect to home-country
recognition and credibility is difficult to clarify. In the absence of
an internationally-applied criterion for accreditation e-education,
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MAB applies the following principle, in addition to those listed on
p. 4, in validating e-education courses. That is, students who
undertake such courses must register their enrolment in the
respective course with the Department of Public Examinations.
The pertinent academic assignments and examinations of the
respective course must be supervised by a person who is
recognized for that purpose by the Department of Public
Examinations.

3. The recognition of Maldivian qualifications in Asia Pacific regional
countries has not emerged as a significant issue. It is so because
a relatively few Maldivians, with qualifications from home
institutions, have tried to obtain university placements, or transfer
of academic credits, or employment, in regional countries.
However, the growing number of students pursuing higher
education at home, coupled with the narrowing employment
market, is expected to entice Maldivians to seek work and study
opportunities abroad. Therefore, international recognition of
Maldivian qualifications abroad is expected to emerge as an
issue in the future. Keeping this situation in sight, MABs goal is
to facilitate the development of an internationally credible post-
secondary education in the Maldives.

4. The current MNQF is biased to fit formal academic learning and
credentials. MNQF does not fully acknowledge, or provide details
of, how employment-oriented training programs will be accredited
and laddered into the formal credentialing system. Defining of
occupational competencies, standards and performance
assessment criteria is complex, because such definitions do not
readily align with excellence in academia. Therefore, MAB needs
to develop an internationally-recognizable criterion for accrediting
employment-oriented training.

Mongolia Mr Munkhbaatar Begzjav

1. Country profile
Mongolia is a located in the heart of Central Asia with an area of
1,560 million square km, bordering the Russian Federation to the
north, and the Peoples Republic of China to the south, east and
west. According to the year 2000 Population and Housing Censuss
preliminary results, the population stood at 2.328 million with an
annual growth rate of about 1.5 percent. In 1999, the percentage of
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population aged under 15 years was 35.8 and people aged under 35
make up 75 percent of the population, with 58.6 percent urban
inhabitants (NSO, 2000). Mongolia is a homogeneous nation
populated mainly by Mongols, but a small proportion (up to 5
percent) is represented by Kazakh. The official language is
Mongolian.

By the time the Mongolian nation came to the dramatic attention of
the world in the early 13
th
century, it already had a long and
trustworthy history. First human settlements going back 500
thousand years, were found in Mongolian territory, and early large-
scale empire such as the Gunns Empire (400-300 B.C) had their
origin from this part of the world. In more recent times, after
declaration of the Peoples Government in 1921, a single party, the
Mongolian Peoples Revolutionary Party, held a power until 1990. In
1992, a new constitution was adopted, with a democratic alliance
government in power from 1996 to 2000, when the MPRP was re-
elected on a social justice platform. During this century, Mongolia
has maintained close political and economic ties with the USSR. In
the period since 1991, Mongolia has been in the midst of transition
from a totalitarian regime with a centralized command economy to a
market-oriented economy.

2. Education System

The national education system consists of a complex set of
successive education programs including formal schooling and a
broad range of non-formal education activities devoted to the various
target groups of the population. In the field of educational institutions,
there are kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools,
universities, colleges and vocational educational institutions.

At the pre-school level, the enrolment rate was 30.0 percent in 2000.
In total, there are 668 primary and secondary schools nationwide.
The enrolment rate of 8 years and 7 years old in first grade of
primary schools is 92 percent and 19.7 percent, respectively, with
90.6 percent of children aged 8-15 years enrolled in educational
institutions. Overall, there were 117,946 students attending higher
and vocational training institutions in 2002. The following levels of
education and corresponding formal schooling institutions in
Mongolia are:

1. Pre-school kindergarten
2. In contrast to international K-12, general education in
Mongolia is ten years (4-years primary, 4-years secondary,
and 2-years upper secondary). Basic education (4+4) is
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compulsory and provided by the state free of charge.
According to the Law on Primary and Secondary Education
adopted in 2002, Mongolia will shift to 11 years of schooling
(5+4+2). Many primary and secondary schools are
combined in one school campus.
3. Technical education and vocational training (TEVT): TEVT is
provided by the professional training and production centers.
As well some branches of colleges and universities provide
education in TEVT. In May 2002, Law on Vocational
Education and Training was adopted by the parliament.
4. Higher education: (diploma, bachelor, master and doctorate)
are awarded by colleges, higher institutions and universities.

3. Higher Education

The development of higher institution systems the sub-structure of
the education system of Mongolia has its uniqueness.

It took relatively short time to develop the higher education system in
Mongolia, which used the duplicated education system of the former
Soviet Union and other east European countries. In regards with the
former socialist countries, they inherited the old system of higher
education, which had proven to be successful during the old times
after the socialist revolution. However, in case of Mongolia, we had
no previous experience of higher education system development.
Therefore, we started from the scratch by establishing completely
new institutions of higher education.

The first modern type of higher education institution-the National
University of Mongolia was established in 1942 in Ulaanbaatar.

In the academic year 2002-2003, there are 178 higher educational
institutions, of which 42 are state-owned higher educational
institutions.

There are 98,031 students in higher educational institutions of
Mongolia in order to obtain higher education, of which 31,197
students study at the private higher educational institutions.

Academic degrees (bachelor, master, and doctor) are awarded by
colleges and universities. The academic content of the higher
education is measured by credit hours.

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Education Degree
Duration of study
(year)
Content (credit hour)
Diploma

Bachelor

Master

Doctor
Not less than 3 years

Not less than 4 years

Not less than 5.5 years

Not less than 8.5 years
Not less than 90

Not less than 120 hours



According to the amendment of the Education Law in 2002, the
types of higher educational institutions are classified as universities,
higher institutions and colleges. Universities provide doctoral study,
whereas higher institutions are to offer master degree study.
Colleges offer undergraduate higher education, including Diploma
study.

The Ministry of Science, Technology, Education and Culture
(MOSTEC) is the central administrating body that formulates nation-
wide educational policy and sets the standard for each level of
formal education. As well, general provisions on educational matters
such as scheduling of the school year, preparation and publication of
textbooks for general secondary education, and state examination
procedures are administered by the Ministry. In addition, the Ministry
ensures the smooth implementation of the elaborated contents and
standards, and responsible for licensing of establishing higher
educational institutions, setting general typical provisions for
teaching and research.

In recent years, due to the openness, the higher educational
institutions have been expanding their relations with other institutions
abroad. In 2002-2003 academic year, 363 foreign students from 18
countries study at the Mongolian universities and colleges. Among
them, there are 21 re-trainees. In addition, over 300 students are
awarded by the Mongolian government scholarship to study abroad
including 116 re-trainees.

3.1 The challenges encountering higher education

To modernize the administrative structure of higher
education, to give more freedom for higher educational
institutions to function independently by improving the
knowledge and skills of the administrative staff and their
management skills to solve the education sector issues.
95
To maintain the integration of higher education by setting
content and environmental standard of higher education, to
create a condition to implement flexible and multi-dimensional
content
To bring the quality control and auditing standards to the
international level
To take into special consideration the issues regarding the
recognition of studies, diplomas and degrees in higher
education and make necessary arrangement accordingly

3.2 National policies on recognition of educational documents,
bilateral and multilateral agreements and arising issues
concerning the recognition of studies, diplomas and degrees in
higher education

Mongolian government pays special attention on establishing an
agreement for the recognition of studies, diplomas and degrees in
higher education. The MOSTEC is the main body responsible for this
issue. Currently, there is no law in existence to regulate the policy
coordination of this issue.

The MOSTEC has been taken special effort in the last 2 years
towards establishing an agreement for the recognition of higher
education documents. The inter-governmental agreements have
been established with Kuba and China. This year, the preparations
have been made to establish such agreement with the Russian
Federation. Furthermore, proposals for establishing agreement with
Ukrain, Bolgaria, Chechoslovakia are under way. On the other hand,
the Ministry is going to participate in the regional conference on the
recognition of the studies, diplomas, and degrees in higher
education.

In the face of increased globalization, creation of a mechanism for
the recognition of studies, diplomas and degrees in higher education,
on the other hand, fighting against the counterfeit of education
documents are among the critical issue facing education sector.

3.3 Coordination of higher education

Until recently, higher education in Mongolia was totally controlled by
the state. The period since the late 1980s has been characterized by
gradual transformation to more democratic structures. Starting with
the introduction of elected presidency of higher educational
institutions by academic staff, self-governance and major principles
of academic freedom and institutional autonomy have gone forward,
are now protected by state legislation. The Ministry maintains
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holding authority to appoint its representatives to the governing
boards of the state-owned institutions and implement its policy
through board decisions. In accordance with the legislation, the
founder of the institution should compose of 51 to 60 percent of the
board members. The ministry is authorized as a founder of public
institutions.

Prior to 1993, education at all levels was free and fully subsidized by
the government. A student fee structure in higher education was
introduced in 1993, but the government continues to provide
financial assistance in the form of grants and loans to students from
low income families and to those who demonstrate outstanding
achievement. In addition, public institutions receive allocations for
facility maintenance costs. A major condition for receiving
government financial support is that the institution must be
accredited.

3.4 Institutional governance

The Higher Education Law of 1995 states that academic degrees are
to be conferred by the institutions that offer the program. Previously,
undergraduate degrees were conferred by the Ministry. Graduate
degrees were considered as academic degrees and conferred by the
Supreme Council for Academic Degrees and Titles chaired by the
Minister and composed of academic from respective fields. In order
to confer academic degrees at undergraduate level, the Rector of the
institutions establishes an examination committee consisting of
professors from institutions and academics in related fields from
other institutions. To award a graduate degree, a dissertation
committee must be composed. Although new regulations
empowering the institutions are now in force, universities and
colleges are still requesting the Ministry to approve the composition
of the final examination committees.

4. Characteristics of Degrees and Diplomas

4.1 Types of degrees and diplomas

Formerly, higher educational institutions used mainly to offer
undergraduate programs leading to the award of a higher education
diploma with the title of specialist. Since 1993, both the Education
Law and Higher Education Law regulations now structure the
bachelors, masters and doctorate (Ph.D).

Meanwhile, the Academy of Sciences, a special statutory body, is
authorized to confer the degree of Doctor of Science for outstanding
97
and remarkable contribution to the national scientific endeavor. In
this sense, Doctor of Science is rather the title that indicates
distinguished achievement than an award-bearing degree.

4.2 Title and abbreviation of degrees and diplomas

Both the Education Law and Higher Education Law clearly state that
higher educational institutions in Mongolia confer academic degrees.
This contrasts with former professional specialist degrees.
However, degrees conferred by accredited institutions in the fields of
humanities, social sciences, management, engineering and
education are generally considered to be certification for career entry
into a profession. The titles of various degrees indicate the field of
study. For example, Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Physics, Bachelor
of Arts (BA) in Mongolian language and literature, Master of Science
(M.Sc) in Chemistry, etc. Titles of programs are modified by the
Ministry in consultation with institutions in order to coordinate
programs offered by different institutions. At the same time, it can be
noted that titles and their qualifications are currently in the process of
formation. Therefore, titles and degrees awarded by institutions vary.
Special attention should be given to differences between old and
new degrees as well as institutions authorized to confer degrees.

4.3 Information contained in the degree document

The document certifying an academic degree is called the Diploma.
Before the enactment of current law, all public institutions issued
diplomas with a uniform format which was approved by the Ministry.
Since 1995, there is no unified format for diplomas since the
diplomas are issued by the institution. Even so, there is a Ministry
regulation that all diplomas must contain the following: full name of
the holder, name of the program offered, title of the degree
conferred, and name of the institutions. In addition, all diplomas are
supplemented with annexes (types of academic transcript) that
indicate names of courses taken by the holder, related credits and
grades, and title and final examination grade of dissertation/thesis
defense.

5. Practical experience

Practical training is considered as a necessary part of the higher
educational curriculum. Different types of practical training are
exercised by the institutions: seminars, directed study, labs, and
learning practice within campus, technological practice, observatory
survey under supervision in workplace conditions, and pre-diploma
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independent practice at selected work stations. Duration and types
of practical training vary depending on the fields of study.

Extensive practical training is required for medical, engineering,
veterinary, and performing arts programs. Up to 10 weeks long pre-
diploma practical training is planned for schedule in all
undergraduate programs.

At the graduate level, practical training has a more research-oriented
character. Both thesis and dissertation works require conducting
independent research.

6. Grading and Evaluations

Assessment and grading of student performance and achievement is
regulated by the institutions. However, the Ministry has directed
universities and colleges to introduce an equalization formula which
unifies the grading system within Mongolia and also parallels that
used internationally, i.e., A,B,C,D, and F, with a figure equivalent of
4,3,2,1 and 0. Until 1998, a 5-figure grading system was used in
Mongolia, although in reality only four of them, specifically 5,4,3, and
2 (5 being highest and 2 standing for fail) were used. In effect,
grades previously used can easily be transferred to the new
international version. It should be noticed that those students who
did not pass at least one course requirement would not be conferred
a degree.

Nepal
Mr Rameswor Shrestha

1. Introduction:

a) Geography
Nepal is situated on the southern slopes of the mid-Himalayas in
central Asia. It is located between 20 12 and 30 27 north latitude
and 80 4 and 88 12 east longitude. The average length is 885
Km and the average width is 193 Km.

Nepal, surrounded east, west and south by India and north by
Tibet(China), is a land locked country with an area of 147,181
square Km and its nearest seacoast is 1127 Km away in India.
Geographically, the country is divided into three main regions:

99
i) Himalayan region 15 %
ii) Mountain region 68 %
iii) Tarai (plain) region 17 %

There are many peaks exceeding 8000 meters in this Himalayan region and
Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world. Its height is 8848 meters.
Some other famous peaks are

1. Kanchanjanga 8,598 meters
2. Lhotse 8,501 meters
3. Makalu 8,475 meters
4. Manasalu 8,156 meters
5. Cho-oyu 8,153 meter

6. Dhaulagiri 8,137 meters
7. Annapurna I 8,078 meters
8. Annapurna II 8,078 meters.

Politically, the country is divided into 5 development regions, 14 zones and 75
districts. Each district is further divided into village development committees
and Nagar Palikas. These divisions are used as the administrative units.

Although there are dozens of different languages and dialects, Nepali
language is the national and official language and is the mother tongue of
more than 50 % people. It is also the medium of communication between two
individuals who speak different languages/dialects.

b) Higher education system in Nepal
Before 1951, the country was ruled by the Rana family for 104 years.
There was no provision for the education of the people. There were
a few numbers of so called educated people and they were from the
ruling family themselves. There were no chances for the general
people to get modern education and no such schools to go. But as
an exception, there were altogether 321 primary schools scattered
all over the country, whose objectives were to teach reading, writing
the vernacular subjects and to some extent arithmetic. The main aim
of these schools was to produce the civil servants to serve the
government. There were only 11 secondary schools and 2 higher
education institutes.
In 1951, the family rule was overthrown, and democracy was
established. So after 1951 many schools and colleges were
established all over the country. By 1970, the number of primary
schools reached 7,256 in number and similarly secondary level
school and higher level institution reached up to 1065 and 49
respectively. In 1959, Tribhuwan University was established. Up to
1970, for each and individual school and institution the government
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granted only a nominal financial aid. In 1971, government brought a
National Education System Plan, which tried to systematize the
whole education system. All the higher education institutions were
brought under Tribhuwan University. Now there are four more
Universities namely, Mahendra Sanskrit University, Kathmandu
University, Purbanchal University and Pokhara University. All these
universities were established by different Act. Each university has
different faculties and can award the degrees in the related subjects.
Each university is autonomous and independent entity. Each
university conducts its own entrance test to admit the students in
different faculties.The whole education system is divided as
following-
5 years primary education
3 years lower secondary
2 years secondary education
2 years higher secondary education
3 years bachelor degree education and
2 years master degree education

So there are altogether 12 years of schooling and only after that 3
and 2 years of university degrees are awarded in general subjects
such as in humanities, law and so on. But in case of technical
subjects such as in engineering the bachelor degree course is of 4
years duration and in medicine the course of bachelor degree is of 4
and half years plus one year practical internship. All these degrees
are awarded by the respective universities.

c) Number and type of institutions
There are altogether 5 universities and under each university there
are number of institutions run by the university itself. There is also a
provision to grant permission to run the private institutions under any
university which is leveled as affiliation to that university. In this case
the particular institution has to offer the same courses permitted by
the university. The number of institutions is given below:

University Institution under university Affiliated
Tribhuwan University 61 194
Katkmandu University 6 12
Mahendra Sanskrit University 12 4
Purbanchal University 2 42
Pokhara University 1 27

d) Enrollment
Number of students enrolled in higher education by institution and level of
education are given below. These figures do not include the number of
students from the private colleges.
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2000/2001

Institution Bachelor level Master level

Engineering 1378 -
Medicine 574 209
Agriculture and Animal Sciences 564 -
Forestry 229 -
Education 13280 1857
Humanities and Social Sciences 22191 6586
Science and Technology 4921 1159
Management 19429 3671
Law 3740 96
Sanskrit 424 112

e) Government Agencies in charge of coordination of higher education
The Ministry of Education and Sports is responsible for national policies on
higher education. And it is also a line ministry to coordinate among ministries
and foreign agencies regarding higher education though all the universities
are autonomous in nature by law> Beside the Ministry, the University Grant
Commission (UGC) also coordinates among the universities and university
related matters.

f) Degree conferring agencies
Each university is independent to confer the degree to students who complete
their degrees directly under that particular university.

g) Foreign students and students studying abroad:
The number of foreign students who come to study in Nepal in different
subjects are given below (2001/2002):

At Tribhuwan University 566

At Kathmandu University 116

At other Universities 1

*Students from India are not included in this figure.

The number of students who went to study abroad in different subjects are
given below (2001/2002):

Australia 87
Bangladesh 52
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China 224
Russia 43
UK 552
USA 686
Other countries 443 (including Austria, New Zealand, Cyprus, Germany
etc.)

Beside these there are a huge number of students who go to study in India.
Because of the open boarder and not necessary to have visa between these
two countries, it is very difficult to maintain statistics in this regard.

h) Issues arising
Many students go to study abroad in different subject areas. When they come
back with their degrees from foreign universities, the recognition of those
degrees sometimes become problem to the universities here, because these
universities here do not offer such kinds of courses. Then the depending
factors to solve these kinds of problems will have to be the years of schooling.
The same kinds of problems prevail to those students who go to study abroad.


Some of the universities have established the bilateral agreements with
foreign universities. In such situation, there is no such problem regarding the
recognition of qualifications among these universities. But in the case where
there are no such provisions, the Tribhuwan University is responsible to do
this job. Curriculum Development Centre of Tribhuwan University is the
authorized agency to look after this problem. There are no laws as such in this
regard. The above said centre with the help of other different faculties of the
university takes care to resolve the problem of recognition of degrees
conferred by the foreign universities.

3. International Cooperation, Bilateral and Multilateral Cooperation

All the existing universities in Nepal are free to establish bilateral or
multilateral agreements with foreign universities. The practice is each
individual university is having bilateral agreements with universities abroad in
their own initiations. If in case the government help is needed, the Ministry of
Education and Sports always extends its help to coordinate in this issue.

4. Arising Issues

Because of the impact of globalization, the students from one country are
moving to another country in search of good education to update themselves
to latest information and technology to fit in the existing condition and survive.
103
This is a general tendency of human behaviour. But the recognition of those
educational degrees earned in one country sometimes becomes the problem
in another country. This kind of problem, truly speaking, does not and should
not have any significant value. All that need to be taken care is to establish
mutual consentious and agreement. And there should be a organization in
each country to look after and take care in this issue.

5. Suggestion

As said above, in each country there should be an organization to look after
this issue. This organization can be either the Union of Universities (UOU ) or
the University Grant commission (UGC ) or any third organization where these
kinds of institutions do not exit. Ministry of Education from each country can
be a great help to create such kind of authorized organization.

Sri Lanka
Professor K Tillekeratne

The Higher Education System
In Sri Lanka the main institutional system which offers degrees and
related qualifications comprises twelve Universities of the
conventional model and one Open University. These Universities
derive their legal authority to offer degrees by an Act of Parliament.
While each University enjoys academic autonomy all of them come
under the purview of the University Grants Commission (UGC)
whose functions include the disbursement of funds, formulation of
student-admission criteria and setting administrative guidelines and
norms. Each University has its own governing body called the
Council, the Senate which is the highest academic policy making
body, the Faculty Boards of study which report to the Senate, and a
plethora of committees to facilitate decision making at all levels.

The twelve conventional Universities admit students into the
undergraduate programmes directly from the senior secondary
schools and provide undergraduate education without levying fees.
The present enrolment of undergraduates in these Universities
stands approximately at 39,000 which represents 2% of the relevant
age group.

These Universities may also conduct fee levying courses such as
Bachelors Degree programmes for external students and
postgraduate programmes. These opportunities are widely made
use of and the numbers presently enrolled in such programmes are
in excess of one hundred thousand.
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The Open University offers a very wide variety of fee levying
programmes of study and the number of students registered
currently stands approximately at 21,000.

Outside the system of Universities, Sri Lanka also has a few degree
awarding institutions, created by Acts of Parliament, to service
special sectors of national activity - an example being the National
Institute of Education which, apart from performing a variety of other
educational functions, also offers Diplomas, Bachelor and Master
courses for school teachers and educational administrators who are
already in service.

Modularisation of Course Content
As a first step towards establishing comparability of similar
programmes of study in different Universities, the Universities of Sri
Lanka have completed the modularisation of the course contents
and adopted a bi-semester academic year.

Together with the modularisation a fully-fledged course-credit system
with the usual attendant characteristics has been adopted.

This form of assessment will, in the future, constitute the basis for a
Common Credit Currency system among the Sri Lankan Universities.

Quality Assurance in Sri Lankan Universities
The need for Quality Assurance in the Sri Lankan Universities was
first recognised by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Directors
(CVCD) in January 2001. The CVCD organised a three-day
Workshop in February 2001, for Vice-Chancellors and Senior
Academics, with inputs from two British experts and an Indian
expert, to consider relevant issues. The Workshop achieved
consensus on a variety of issues and came up with a comprehensive
set of recommendations for pursuance at appropriate levels.

The University Grants Commission (UGC), having adopted the
recommendations, established a Committee on Quality Assurance
under my Chairmanship to give effect to the recommendations. The
Committee comprises the Vice-Chairman of the UGC, a member of
UGC and three Vice-Chancellors. The UGC has been able to
secure World Bank assistance for launching a Quality Assurance
(QA) project in the Sri Lankan Universities.

The QA project comprises four stages, all of which are supported by
two British Consultants. Whilst a Quality Assurance Handbook for
use in the Sri Lankan Universities was completed in Stage I, one
105
hundred subject reviewers and thirty institutional reviewers were
trained in Stage II. About a dozen pilot subject reviews and a pilot
institutional review were conducted during the Stage III of the project
in September 2002. Actual reviews are scheduled to begin in the
first Quarter of this year. Evaluation of results of reviews and
refining of procedures will take place during the Stage IV of the
project in March/April 2003. It is planned that the institutional and
subject review cycles will be coordinated so that one can inform the
other. The first institutional review cycle will begin in 2003 and end
in 2005. Four institutional reviews, one in each quarter, will take
place in each year. The first subject review cycle will begin in 2003
and end in 2007. The subjects will be clustered so as to enable all
subjects to be covered in the cycle with an even distribution, as
possible over the years.

The Way Ahead
The current status and the future vision of Quality Assurance in Sri
Lanka are encapsulated in Figure I. As indicated there the following
four aspects remain to be addressed:
Academic Procedures Handbook;
Sri Lankan Qualifications Framework;
Subject Benchmarking and Academic Standards; and
Sri Lankan Credit Transfer Scheme.

An Academic Procedures (AP) Handbook providing guidance on
good practice and national level would greatly facilitate the
implementation of QA mechanisms.

The AP Handbook would include a collection of codes of practice to
be developed in respect of the following areas:

Assessment of students;
External examining;
Postgraduate research degrees;
Programme approval and review;
Student feedback and support; and
Staff training and development.

Any other codes of practice that need to be developed will be
attended to in consultation with Senior Academics. Once the
Handbook is completed, individual Universities will be expected to
use it as guidance for their own practice and may supplement it with
local handbooks that reflect practice in individual institutions.

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Benchmarking Subject Standards and the development of a Sri
Lankan Qualifications Framework (SLQF) are important and natural
extensions of the Quality Assurance Project. These will underpin
and inform the quality assurance objectives and procedures
developed through Stages I III of the project.

The University Grants Commission has already accepted the
recommendation made by the Committee on Quality Assurance for
the establishment of a series of Inter-University Subject Committees
comprising relevant Professors, Heads of Departments and experts
from outside the University system as may be required. These
committees will serve as feeder committees to the existing Standing
Committees of the University Grants Commission while attending to
subject specific matters such as preparation of Benchmarking
Subject Standards and Qualification Descriptors.

A proposal to formally establish a Credit Transfer Scheme (CTS)
among the Universities, in order to provide more extensive and fairer
opportunities for student mobility within the system, has already
been accepted by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Directors.
It will help consolidate the gains already made through the adoption
of a modularised credit based system.

Impact of Globalisation on Higher Education
Radical elements in the country are totally opposed to
commodification of education;
they denounce as unacceptable the notion of education being a
tradable commodity; they strongly support the notion of education
remaining a public good.

In a situation where the Government is not in a position to meet the
total demand for higher education, it is desirable to allow the
transnational provides of education to operate within a regulatory
framework.

Transnational education falls into two broad categories:
Programmes conducted in the distance mode using new
information and communication technologies; and

Programmes conducted in the traditional classroom
setting but use peripatetic lecturers from the mother
University or locally hired instructors.

In the latter category the participation of personnel from the mother
University at the launching of programmes is a strategy employed
with the sole purpose of attracting students. It is regrettable that in
107
some instances the mother University is not even represented at the
Convocation ceremony for the award of Degrees.
Thus there is much to be desired in the practices of the private
providers of education conducting Diploma/Degree courses on
behalf of non-resident mother-institutions which have been
increasing in numbers in the recent years.

Presently the work related to QA is handled by the Committee on
Quality Assurance, the probable fore-runner of a fully-fledged QA
Agency in Sri Lanka. The ambit of the Committee on Quality
`Assurance is restricted to the University sector. However, all the
higher educational institutes including the private providers of higher
education will come under the purview of the Quality Assurance
Agency, once it is established.

Topics for Discussion
The exposure of the higher education sector to the forces of
globalisation has led to a rapid increase in the demand for higher
education. The Universities would be expected to meet the
demands of such massification of higher education without
compromising the quality of curricula in terms of excellence
relevance and balance. Implementation of following strategies could
bring redress to the situation prevailing in Sri Lanka.

Adoption of dual mode delivery i.e. augmenting the
traditional contiguous teaching mode with the distance
teaching mode.

This would involve harnessing of the New Information and
Communication Technologies (NICTs) to maintain the quality of
courses and to optimise the efficiency of the distance delivery mode.

Franchising of courses prepared by other Universities.

This would involve both North-South and South-South cooperation
through the provision of concessions and assistance by the well
established Universities of the world to those Universities of the
South facing shortages in terms of human and physical resources.
In an era in which a paradigm shift in the Information and
Communication Technologies is taking place it is important to allow
the Universities of the South to benefit from easy access to
educational software which facilitate interactive learning. The full
realisation of benefits in this area is contingent upon the resolution of
intellectual property rights in a way which will accommodate the
needs of the academic community of the South for circulation of
knowledge on a non-profit basis.
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108

The latter strategy merits canvassing at the next round of
negotiations on General Agreement on Trade and Services (GATS).

As it is likely that the transnational providers, backed by powerful
forces, are likely to gain concessions at the next round of GATS
negotiations, adoption of a resolution at the Seventh Session calling
for the setting up of an international regulatory body to examine and
monitor the credentials of transnational providers would contribute
towards bringing about order to a chaotic situation.

109
University Grants Commission
Committee of Vice-Chancellors
Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission
Professional Associations

Figure I
Intra University
Committees
Inter University
Subject Committees
University Senates
Quality Assurance Project - Sri Lanka

Quality Assurance Handbook*
Training of Reviewers*
Institutional and Subject Reviews

Credit transfer system

for Sri Lanka

Subject Benchmarking

and academic standards

Sri Lankan Academic
Procedures
Handbook -
guidance on academic practice
e.g. programme approval

Sri Lankan Qualifications

Framework - guidance on the level,
volume and nomenclature of
academic awards
Universities
Institutes of Tertiary Education
Employers
Institutes of University
Tertiary Education Senates
Faculty Boards

* Already completed
Commenced in September 2002 To be completed by December 2003

Report of the

Seminar on the Assessment of Overseas
Academic Qualifications

held in conjunction with the

Seventh Session of the Regional
Convention Committee

18-19 March 2003, Perth, Australia

113
1. Introduction
The Seminar on the Assessment of Overseas Academic
Qualifications was held in conjunction with the Seventh Session of
the Regional Convention Committee on 19 March 2003 in Perth,
Australia.

The Seminar was organised by Educational Standards Branch, AEI
Group within the Department of Education, Science and Training in
co-operation with the UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for
Education, Bangkok as a practical step towards implementing and
realising the objectives of the Regional Convention. This was the first
occasion of such a seminar being held in conjunction with the
Regional Committee meeting and the Seminar provided the
opportunity for assessing authorities from around the Asia-Pacific
region to share information about their national systems and
methodology and to discuss specific recognition issues.

2. Welcome to Delegates
As Chair of the Seminar, Ms Rhonda Henry (Branch Manager,
Educational Standards Branch, AEI Group, Department of
Education, Science and Training, Australia) welcomed delegates. Ms
Henry said that the Regional Convention charged Members to take
all feasible steps to ensure that each country is able to recognise
higher education qualifications awarded in the other countries in the
region and to establish and improve the system for the exchange of
information regarding the recognition of studies, certificates,
diplomas and degrees. The Seminar was proposed in order to help
create a more cohesive community of qualifications assessors, in
which information would be more easily exchanged and issues could
be more freely discussed between countries of Asia and the Pacific.
Ms Henry expressed her hope that the Seminar would provide a less
formal forum that would enable detailed discussions about
qualifications assessment issues, consideration of priorities for
developing as an international community of assessors, and for
implementing measures to help achieve the aims of the Regional
Convention.

3. Presentation of Country Papers on Assessment
All seminar participants were requested to provide a short paper to
provide details regarding:
authority for decision-making regarding the assessment of
overseas qualifications for entry into higher education;
Seminar on the Assessment of Overseas Academic Qualifications
114
whether countries use a list of approved universities and higher
education institutions in other countries when assessing
overseas qualifications;
key factors in making decisions regarding qualifications
assessments for admission to higher education; and
whether assessments take into account the mode of study.
Reports were received from eleven countries and are attached to the
meeting record.

Five presentations were given at the seminar as follows:

Australia
Ms Mandy Wales gave a presentation on qualifications assessment
in Australia.

She said that in Australia the authority to make decisions regarding
the admission of students (including overseas students) to
universities rests solely with universities. The Australian government
does not have any legal authority to recognise overseas
qualifications or to enforce a particular admissions outcome.
However, through AEI-NOOSR which is a part of the Educational
Standards Branch, the Government seeks to facilitate and inform
admissions decisions in relation to overseas-trained applicants. AEI-
NOOSRs guidelines and advice inform over 90% of overseas
student admissions decisions made by Australian higher education
institutions.

In some cases the guidelines provided by AEI-NOOSR contain lists
of institutions, although the guidelines are not comprehensive for
every country. AEI-NOOSR is prepared to assess any mainstream
qualification awarded by a bona fide higher education institution on a
case by case basis.

The criteria used by AEI-NOOSR to assess overseas qualifications
include both quantitative and qualitative factors in relation to the
education system, the awarding institution, entry requirements to the
course of study, the structure of the program and in some cases,
marks or grades. AEI-NOOSR researches and analyses overseas
qualifications in terms of the criteria to compare them to mainstream
Australian qualifications.

The methodology developed and used by AEI-NOOSR is consistent
with the Recommendations on Criteria and Procedures for the
Assessment of Foreign Qualifications adopted by the Lisbon
Recognition Convention Committee in 2001.

Country presentations
115
Lao Peoples Democratic Republic
Dr Phonephet Boupha gave a presentation on qualifications
assessment in the Lao PDR.

The Department of Higher, Technical and Vocational Education
within the Ministry of Education has the authority to make decisions
regarding the assessment of overseas qualifications for entry into
higher education. However, following the merging of all higher
education institutions into the National University in 1995, since 2000
the Ministry has delegated certain functions to the National
University including the autonomy to make decisions regarding
student admissions.

Lao PDR does not have a list of approved overseas higher education
institutions. However, students with qualifications from institutions
that have twinning programs with the National University are
automatically granted entry to higher education.

Students who have completed secondary studies overseas are
considered suitable for entry to first degrees through either the quota
or non-quota streams. Quota students are admitted on the basis of
their educational outcomes while non-quota students are admitted
on the basis of results in the national examination.

Assessments do take into account the mode of study.

New Zealand
Ms Jo Doyle gave a presentation on the assessment of overseas
qualifications in New Zealand.

General standards for entrance into universities are developed by
the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) and universities
develop criteria that apply in cases where the general standards do
not. Individual universities have discretion in the application of these
standards. Entrance ad eundem statum (at the same level) is the
provision that allows entry to university for students with
qualifications gained outside New Zealand. Criteria for provisional
entrance and entrance ad eundem statum are determined by
universities.

There is no national list of approved overseas higher education
institutions or qualifications. Key criteria for assessments include the
period of study, educational outcomes, components of the program
of study and the level of study attained by the student.

116
Where the senior secondary system does not differ significantly from
that of New Zealand, overseas senior secondary qualifications that
would allow a student to matriculate in their home country are
generally recognised as meeting university entrance standards in
New Zealand. Students who have achieved at a specified level in
International Baccalaureate or Cambridge International
Examinations are also accepted by New Zealand universities.

NZQA also conducts qualifications assessments for a variety of
purposes, and such assessments may be used on a voluntary basis
by higher education institutions to assist decision making. Some
universities have established close links with the NZQA and seek
further information from the Authority when required.

NZQA takes into account the mode of study, particularly with respect
to online education. There is a high incidence of fraudulent
applications claiming qualifications obtained online. These
qualifications are also often less than one academic year in duration,
which means that they cannot be assessed against current New
Zealand benchmarks.

If an applicant is denied entry into a university under ad eundem
statum entrance provisions they may appeal against the decision to
the NZQA. If NZQA is satisfied that the applicant meets the entrance
criteria established by the universities, it allows the appeal and
directs the Council fo the university concerned to admit the applicant
as a student. The intent of this provision is to ensure consistency of
decision-making.

The Philippines
A presentation on the assessment of overseas qualifications in the
Philippines was given by Dr Ethel Agnes Valenzuela.

Dr Valenzuela informed seminar participants that the Commission on
Higher Education (CHED) is a separate and independent body from
the Department of Education and has a legal mandate to oversee
the higher education system. CHED has the authority to recognise
foreign academic qualifications and to assess whether the holder of
an overseas qualification has received the required academic
training to practice in their profession in the Philippines.

CHED maintains a list of accredited and recognised higher education
institutions all over the world, from information obtained through
consultation with embassies and Ministries of Education. Prospective
students with qualifications from these accredited higher education
Country presentations
117
institutions are not granted automatic entry and must still meet other
entry requirements for a course or profession.

When a prospective student seeks admission to a higher education
institution, CHED first determines whether the overseas learning
institution is recognised and/or accredited by the Ministry of
Education or similar organisation in the country where the
qualification was obtained. CHED then assesses the comparability
of subjects and the number of credits. If a qualification has been
obtained following distance or online study, CHED will only
recognise those awarded by fully accredited and recognised
distance education providers.

Students with overseas secondary education qualifications seeking
entry to a first degree in the Philippines must have their qualifications
assessed and must also meet any other requirements such as an
admission test.

Dr Valenzuela noted that the number of foreign students is not
permitted to exceed ten per cent of the total enrolment of an
institution.

CHED also undertakes qualifications assessments for employment
purposes. An applicant seeking to undertake the professional board
examination to practice his or her profession requires attestation by
CHED that their overseas academic qualification is equivalent to one
gained in the Philippines.

Sri Lanka
Professor K. Tillekeratne gave a presentation about Sri Lankas
assessment of overseas qualifications.

Professor Tillekeratne reported that admission to undergraduate
programs is centralized by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
A limited number of foreign students and Sri Lankan students who
have pursued secondary education abroad are admitted to each
program of study. These students must possess qualifications
determined by the UGC to be equivalent to G.C.E. (A/L)
examination, Sri Lanka.

Authority for admissions to postgraduate programs lies solely with
the Senate of each university.

It has been the practice of Sri Lankan universities to recognise
degrees awarded by universities of the British Commonwealth, the
118
USA and Member States of the Regional Convention on Recognition
of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Asia and the Pacific.

The mode of study is not taken into account when assessing
overseas qualifications.

4. Discussion of Assessment Methodologies
Participants discussed the difficulties posed by the wide variety of
assessment environments and methodologies across the region. For
the majority of countries represented at the Seminar, higher
education institutions have the authority to make decisions regarding
the admission of students and the assessment of overseas
qualifications for entry to higher education. However, in certain
situations in the Philippines and New Zealand, the final authority
rests with the government.

Many of the represented countries do not use a centrally approved
list of overseas institutions when assessing qualifications, although
some may grant recognition to qualifications from countries with
which agreements have been signed.

Key factors considered in assessing overseas qualifications range
from qualitative measurements such as period of study to
quantitative measurements such as educational outcomes and
assessment of ability to achieve. In some cases, quota systems
apply. In many countries the mode of study for which the
qualification was awarded is taken into consideration. In Mongolia
and Australia, it is not taken into account.

In discussing issues that arose from the presentations, it was agreed
that the restricted part of APARNET would provide an effective way
of sharing privileged information and the findings of the working
groups. Ms Henry noted that some broad themes had emerged from
the discussion about methodologies and suggested one way to
continue the dialogue on these and other issues would be for
delegates to use APARNET. At this stage, Ms Cheah was invited to
give the presentation on APARNET and to provide participants with
an overview of the features of the APARNET website and e-
discussion forum.

5. APARNET
Ms Evelyn Cheah (Director, Professional Recognition Unit,
Educational Standards Branch, AEI Group, Department of
Education, Science and Training, Australia) gave a presentation on
APARNET
119
APARNET the Asia Pacific Academic Recognition Network. She
noted that the Sixth Session of the Regional Convention Committee,
held in Bangkok, Thailand on 10 November 2000, had urged
UNESCO PROAP now UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional
Bureau for Education as the Secretariat to the Regional Committee
to establish an electronic network of regional national information
centres to facilitate the exchange of information on education
systems and qualifications, based on the UNESCO PROAP
website. Ms Cheah explained that Australia had offered to assist
UNESCO PROAP, now known as UNESCO Asia and the Pacific
Regional Bureau for Education, in developing the electronic network
and had established APARNET.

APARNET consists of a website on the public domain
(www.aparnet.org) with a restricted area including an electronic
discussion forum. Ms Cheah demonstrated how APARNET would
benefit the region and help to realise objectives of the Regional
Convention, particularly Articles 12.1 and 12.2, by facilitating the
sharing and distribution of information.

Seminar participants agreed that APARNET would be a great
resource for the region and agreed to form a working group to
determine options for future hosting arrangements, membership and
content of the Network. They also agreed to permit their respective
country reports and papers prepared for the Seventh Session of the
Regional Convention Committee and the assessment seminar to be
published on APARNET and that on-going access by Regional
Convention Member States to the secure information on APARNET
is subject to regular provision of information to the APARNET
administrator.

Future hosting arrangements were discussed and a resolution on a
model for this could not be agreed. Australia offered to continue to
host the Network until the working group has considered this issue.

Following the presentation and discussion of APARNET, participants
agreed on the establishment of a number of working groups to
examine:
Assessment of qualifications awarded for online and
distance education;
The establishment of a common terminology; and
Training strategies for Regional Convention Member
States,

Participants also agreed to provide information about the following
topics to be coordinated by UNESCO Bangkok:
120
Information about the establishment of universities and
attendant regulatory mechanisms;
Information about methodologies for the assessment of
overseas qualifications, including assessment criteria; and
Information about all agencies, government and non-
government, involved in the recognition process of higher
education and their interrelationships.

6. Assessing distance and online qualifications
Presentations on the assessment of qualifications awarded for
distance and online education were delivered at the Seminar as
follows:

Malaysia presented by Miss Maimunah Ali and Ms Zainon
Nor Ahmad
Miss Ali informed the meeting that in the Malaysian assessment of
overseas qualifications for admission to higher education, the focus
was on educational outcomes and competencies rather than the
mode of study. Ms Ahmad outlined the role of the Malaysian National
Accreditation Board and the approval process for Private Higher
Educational Institutions that seek to offer distance and online
education.

India presented by Dr Antony Stella
Dr Stella reported that in India, while qualifications gained through
distance education are considered equivalent to qualifications gained
through on-campus education, qualifications gained following online
study are currently not widely accepted. While the Government of
India and its agencies recognise academic qualifications gained
overseas, the same qualification would not be recognised if it had
been gained following study undertaken within India through
distance or online means. This issue of non-recognition affects only
employment prospects within the public sector. While foreign
qualifications achieved through such means within India are both
unregulated and unrecognized by the Government, they are growing
in popularity and acceptance outside the Government sector.

From the presentations and the country papers it was acknowledged
that there are a number of different views in the region as to how
such qualifications should be assessed. While some countries such
as Mongolia and Australia do not take into account the mode of
study when conducting assessments, the majority of countries do
differentiate between conventional, distance and online study
modes.

Diploma Supplement
121
Participants again endorsed the establishment of a working group as
agreed under the last agenda item to consider these issues in detail
and report to the next Asia-Pacific assessment seminar.

7. Consideration of the Diploma Supplement
Ms Henry introduced the concept of the Diploma Supplement, which
is an explanatory document accompanying a testamur that provides
a description of the nature, level, context and status of the studies
that were pursued and completed by the graduate, as well as
information about the education system to which the qualification
belongs.

Ms Henry explained that the Diploma Supplement was designed to
maximise academic mobility in Europe and is a strong provision of
the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher
Education in the European Region (the Lisbon Convention). As a
signatory to the Lisbon Convention, Australia has an obligation to
promote the use of the Diploma Supplement and is currently
implementing a pilot project with a number of higher education
institutions to investigate the capacity of universities to issue the
Diploma Supplement, produce examples from a range of disciplines,
identify the likely costs and clarifying the impact on universities
administrative practices.

Ms Henry outlined the benefits of the Diploma Supplement to the
Asia Pacific region including facilitating student mobility and making
qualifications more transparent and comprehensible to prospective
employers and university admissions officers.

The discussion of the issue was broad ranging. A number of other
Regional Convention Member States reported that they were also in
the process of conducting pilot projects on the Diploma Supplement,
while others expressed interest in initiating such projects. Questions
about the appropriateness of such an approach were raised, both as
it relates to the Convention and in relation to it overcoming issues
such as fraudulent qualifications. It was agreed by the meeting that
answers to such questions could best be given at the next meeting
once progress on trialling the initiative had been made.

Seminar participants endorsed the initiative taken by Australia in
implementing a pilot project on the Diploma Supplement and agreed
that Regional Convention Member States that undertook pilot
projects report on their progress at the next Regional Committee
meeting.

122
8. Resolutions
Participants of the Seminar on the Assessment of Overseas
Academic Qualifications adopted the following resolutions:

Resolution 1 Meetings of assessors
That:
1.1 Dedicated meetings for regional assessors be held under the
aegis of the Asia-Pacific Regional Convention, for network-
building and face-to-face discussion of recognition issues,
including possible workshop sessions;

1.2 Such a meeting be held once every two years, in association
with the Regional Convention Committee meeting; and

1.3 Participants be encouraged to send practitioners to this
meeting where possible.

Resolution 2 - APARNET
That:
2.1 A working group be established to consider:
a. Options for future hosting of the Network;
b. Membership arrangements for the Network; and
c. Future content for the website and Network.
It was noted that the working group will undertake work out of
session and it is unlikely that face
to face meetings will be required.

2.2 Member States of the Regional Convention undertake to:
a. Allow all country reports and country assessment papers
from the Seventh Session of the Regional Committee
and the Seminar on the Assessment of Overseas
Academic Qualifications to be published on the
APARNET website, to be updated at a later stage;
b. Send details of latest recognition-related projects,
activities and events for publication on the APARNET
website;
c. Agree for outcomes from Regional Convention Working
Groups to be published on the APARNET website;
d. Agree to send relevant publications to be published on
the APARNET website;
e. Provide contact details of National Information Centres
and inform the APARNET administrator of any changes
in future; and
f. Provide relevant links and any other appropriate
information.

Resolutions
123
2.3 Seminar participants note that APARNET will have two
sections. The main website will be available to the general
public and a secure, password-protected area will be
accessible only to Regional Convention Member States; and

2.4 Seminar participants note that on-going access by Regional
Convention Member States to the secure information on
APARNET is subject to regular provision of information to the
APARNET administrator.

Resolution 3 Working groups
3.1 That the formation of the following working groups and identified
membership be agreed to:

a. Working group on online and distance education, to:
consider the question of the assessment of
qualifications gained after distance or online study, or
following study at an off-shore campus of an institution
located in another country, and
present a paper on the assessment of such
qualifications at the next Asia-Pacific assessment
seminar
Membership: Maldives to lead, PRC, Australia, ROK and the
Holy See

b. Working group on establishing common terminology.
Membership: Australia to lead, India, PRC, Lao PDR and
Nepal

c. Working group on the development of appropriate training
strategies for Regional Convention members.
Membership: Republic of Korea to lead, Sri Lanka, Maldives,
Mongolia and the Philippines.

It was noted that most if not all of the working groups will
undertake work out of session and that it is unlikely face-to-face
meetings will be required.

3.2 All members are to provide the following information to be
coordinated by UNESCO Bangkok:

a. Information about the establishment of universities and
attendant regulatory mechanisms.

124
b. Information about assessment methodologies relating to the
assessment of foreign/overseas qualifications and including
assessment criteria.

c. Information about all agencies, government and non-
government, involved in the recognition process of higher
education and their interrelationships.

Resolution 4 Diploma Supplement
4.1 Appreciating the initiative taken by Australia in implementing a
pilot project of the Diploma Supplement, encourages other state
parties to implement such pilot projects on a voluntary basis.

4.2 Requests countries undertaking pilot projects to provide a report
to the next Regional Committee meeting.

9. Close
The Seminar was closed following concluding remarks from Ms
Henry.

Annexes

Seminar on the Assessment of
Overseas Academic Qualifications

127
Annex A: Agenda

Wednesday, 19 March 2003 Qualifications Assessment Seminar

1 Welcome to delegates

2 Comparative assessment methodologies
Presentations of 15 minutes each will be made by 5
selected delegations

3 Comparison of assessment methodologies

4 APARNET - the Asia Pacific Academic Recognition
Network

5 Assessing distance and online education
qualifications

6 Consideration of the diploma supplement

7 Future directions: Concluding session

129
Annex B: Schedule

Wednesday, 19 March 2003 Qualifications Assessment Seminar

Time
Agenda
Number
Agenda Item
09.00-09.15 1 Welcome to delegates
09.15-10.30 2 Comparative assessment methodologies
Presentations of 15 minutes each to be made
by 5 selected delegations
10.30-11.00 Morning tea break
11.00-12.00 3 Comparison of assessment methodologies
12.00-13.00 4 APARNET - the Asia Pacific Academic
Recognition Network
13.00-14:00 Lunch
14.00-15.00 5 Assessing distance and online education
qualifications
15.00-15.45 6 Consideration of the diploma supplement
15.45-16.15 Afternoon tea break
16.15-17.00 7 Future directions: Concluding session

131
Annex C: Comparative assessment methodologies
Country papers

Australia

Who has the authority to make decisions regarding the
assessment of overseas qualifications for entry into higher
education in Australia?

In Australia, authority to make decisions regarding the assessment
of overseas qualifications for entry into higher education rests solely
with higher education institutions. There are no procedures in
Australian law whereby an overseas qualification is formally
recognised in educational terms.

Authority to make decisions for membership of a professional body,
or professional licensing, rests with professional bodies and
regulatory agencies.

While the Federal Government does not have power to recognise
qualifications for entry to higher education, it seeks to facilitate the
recognition of overseas qualifications in Australia, and Australian
qualifications overseas. This underpins the export of education and
training services, the selection and settlement of migrants, and
professional mobility. The lead agency for this work is AEI-NOOSR,
which resides in the Educational Standards Branch, AEI Group of
the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST).

AEIs approach includes the development of information about
overseas education systems, services to assessing bodies, and
assessment services for overseas trained individuals.

Country Education Profiles

The flagship of AEIs information products is the Country Education
Profile (CEP) series. CEPs describe overseas education systems
and provide guidelines for gauging the comparability of their
qualifications, in terms of their educational level, vis--vis
qualifications awarded under the Australian Qualifications
Framework (AQF)
3
. The guidelines are generalisations about

132
qualifications, or groups of qualifications.

The views expressed in the CEPs are DESTs opinion only and are
not binding on higher education institutions.

Educational Assessments

AEIs assessment services for overseas trained individuals describe
the overseas qualification under consideration and indicate DESTs
opinion on its educational level vis--vis AQF qualifications. Like the
CEPs, the opinion expressed in an educational assessment is
DESTs opinion only. It is not binding on higher education
institutions.

Criteria for CEPs and Educational Assessments

In developing the CEPs and providing educational assessment
services, DEST considers the following factors:

Education System: AEI considers historical factors and
influences, the organisation of schooling, the organisation of
postsecondary and higher education, the level of resources
devoted to education, the role of external moderation and
examinations, regulation and quality assurance measures, and
administration of the education system including accreditation
in the private sector.

Awarding Institutions: AEI considers factors such as the
standing of the awarding institution in the country of origin, date
of establishment of the institution, whether it is public or private,
student and staff ratios, library and laboratory facilities,
programs offered including postgraduate programs, and quality
control mechanisms.

It is important to note that AEI only comments on and assesses
qualifications which have been awarded by bona fide public or
private institutions operating within the official educational
framework of the country concerned.

Entry Requirements: AEI considers the level of schooling
required for the program in question, particularly for non-
degree qualifications, the role of entrance examinations, and
competitiveness of entry to the program of studies leading to
the qualification. Such requirements usually indicate the level
at which instruction is given and the educational standards of
the program.
Annex C: Country Papers
133
Program Structure: AEI considers the level, length, structure
and orientation of the course leading to the qualification
including, in many cases, the level, breadth and depth of the
subjects studied, class/study hours, thesis/project
requirements, and applied practice.

Sometimes AEI considers the content of the study program but
only as a guide to the general subject coverage and orientation
and to help determine the area and level of study.

Marks or Grades: AEI sometimes takes marks or grades into
consideration in its assessments. Marks are used to upgrade
assessments where above average performance merits special
consideration. This is often done in cases where it is not
possible to say with confidence that all qualifications from an
institution, or group of institutions, can be compared to a single
Australian qualification.

In most cases where AEI takes marks or grades into
consideration, the cut-off is the mark used in the country of
origin as a cut-off mark, for example to determine entry to
postgraduate study.

Is there a list of approved universities and other higher
education institutions for each overseas country?

No, as indicated above, the Federal Government does not have
power to make binding decisions for admission to higher education.
Nor does the Federal Government publish a list of approved higher
education institutions.

DESTs CEPs do, however, contain specific guidelines for the
assessment of qualifications and, where possible, the guidelines
include lists of institutions. The lists are consistent with AEIs
principle of only commenting on qualifications awarded by bona fide
institutions.

While there is no obligation to use the CEPs, higher education
institutions advise that the CEPs inform 90% of their admissions
decisions. Australian higher education institutions have considerable
experience with overseas students and have a strong sense of how
well students will do in their programs. This influences how they use
the CEPs. For example:


134
A university may consider holders of secondary school
qualifications from some education systems suitable for
admission to Australian Bachelor degrees but, for other
countries, may require that the students have completed at
least one year of successful study towards a Bachelor degree
in their home country. In cases such as this they may use
the CEPs to gauge whether study completed in the home
country would lead to a qualification considered comparable
to an Australian Bachelor degree.

A university may generally require a qualification comparable
to an Australian Bachelor degree as a prerequisite for entry to
an Australian Masters degree, but they may accept a
qualification comparable to an Australian Advanced Diploma
4
,
plus suitable work experience. In either case they may
consult the CEP to gauge the educational level of
qualifications gained in the home country.

What are the key factors in making decisions regarding
admission to higher education?

AEIs CEPs, and other services AEI provides to support admissions
decisions, encourage higher education institutions to consider
qualitative factors in addition to quantitative factors such as years of
study.

In gauging the suitability of a students qualifications for entry to a
program of study, higher education institutions consider a range of
factors in addition to the educational level of the students previous
qualifications, factors that go beyond information set out in the
CEPs. This includes, for examples, discipline specific requirements
or demonstrated capacity to undertake research.

Do assessments take into account the mode of study?

AEIs CEPs and educational assessments do not take into account a
non-traditional mode of study unless the study program, its level, or
its outcomes, are different.
135

Peoples Republic of China


The universities which can recruit foreign students have their own
right to make decisions regarding the assessment of overseas
qualifications for entry into their universities.


CSCSE (China Service Center for Students Exchanges) ,who is
registered corporate body affiliate to the Ministry of Education,
Peoples Republic of China, has the official list of approved
universities and other higher education institutions in most of
countries in the world. Whether or not the students who hold the
qualifications from these approved institutions can accepted by
Chinese universities, depends on the universities to which they
apply.



Most of the Chinese universities concern the final diplomas and
academic records of students as well as other abilities. Different
universities have their different requirements for admitting the
overseas student. The mode of study is also taken into consideration
in assessment. Most of the Chinese universities are willing to accept
the students who studied by conventional on-campus.

Further details about study in China are available at
http://chinadaily.chinadaily.com.cn/studyinchina/index.html


136

India

There is no central authority to make decisions on the assessment of
overseas academic qualifications as of now. The Association of
Indian Universities provides the service of certifying the equivalence
of courses. For the prospective students, who seek admission, the
assessment of overseas qualifications is done on a case by case
approach by the institutions of higher education themselves. This
authority is exclusively with universities. However, with the
developments in GATS, the issue of recognition of qualifications
across national boundaries has become important in India.

There is no database available readily on the approved higher
education institutions (HEIs) for each overseas country. Hence, the
question of automatic recognition of qualifications from those HEIs
does not arise. Admissions are based on both the length of the
period of study as well as on educational outcomes. 12 years of
schooling is necessary (after the age of 5-6) to be considered
suitable for entry into higher education. However, judging the
competence of the students and the acceptability of outcomes varies
between institution to institution.

Within the country, equivalence of conventional mode and distance
mode of education and the qualifications obtained through those
modes are well accepted. The acceptability of qualifications through
online education is still not clear. It is left to the discretion of the
institutions. In general there are doubts about the online education.
India has been positive about extending mutual recognition of
qualifications beyond the country, especially in the Asia Pacific
region. It is a signatory to the regional convention of UNESCO for
recognition of studies, diplomas and degrees in higher education in
Asia and the Pacific adopted at the conference of states in Bangkok
in 1983, in which 33 states participated. India ratified the convention
on 2
nd
August 2000, which entered into force on 2
nd
September
2000.

137
Experience indicates that the regional convention has promoted a
congenial atmosphere to remove the procedural bottlenecks to make
student mobility possible. However, this does not guarantee
automatic recognition of qualifications and institutions continue to
have their own screening mechanisms and criteria. In the process of
screening, the reservations expressed by the institutions are about
three major issues:
(iv) Inconsistency in the levels and structure of the different
national systems of higher education,
(v) Lack of appropriate mechanisms that assure the quality of
educational provisions in some countries, and
(vi) Absence of a reliable mechanism or nodal agencies that
can be referred to on mutual recognition issues.

The recent developments in India do away with most of these
reservations as far as recognition mechanism for Indian
qualifications are concerned. The National Assessment and
Accreditation Council (NAAC) and the National Institute of
Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) are working
together to evolve a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) at the
instance of the Ministry for Human Resource Development (MHRD)
and the University Grants Commission (UGC). The quality assurance
processes are also well in place. NAAC has entered into a dialogue
with the quality assurance agencies of the other countries to explore
the possibilities of mutual recognition of quality assurance agencies
and their outcomes. It has been discussed in many meetings
including the meetings of the International Network of Quality
Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) and the Asia-
Pacific Quality Network and NAAC is active in pursuing this matter.
The forthcoming meeting of INQAAHE at Dublin during 14-17 April
2003 is expected to lead to further developments.

In India, issues related to assessment of overseas qualifications is
mostly about qualifications gained by study abroad or by partnership
programs in India. As of now, there is no foreign university or their
campuses in the country. However, there is no ban or regulatory
control on the overseas providers to offer their programmes in
collaboration with local partners or through virtual modes. Although

138
both the Government of India and its agencies recognize foreign
degrees studied abroad, they do not, as yet, recognize the identical
programs if studied in India by whatever means as transnational
programs. For example, a student who obtains a degree from
University X of UK has the qualification formally recognized whilst
the same degree obtained studying in India through distance taught
mode is not recognised. Even if university X as well as the UK
government maintain that both programs are identical, they do not
enjoy the same status in India. Thus, the overseas qualifications
obtained within the country remain unregulated and unrecognized
but grow in popularity or acceptance.

The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), for instance, works in
partnership with the University of Warwick. The Indian Institute of
Management, Bangalore does so with Lancaster University. These
partnerships lead to offering degrees in management studies in spite
of the fact that the degrees offered by the UK universities in these
transnational provisions are not formally recognized in India. In other
words, there is no formal regulatory framework and at the same time
there is no legal hurdle in entering the education market by the
cross-country providers. The issue of non-recognition of the
qualification will affect only the prospects of the students in getting
the government jobs, which are in any way not much in comparison
with the size of the global job market.

Efforts to regulate qualification recognition and credit transfer
systems have been initiated by UGC. The MHRD has identified the
Committee for Promotion of Indian Education Abroad (CoPIE) as the
nodal agency to lay down specific guidelines for registration of
foreign education service providers. It will also develop the policy
framework for qualification recognition.
139

Lao Peoples Democratic Republic

1. The Department of Higher, Technical and Vocational Education,
Ministry of Education Lao PDR has the Authority to make decisions
regarding the assessment of overseas qualifications for entry into
higher education.

This authority lies with the National University of the
government.

Referring to the Prime Minister's Decree on Establishing the National
University N. 50 .PM dated of June 1995, a majority of higher-level
administrative and academic decision-making functions will remain
within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education. In terms of
relevance and management, the revised Decree of NUOL dated of
09 June 2000 stipulated the academic and administrative autonomy
of the University. Since then the Ministry of Education was
delegating managerial functions to the National University.

The Ministry of Education maintains its supervisory and coordinating
roles over the NUOL in three important areas:
(i) policy and planning, including the approval of new policies,
new faculties and new academic programs;
(ii) institutional accreditation;
(iii) budget recommendations.

The National University has the autonomy in three main areas:
(i) establishment of new financial system to allow the NUOL to
manage its own revenue under the supervision of the
University of Council;
(ii) selection and admission of students;
(iii) curriculum design and development.

Remarks: There were 11 higher education institutions. Since 1995
all these higher education institutions were merged into
one National University.

2. Until now there are not yet a list of approved universities and
other higher education institutions for each overseas country. The
cooperation through the staff and student exchange has been based
on the twinning of Universities or Universities agreement.

140
Holders of qualifications from the twinning universities are
automatically granted entry to higher education in Lao
PDR.
Students who have completed secondary studies
education in other countries are considered suitable for
entry to first degrees (eg. Bachelor degrees) in the
country.

Remarks: Therefore the holders of qualifications from the institutions
in Lao PDR were not automatically granted entry to
higher education in overseas.

3. The key factors in making decisions regarding admission to
higher education in Lao PDR are the completion of upper secondary
school for the students from overseas and came to study through the
student exchange programme. The system of admission for those
students in the country is based on the system of quota and
non-quota. The quota students were selected based on their
educational outcomes.

The non-quota students were selected based on the national
examination.

The length of the period of study was not the issue for take into
consideration.

There is a common national approach based on the profile of each
education level.

4. Assessments do take into account the mode of study such as
conventional on-campus, distance education or online education.

Malaysia

Introduction
Malaysia had begun internationalising its institutions of higher
learning by establishment of branch campuses of foreign
universities, private universities and colleges, and the used of dual
medium of instruction in public universities, i.e. the national language
141
and English. This internationalisation entails mutual recognition of
foreign qualifications for admission into Malaysia higher education
institutions, be it private or public.

In Malaysia, there are several bodies that collectively have influence
and legislative position to recognize the various types of foreign
qualifications and certifications. They are the Public Services
Commission, the National Accreditation Board (LAN) and public
universities which have the power to ratify, endorse or deny
recognition of foreign qualifications. The Public Services
Commission determines recognition of various certifications
especially of degree programmes, for entry into public services, LAN
decides on the accreditation processes of the courses of studies in
private higher education institutions while the public universities are
given the autonomy by the Ministry of Education to scrutinize and
regulate admission into the public higher learning institutions of
foreign applicants.

Admission Mechanisms for Foreign Qualifications in Public
Universities
At present, public universities regulate their own admission policies
for international applications. These policies are determined by each
universities admission board or committee after consultation with
relevant foreign embassies or consulates had been made for
clarification, refer certifications to the Public Services Commission for
recognized qualifications and consult the Higher Education
Department of the Ministry of Education for the general admission
requirements of foreign applicants.

Although the Ministry of Education determines the general guidelines
for foreign applications, there is no one central unit or agency that
coordinates, provides guidelines, advice and support for university
admission and assessment of overseas qualifications of foreign
students. Referral to the Public Services Commission on overseas
admission is available only for degree qualifications. As for certificate
and diploma qualifications, reference to the respected countrys
education system and qualifications is made via foreign embassies
and consulates.

As a result, mechanisms to assess foreign qualifications for
admission into public higher learning institutions vary from one
institution to the other based on the criteria set by each university
admission board or committee. Although both LAN and Public
Services Commission gather data on foreign qualifications, these
data had never been systematically analysed, compared with local
qualifications, reported to and shared by all public universities in

142
Malaysia. To rub salt to the wound, the criteria used by public
universities may vary from the criteria used by LAN and Public
Services Commission even in evaluating degree qualifications. In
such a small country as Malaysia, such diversity could jeopardize
Malaysias aim to be a centre of academic excellence. To ensure
public confidence in academic standards, recognition of
qualifications and international comparability of standards, a
comprehensive, nationally consistent but flexible qualifications
framework must be established.

Malaysian Qualifications Framework
Malaysia does not have a formal qualifications framework as yet, but
the formal process of establishing a qualifications framework had
begun. An inter-ministerial council comprising of all ministries and
agencies providing training that leads to qualifications had been
formed to provide a clear and rational qualifications structure.

The qualifications framework would recognize that some
qualifications are pathways for overseas qualifications framework. It
also has a provision for interconnecting pathways into the
qualifications based on the general characteristics of education and
training at each level of the qualifications and competency standards
expressed as learning outcomes. By having a qualifications
framework in place, a formal mutual recognition of qualifications
could be established through regional and international collaboration.
Although final responsibility to recognize foreign qualifications lies
with individual public universities, mechanisms to assess foreign
qualifications for admission into public higher institutions would be
streamlined and standardized.

On the other hand, steps to obtain mutual recognition of Malaysian
qualifications abroad could be taken using the same mechanisms.

Conclusions
In the age of information and communication technology and cross
border mobility, developing a credible qualifications framework that
has international equivalence that ensures satisfactory services in
enhancing quality in higher education is of prime importance. This is
especially true when issues of laws and regulatory enforcement are
still in conflict. It is high time that procedures and criteria used as
mechanisms in assessing foreign qualifications are properly
conceived and conducted to address and overcome some of the
issues of recognition.

143
Mongolia

education in your country?

There is no authority to make decisions regarding the assessment of
overseas qualifications for entry into higher education in Mongolia.
The universities and colleges themselves accept the level of
overseas academic qualifications based on their educational
certification and qualifications obtained abroad. Foreigners who
would like to study at the Mongolian higher educational institutions
and to be involved in re-training need to possess previous degree
prior to enter into higher education. However, the government of
Mongolia sees mutual recognition of and agreements with other
governments on educational qualifications as tools to enhance
quality of education delivered and, at the same time secure the rights
of the degree holders to be employed consistent with their
professional status.


Currently we do not have the list of approved universities and other
higher education institutions for each overseas country.

Students, who have completed secondary studies education in other
countries and wish to enter to first degrees (Bachelor degrees) need
to take entrance examinations like other graduates from the
secondary schools.


The educational outcome is the main factor in making decisions
regarding admissions to higher education, not the length of the
period of study. Moreover, the admission decisions to higher
education depend on the policy of a particular institute.


The assessments of overseas academic qualifications do not take
into account the mode of study (eg. conventional on-campus,
distance education or on-line education).

144
Nepal

The assessment of overseas qualifications for entry into higher
education lies with the universities. All five existing universities in the
country were established by the Act of the parliament. So these are
autonomous institutions and can make their own bylaws. Tribhuvan
University is the oldest one. So this university is regarded as the
authority for assessment of overseas qualifications. It has formed a
special committee in this regard, as
1. Rector Chairman
2. Registrar Member
3. Deans Member
4. Three teachers Member
5. Director, Curriculum Member Secretary
Development Center
Government has nothing to do with this regard and does not seek
any involvement or influence.
Yes. The Curriculum Development Center of the Tribhuvan
University has published a book relating to recognition. It is updated
regularly when needed.
* Generally yes, But it depends upon the seats available in the
particular subject in which the student apply for admission. But in
some technical areas there are provisions for entrance test also.
* Here again the situation depends on the availability of seats and if
the secondary education is of twelve years of schooling.
Availability of seats and entrance test in technical subject areas.
145
Admissions are based on length of the period of study. Criteria are
almost the same for all the universities. But the procedures of
entrance test may vary from one university to another.
Only existing mode is conventional on-campus education. The other
modes are still to be established.

New Zealand

Higher Education in New Zealand

Higher Education in New Zealand takes place in universities,
polytechnics, institutes of technology, colleges of education,
wananga (indigenous centres of learning) and government and
private training establishments.

There are currently 8 universities, 21 polytechnics, 4 colleges of
education, 3 wananga, 11 government training establishments and
over 900 private training establishments.

Universities, colleges of education, wananga, most
polytechnics/institutes of technology, and 13 private training
establishments offer degree programmes.

Entrance to universities

The legislative authority to develop a common educational standard
for entrance to university for people who have not yet attained the
age of 20 years lies with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority,
which consults with universities in the development and maintenance
of the standard.

Universities, however, set the criteria for provisional entrance and
entrance ad eundem statum (at the same level) in consultation with
the Qualifications Authority. Entrance ad eundem statum is the
provision that allows students with qualifications gained outside New
Zealand entry to universities.

Universities are autonomous institutions which may exercise
discretion in the application of these criteria.


146
The standards and criteria do not, at the present time, apply to entry
to degree programmes with providers other than universities.

Evaluation of overseas qualifications

There is no legislative requirement for overseas qualifications to be
formally evaluated for the purpose of determining entry into higher
education. The New Zealand Qualifications Authority can make an
assessment of overseas qualifications for the purpose of further
study on application by the individual. This is done on a case-by-
case basis and the applicant is charged for the service. The
assessment of individuals overseas qualifications may then be used
by an institution as a guideline to measure the academic
competence of an individual in relation to the course of study they
wish to pursue. Evaluation of overseas qualifications is carried out by
the New Zealand Qualifications Authority for a number of purposes
other than entry to higher education. If the institution is aware of
such an assessment, they may use it to assist their decision making,
but are not required to do so.

Institutions may also use the evaluation carried out by the New
Zealand Qualifications Authority to make an assessment of the level
of recognition of prior learning or cross credit that will be given to the
international courses of study. Some universities have established a
close link with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and will seek
further information if required.

The decision on whether to grant the individual entry lies with the
institution that is enrolling the student. In some circumstance The
New Zealand Qualifications Authority is approached to offer further
information to the institution to support the decision, but has no direct
influence in the decisions that are made.

If a person is denied entry into a university under ad eundem statum
entrance provisions they may appeal to the New Zealand
Qualifications Authority against the decision. If it is satisfied that the
person meets the criteria established by the universities for entrance,
the New Zealand Qualifications Authority allows the appeal and
directs the Council of the university concerned to admit the person
as a student. The intent of this provision is to ensure consistency of
decision-making.

Recognition of higher education institutions

There is no national list of approved overseas higher education
institutions or qualifications. The autonomy of public institutions
147
under current legislation would make the enforcement of such a list
difficult. Many institutions have, however, developed lists based on
their experience of the academic ability of students they have
enrolled in the past and mutual agreements that have been made
between institutions.

Recognition of senior secondary studies

As a general rule, New Zealand recognises overseas senior
secondary qualifications that would allow a student to matriculate in
their home country as meeting university entrance standards in New
Zealand. When the senior secondary system of another country
differs significantly from that of New Zealand, or when the system is
changed, an assessment is made of the extent of the education the
applicant has undertaken and its comparability to the New Zealand
benchmarks and entry requirements. If the qualification is deemed
comparable to the New Zealand entry requirements, it is considered
suitable for entry into a first degree programme.

New Zealand universities also accept students who have achieved at
a specified level in International Baccalaureate or Cambridge
International Examinations.

Meeting the entrance requirement does not guarantee an
international student a place in their chosen programme. Other
considerations such as programmes with limited places or the
number of international students studying at the institution will also
be taken into account.

Key factors taken into account when making decisions
regarding admission to higher education

When the New Zealand Qualifications Authority makes an evaluation
of an overseas qualification both the period of study and the
educational outcomes are taken into account. The components of
the programme of study and the level attained by the student are
also factors in the decision making. Information from a range of
international publications such as NOOSRs country profiles, Piers
guidelines, NARICs International Guide to Qualifications in
Education and British Qualifications is used during the evaluation
process. Information from international qualification evaluation
bodies, government agencies and industry and training bodies may
also be referred to.

Verifying the validity of the documents produced is an increasingly
important part of the process. Documents are compared to samples

148
already held and any inconsistencies result in verification being
sought from the awarding institution.

At the undergraduate level the New Zealand universities will accept
any student who is qualified to attend a university in Australia (as
evidenced by NOOSR) or in the UK (as evidenced by UK NARIC),
subject to any limits on enrolments or selection procedures for
particular programmes/papers.

At the post-graduate level, New Zealand universities act
independently in their decision making.

The practices of non-university institutions that do not use the New
Zealand Qualifications Authoritys evaluation service vary. In
addition to the length of the course of study and educational
outcomes, individual institutions may also take into account source
country, relevant work experience and in the case of school leavers,
a school report. Institutions also require proficiency in English and
generally use one of the following tests to determine whether the
student will be able to study effectively in the English language:

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOFEL);
International English Language Testing System (IELTS);
Advanced Placement International English Language (APIEL);
or
Cambridge Proficiency Certificate.

Policies and practices in this area vary between institutions but
information sharing is common. Many institutions refer directly to
publications such as those mentioned in paragraph 16 above.

Influence of the mode of study on admission decisions

The New Zealand Qualifications Authority takes account of the mode
of study particularly with respect to online education. Analysis of
applications presented to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority
for evaluation indicate that there is a high incidence of fraudulent
applications claiming qualifications obtained online. These
qualifications are also often less than one academic year in duration,
which means that they cannot be assessed against current New
Zealand benchmarks.

The practices in institutions that conduct their own assessments
vary. Some consider the mode of delivery to be irrelevant to the
evaluation of the qualification.

149
Current Trends

New Zealand is experiencing an increase in the number of
applications for evaluation of qualifications that are found to be
fraudulent. This increase can be partly attributed to the increased
global demand for higher education. Fraudulent certificates have
also become easier to obtain. The increased sophistication of
methods of detection of fraud and inter-government cooperation is
having a positive impact on the number of cases detected.

Although institutions are not required to use the New Zealand
Qualifications Authoritys evaluation service, they are increasingly
turning to this service to increase the information on which entry
decisions are made. Institutions are finding that some students have
been accepted for entry on the basis of overseas qualifications that
have been a poor indicator of their level of academic ability. In some
cases, these students are laying the blame for their non-
achievement with the institutions and are seeking legal remedy.

Conclusion

Higher education in New Zealand takes place in a number of
settings. There is legislative control of the standards for university
entrance for persons under the age of 20 years, but individual
institutions operate autonomously in the application of these
standards.

The Philippines

1. Introduction

Philippine higher education is a unique system characterized by a
big number of private higher education institutions and an unusual
large college population. At present there are over 1,427 higher
education institutions enrolling about two (2) million students in more
than 8000 academic programs.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), a separate and
independent body from the Department of Education was mandated
by law to oversee the higher education system in the country. It is
tasked to set and enforce minimum standards for academic
programs; supervise both private and public institutions; direct

150
research activities; rationalize higher education programs and
develop centers of excellence. It has direct supervisory authority
over private and public colleges and universities that offer higher
education degrees.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) can be categorized into public
and private. Out of the 1, 427 higher education institutions, there are
1,258 private schools while 169 are public schools. State universities
and colleges (SUCs) are created by acts of national legislature and
supported by annual government appropriations. They operate as
autonomous institutions in terms of developing their academic
programs and conferring degrees with little or no attention
to minimum educational standards prescribed by CHED. The
Chairman of the Commission is the chairman of the board as
introduced in Republic Act 8292 or the Higher Education
Modernization Act. Furthermore, CHED is responsible for approving
annual budget of state universities and colleges to the congress.

Private higher education institutions in the country are broadly
categorized into private sectarian and non-sectarian. Private
sectarian institutions refer to those operated by various
congregations while non-sectarian schools are those, which are
owned by private corporations. For private schools, CHED approves
request for academic programs, tuition fees, faculty qualifications
and student services. Almost exclusively, tuition fees and donations
fund all private schools.

The CHED charts the direction of Philippine tertiary education
though significant reforms, proper resource allocation and
international linkages. There has been a considerable activity
undertaken by CHED to enhance cooperation and exchange of
students and staff. These activities are under the APEC Mutual
Recognition and Mobility Program, ASEAN University Network,
UNESCO, BIMP-EAGA and the ASEM Duo Fellowship Programs.

2. Key Players in the Assessment of Academic Qualifications.

There are two main players in the assessment of overseas
qualifications for either academic mobility programs or for purposes
of examinations in the country.
2.1 The Commission on Higher Education. The authority to
conduct educational programs is applied for and granted by the
Commission on Higher Education through the recognition of
educational programs and operation of the HEI. The grant of
authority to operate consists of two parts (a) Permit Phase and the
151
(b) Recognition Phase. Permit refers to a document issued by CHED
to a higher educational institution, authorizing it to offer tertiary
education programs or courses of study on a temporary basis.
Recognition refers to authorization granted or status conferred by the
Commission on Higher Education or any of its Regional offices
to a program or course of study such that the same becomes a
continuing authorization to operate said programs until revoked or
withdrawn. The process is CHEDs primary means of ensuing that
new and on-going degree programs meets its minimum
requirements and standards.

The Commission on Higher Education has the authority to provide
(1) recognition of a foreign certificate, diploma or degree and (2)
recognition that the holder thereof has received the academic
training required to practice a profession. CHED looks closely at the
evidences completely submitted and ascertains that the applicant
has satisfactorily observed the requirements as stipulated in various
CHED Orders, Policies, standards and guidelines.

The academic degree units of all colleges and universities are
weighed according to a system of instructional units based on class
hours comparable with the credit system of the United States. One
unit of instruction equals one hour of lecture and recitation or three
hours of laboratory work. The standard load for full-time students is
generally 18 to 24 units per semester. However for students
request of overload units, CHED regional offices still need to
approve such request.

2.2 Higher Education Institutions. The right of an educational
institution to carry on the education activity arises from the moment it
gets its permit to operate the educational program. Generally, higher
education institutions enjoy academic freedom. They have the
freedom to admit students, to determine who may teach, what may
be taught and how it shall be taught. However, they abide by the
following policies and guidelines by the CHED.
Minimum unit requirements for specific academic programs;
General education distribution requirements;
Specific professional subjects as stipulated by CHED and the
Professional Regulations Commission (PRC).

Most Private schools require CHED assessment of overseas credits.
There are however state universities, colleges and private
autonomous and deregulated institutions who have been given more
flexibility in handling their assessment and academic programs.


152
3. Purposes for which Academic Credentials are evaluated

It is the policy of the state to adopt measures to broaden access to
education. A problem related to this is the uneven quality of basic
education. Therefore, local high school seniors take the National
Secondary Achievement Test (NSAT) to ascertain academic
readiness for admission to college. At this time, NSAT is already
integrated in the Secondary School Leaving Test (SSLT). However,
the Colleges or universities may or may not use it as a basis for
student admission.

Assessment of overseas educational qualifications is required for the
following reasons:

For the recognition of courses or units earned abroad for entry into
higher education institutions. A student who seeks admission to
Philippine HEI needs recognition of his/her courses or units earned
abroad. In this case, there are two levels of recognition done here.
First, the Commission determines whether the learning institution is
recognized and or accredited by the Ministry of Education or similar
organization from where the degree was obtained. Second, the
CHED determines the comparability of subjects and the number of
credits equivalent to existing policies, standards and guidelines of
the Commission.

For Licensure Examination. A higher education graduate from
overseas asks for assessment of his/her academic credentials in
order to take professional board examination and practice his /her
profession. In this case, the applicant will need certification of
equivalency of the degree earned abroad from the Commission on
Higher Education. The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC),
an agency responsible for giving professional board examination
requires CHEDs endorsement or attestation on the degree obtained
overseas. An applicant submits to PRC CHEDs attestation
(certificate) including other required documents to allow overseas
graduate to take professional examination.

Currently, a trend of deregulation is being introduced by the CHED.
Around fifty-four (54) performing and accredited private universities
and colleges are given autonomous and deregulated status. They
now enjoy more freedom than they ever had previously. The fifty-
four (54) designated private autonomous universities and colleges by
CHED in 2002 are empowered to be flexible in the design of their
curriculum and in the assessment of educational qualifications,
including foreign students. The nationwide implementation of higher
education academic reforms, an increase in the number of
153
deregulated institutions offers greater opportunity (Appendix 1-List of
CHED Deregulated and Autonomous universities)

4. List of Approved Institutions of Higher Learning Used in the
Philippines

The Commission maintains list of accredited and recognized higher
education institutions all over the world. Ministries or Departments of
Education overseas normally provide the lists. As typically done, the
CHED consults embassies and the Ministries of Education as
regards recognition and accreditation of foreign higher education
institutions.

Students coming from universities and colleges found in the list of
accredited and recognized institutions are not automatically granted
entry to higher education institutions. They need to meet other
requirements as specified for a particular course or profession.

In most cases, students from other countries who finished secondary
education overseas are eligible for entry to bachelors degree in the
country. In some universities, they require passing their admission
test, English proficiency examination and psychology test. There are
additional requirements such as passing the interview and
submission of recommendation letters from the school where the
senior year in high school was obtained.

5. Key factors on Admission of Overseas Students/Graduates

Admission to a bachelors degree usually is predicated on the
passage of examinations designed or adopted by a universities and
colleges. However, there are other factors employed to determine
appropriateness of degrees obtained by overseas students for full
acceptance to our universities and other organizations.

5.1. Length of Study and Comparability of the Secondary
Curriculum - Higher Education institutions generally accept students
who finished ten, eleven or 12 years of basic education. Considering
that the number of years in secondary schools varies from country to
country, high school leavers are assessed according to the subjects
obtained in secondary school. Normally a student who finished ten
years of extensive basic education is admitted for entry to college.
There are students from private schools who finished eleven years of
basic education and get admission to first Year College. There are
those who finished twelve years of basic education and are given

154
eligibility for second Year College. A demonstrated high aptitude for
study and completion of advanced units in college are major
consideration in admission to study in the Philippines.

5.2. Standard Admission Eligibility Credentials. When it comes to
students admission to higher education, HEIs require a wide variety
of application and assessment procedures. Nevertheless, many
institutions determine their entry-level requirements based on sound
internal admission policies the following requirements:
Acceptability of prior education and institution where the
basic education was obtained (done in consultation with
CHED). A certified copy of the high school transcript (Form
137-a) is evaluated for local students.
Acceptable scores in the College Admission Test. Passage
on the entrance test provided by the testing center. For
Medicine and Dentistry a private testing center gives standard
admission test. This is the Center for Educational
Measurement (CEM).
Authenticated Birth Certificate.
Letter of Reference/ Recommendation.
English Proficiency as indicated in the Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL)/GCE.
Certificate of Good Moral Character/Personal History
Statement signed by Principal or Guidance Counselor.

The registrar of a higher education institution assesses credentials of
overseas students. The identity of the person requesting assessment
is also closely studied through validation and interview. Admission
for first-degree applicants is stricter than those applying for second
degree. Holders of first degree are expected to have earned a
passing grade, normally 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) of
approximately 80 %.

It should be noted that in the Philippines, foreign students are given
limited slots in every HEI. It should not exceed ten (10) percent of
the total enrolment in the institution. When more foreign students
apply for a particular course, ranking of applicants is done. The
results of entrance test and availability of slot in the choice course by
the student are additional factors considered.

5.3 Mode of Study. Conventional on-campus credits are easily
accepted. It is assessed in comparison with CHEDs Policies and
guidelines on curriculum content and learning outcomes. Institutions
make decisions on qualifications gained overseas and grants credit
155
once assured of the comparability of program content and umber of
instructional units earned.

However, for academic degrees or units obtained under distance
and on-line education, the CHED maintains that it will only recognize
those coming from fully accredited and recognized distance
education providers.

6. Philippine Participation in the Mutual Recognition Projects

The Philippines is a signatory to the various academic cooperation
agreements concerning mobility of people and recognition of
degrees.

6.1 The UNESCO Convention on the Recognition of Higher
Education Studies, Degrees, Diplomas and Qualifications in
Asia and the Pacific. The Philippines became a signatory to the
UNESCO convention in 1983. Because of the changes in political
system, senate ratification is required to enforce fully the
commitments in that convention. The Commission on Higher
Education takes a lead role in the ratification of the UNESCO
Convention. It is the current chair of the UNESCO EDUCATION
COMMITTEE. It is targeted that the Philippine congress would be
able to ratify the agreement this year.

The ratification of the agreement is in support of making higher
education institutions as widely accessible as possible to students
and researchers from the contracting states through recognizing
their studies, certificates, diplomas and degrees.

6.2 APEC Mutual Recognition for the Engineering Profession.
The Philippines promotes people to people exchange and mobility
projects under the auspices of APEC Engineer Register Program. It
has been admitted to assess its professional engineers for
registration as APEC Engineers. The assessment covers review of
acceptable academic engineering degree, advanced professional
practice and continuing professional education. The Commission on
Higher Education together with the Professional Regulation
Commission and the Philippine Technological Council served as the
National Monitoring Committee for the project.


156
7. Conclusion

From the foregoing account of the procedures for assessment of
overseas qualifications in the Philippines, it is clear that the
Commission on Higher Education carry out its responsibilities by
formulating regulations that set minimum academic, operational,
physical and administrative standards for the establishment of
schools, for recognizing overseas qualifications and providing
regional information for mobility programs. The Philippines support
reforms related to deregulation, academic freedom and people to
people exchanges. It is eager to participate in the exchange of
information and systems to better promote regional cooperation and
understanding among countries in the Asia Pacific region.

Useful Contacts for Assessment of Qualifications in the
Philippines

The following persons, organizations and websites may be visited for
further information on the topic:

The Commission on Higher Education
Development Academy of the Philippines Bldg
San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines
Tel: (632) 687-13-17; (632) 637-3571
E-mail: ias@ched.gov.ph
Website: http://www.ched.gov.ph

Center for Educational Measurement
Concorde Condominium
Corner Salcedo and Benavidez St.
Legaspi Village, Makati
Website: http://www.fapenet.org/cem
Tel: (632) 818-0403

Professional Regulation Commission
P.O. Box 2038
P. Paredes St. Sampaloc, Manila
Tel : (02)314-0024
Fax: (02)7354703
Website: http://www.prc.gov.ph

157
Samoa


The Authority for the assessment of overseas qualification for entry
into the National University of Samoa (NUS) lie exclusively with the
University.

Discussions are being undertaken at the Government level for the
establishment of a National Training Authority which will be
responsible among other things, for the assessment of overseas
qualification not only for entry to the University and Polytechnic but
also for the purpose of employment.


There is a small number (20) of overseas Universities that NUS has
Memorandum of Agreement with, and students from these
universities gain automatic entry into NUS programmes. Other
Universities are treated on a case by case basis.

Students who have completed secondary school studies in other
countries can be admitted to first degrees if they meet the entry
requirement as determined by University Statutes.


Admission to NUS is based on a number of factors

National priorities and employment prospects.
Re-training/upskilling needs/personal development
Academic capacity
Prior learning

NUS is the only Higher Education Institution in Samoa.


NUS at present only deliver on-campus programmes. Assessment is
conducted in one central location.

158

Sri Lanka

1. Admission of Students to Bachelor Degree Programmes

The admission of students to programmes of study leading to
Bachelor Degrees in the Universities in Sri Lanka is a task assigned
to the University Grants Commission (UGC) by an Act of Parliament.
The admission policy is laid down by the UGC in concurrence with
the Government.

The admission policy currently employed is given below.

Admission is done on the basis of the Z-scores obtained by the
candidates at the immediately preceding GCE (A/L) Examination
conducted by the Department of Examinations, Sri Lanka.

In order to be eligible for admission, a candidate should
pass in all three approved subjects at one and the same
sitting at the GCE (A/L) Examination, and
obtain a minimum of 30% in the Common General Paper
(Aptitude Test Paper).

Admission to programmes of study conducted by the Faculties of
Arts is effected on, subject to the condition that the total number
admitted from any Administrative District is not less than the total
number admitted from that District in the academic year 1993/94.
Admission to programmes of study conducted by the Faculties
other than Arts is effected as follows.
40% on merit,
55% on district basis, the number allocated to a District being
proportional to the population of that District,
balance 5% to underprivileged Districts.

2. Admission of Students possessing foreign qualifications to
Bachelor Degree Programmes

Admission to undergraduate programmes of study in the Universities
in Sri Lanka is centralized at the University Grants Commission
(UGC). A limited number of Sri Lankan students who have pursued
secondary education abroad, and foreign students is admitted to
each programme of study. These students must possess
qualifications determined by the UGC, as equivalent to G.C.E. (A/L)
Examination, Sri Lanka.
159
3. Admission of Students to Graduate Programmes

The authority for admissions to postgraduate programmes of study
lies solely with the Senates of respective Universities.

4. Approved Institutes of Higher Education

It has been the practice of the Sri Lankan Universities to award
recognition to Degrees awarded by the Universities in the British
Commonwealth, USA and the countries that have signed and ratified
the Regional Convention on Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and
Degrees in Asia and the Pacific.

5. Mode of Study in the Assessment of Qualifications

As regards the assessment of qualifications is concerned the mode
of study is not taken into consideration in respect of conventional on-
Campus and distance education.

The medical graduates of foreign Universities are required to pass a
special examination conducted by the Sri Lanka Medical Council, in
order to obtain registration with the Council.

Online education, in Sri Lanka, is exclusively the domain of
transnationals providers. A set of criteria has to be formulated to
check the credentials of the transnationals providers of online
education and the modus operandi employed in examining the
students. It is imperative that the examinations are administered by
a credible national agency.

161
List of Participants

PARTICIPANTS

AUSTRALIA
Ms Rhonda Henry
Branch Manager, Educational Standards Branch, AEI Group,
Department of Education, Science and Training
Location 752, GPO Box 9880
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 62405112
Fax: +61 2 62407636
Email: Rhonda.Henry@dest.gov.au

Ms Evelyn Cheah
Director, Professional Recognition Unit,
Educational Standards Branch, AEI Group,
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 62409292
Fax: +61 2 62407636
Email: Evelyn.Cheah@dest.gov.au

Ms Mandy Wales
Assistant Director
Educational Recognition Unit, Educational Standards Branch,
AEI Group
Canberra ACT 2601
AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 6240 7685
Fax: +61 2 6240 7636
Email: Mandy.Wales@dest.gov.au

7
th
Session, Regional Convention Committee & Qualifications Assessment Seminar
162
PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Dr. Zhou Qifeng
Director-General
Office of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council
(ADCSC)
#35 Damucang Hutong, Xidan 100816, Beijing, China
Tel: 86-10-6609-6150; 6609-6635
Fax: 86-10-6602-1964
Email: qfzhou@moe.edu.cn;

Mr. Xu Boliang,
Director
Office of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council
Tel: 86-10-6609-6150; 6609-6635
Fax: 86-10-6602-1964
Email: xuboliang@moe.edu.cn

Ms. Dong Jianhong
Senior Programme Officer for Education
Chinese National Commission for UNESCO
Tel: 6609-6883
Fax: 6601-7912
Email: jhd@moe.edu.cn

HOLY SEE
S.E. Mgr Francesci Canalini,
Apostolic Nuncio
2 Vancouver Street
Red Hill, Canberra, ACT 2603, Australia
Tel: +61 2 62953876
Email: nuntius@cyberone.com.au

Dr. Peter. D. Tannock
The University of Notre Dame Australia
19 Mouat Street P.O. Box 1225
Fremantle, Western Australia 6160
Tel: +61-8-92395520
Fax: +61-8-92395577
Email: ptannock@nd.edu.au

163
Rev. Johann Tauer,
Official Representative
Congregation for the Catholic Education
00120 Vatican City, Europe
Tel +39-06-698-84163
Fax +39-06-698-4172
Email: vati169@ccatheduc.va

INDIA
Dr. Antony Stella,
Adviser,
National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC),
2/4 Dr.Rajkumar Road, Rajajinagar, Bangalore 560 010,
KARNATAKA, INDIA.
Tel: 91-80-3124045 (O) 3391992 (R)
Fax: 3124047 (O)
E-mail: stella@india-naac.com, stellaa10@hotmail.com

LAO PDR
Dr. Phonephet Boupha
Deputy Director General
Higher Technical & Vocational Education Department (HTVED)
Ministry of Education
P.O. Box 067, Vientiane, Lao PDR
Tel: (856-21) 212019
Fax: (856-21) 212019
Email: Phonephet12@hotmail.com

MALDIVES
Dr. Mahamoodh Shougee
Deputy Minister
Ministry of Education
Ghazee Building, Male, Rep. of Maldives
Tel: (960) 321529
Fax: (960) 321201
Email: shougee@thauleem.net

7
th
164
MONGOLIA
Mr. Munkhbaatar Begzjav
Director
Division of International Cooperation
MOSTEC
c/o Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO
Government Building XI
Revolution Avenue, P.O.-38
Ulaanbaatar, MONGOLIA
Tel: 976-11-315652
Fax: 976-11-322612
Email: (via) mon.unesco@Mongol.net

NEPAL
Mr. Rameswor Shrestha
Under Secretary
Higher and Technical Education Section
Ministry of Education and Sports
Keshar Mahal, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 977-1-416693/ 418782/ 428107/ 411599
Fax: 977-1-412460
Email: shrestharums@yahoo.com

REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Dr. Lee Hyun-Chong
Secretary-General
Korean Council for University Education
27-2 Youido-Dong, Youngdungpo-Gu, Seoul 150-742, Korea
Tel: (82-2) 783-3066
Fax: (82-2) 783-9806
Email: leehc@kcue.or.kr

SRI LANKA
Prof. K. Tillekeratne
Vice-Chancellor, University of Kelaniya
Email:
c/o Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO
Ministry of Education and Higher Education
Isurupaya, Battaramulla
Tel: (94-1) 864809
Fax: (94-1) 872158
Email: vc.kln@dynaweb.lk , slncu@slt.lk
165
INVITED OBSERVERS

MALAYSIA
Ms. Maimunah Ali
Assistant Director
Quality Assurance Division, Higher Education Department
Ministry of Education, Malaysia
Level 2, Block B North Damansara Town Centre, 50604 Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: (603)2098-6916,
Email: maimunah_ali@jpt.moe.gov.my; maimunahaz@hotmail.com

Ms. Zainon Nor Ahmad
Senior Manager, National Accreditation Board (LAN), Malaysia
Tel: 03-79687002 (GL) / 03-79687020 (D/L)
Fax: 03-79569496
E-mail: Zainonn@lan.gov.my

THE PHILIPPINES
Dr. Ethel Agnes P. Valenzuela
Director
International Affairs Service, Commission on Higher Education
(CHED)
Ground Floor, DAP Building, San Miguel Avenue
Oltigas Complex, Pasig City, the Philippines
Tel: 632-637-3571
Fax: 632-687-1317
Email: eapvalenzuela@ched.gov.ph; ias@ched.gov.ph

SAMOA
Mr. Magele Mauiliu Magele
Vice Chancellor & President
The National University of Samoa
P.O. BOX 5768
Apia, Samoa.
Tel: 0685+20072
Fax: 0685+20938, 26760, 22440
Email: m.magele@nus.edu.ws

7
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166
UMAP
Mr. Laurie Fisher
UMAP Coordinator
Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee
GPO Box 1142
Canberra ACT 2601
Tel: +61 2 6285 8210
Fax: + 61 2 6285 8211
Email: l.fisher@avcc.edu.au

UNESCO SERETARIAT

Mr. WANG Yibing
Programme Specialist in Higher Education
UNESCO Bangkok
920 Sukhumvit Road P.O. Box967 Prakanong
Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Tel: 66-2-391-0577 (ext. 204)
Fax: 66-2-391-0866
Email: y.wang@unescobkk.org

Mr. KIM Chon-Hong
Associate Expert in Higher Education
UNESCO Bangkok
920 Sukhumvit Road P.O. Box967 Prakanong
Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Tel: 66-2-391-0577 (ext. 207)
Fax: 66-2-391-0866
Email: ch.kim@unescobkk.org

167
AUSTRALIAN HOST SECRETARIAT

Ms Penny Lovibond
Assistant Director, Professional Recognition Unit
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
Tel: +61 2 62407681
Fax: +61 2 62407636
penny.lovibond@dest.gov.au

Ms. Yu-Lan Chan
International Policy Officer, Professional Recognition Unit,
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
Tel: 61-2-6240-7028
Fax: 61-2-6123-6495
Email: yu-lan.chan@dest.gov.au

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The Regional Convention on the

Recognition of Studies, Diplomas

Commenced in September 2002 To be completed by December 2003

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