States update pacts on degrees

MORE THAN 50 countries are expected to back a new convention on the recognition of higher education qualifications at a diplomatic conference in Lisbon in April.

The Council of Europe and Unesco are jointly drafting the convention, which includes recognition of entrance qualifications.

The single convention will replace six others, several of which date from the 1950s. These ignore the rise of non-university higher education and the diversity within and between national systems, including new partner countries in eastern and central Europe.

A key principle of the convention is the right to a fair examination of qualifications in a reasonable timescale, according to "transparent, coherent and reliable procedures".

Countries will be obliged to recognise entrance qualifications, study periods and degrees from other partners unless they can show a "substantial difference" between those and their own.

Countries must make their definition explicit and it may be open to challenge from both countries and individuals.

Higher education ministers have broadly supported the draft convention, which is being adjusted before being presented to the conference, jointly convened by the Council of Europe and Unesco.

There is still, for example, some disagreement over provisions for cases where school-leaving certificates give access to higher education only when they are backed by extra qualifying examinations, and some rewording has also been necessary to take account of decentralised higher education systems.

The redrafted convention is expected to be adopted by all the Council of Europe's 40 member states and members of Unesco's Europe region, which include Canada and Israel, as well as signatories to Unesco's current convention on the recognition of higher education qualifications, which include Australia and the United States.

This is the first time that Unesco and the Council of Europe have produced a joint convention.