Qualification Pact – Key for Students and Job Seekers

GLOBAL

The ministerial meeting of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) took place on 29-30 May in Tirana, Albania, culminating in the adoption of the Tirana Communique, which discussed the key commitments and priorities identified by ministers responsible for higher education in the region for the coming three-year period. years.

Notable among these is the ratification and implementation of the World Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications relating to Higher Education – the first United Nations treaty on higher education, which aims to promote cooperation and solidarity between regions and on a global scale.

This is in conjunction with UNESCO’s five complementary “second generation” conventions on regional recognition, which cover recognition and mobility within each region.

A chance to change the game

To date, 29 countries have become parties to this global convention. It is a groundbreaking instrument that could create new opportunities for students and job seekers around the world.

In the past two decades, the number of students in global universities has doubled to 254 million, while international student mobility has tripled to 6.4 million. These numbers are expected to double over the next decade, putting enormous pressure on higher education systems to rapidly expand their capacity.

Rising enrolment and mobility rates are positive trends, reflecting rising levels of education worldwide and creating new talent pools that support sustainable development while also driving international cooperation and solidarity. However, the pace of access to higher education remains uneven across regions. Gross enrolment rates range from 80% in Europe to just 9% in Sub-Saharan Africa, compared with an international average of around 42%.

Given that universal access to quality higher education and knowledge is crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is crucial that targeted programs and policies open access to higher education for traditionally marginalized groups.

But the transformation needed goes far beyond access to include rethinking the traditional missions of teaching, research, and service to the society in which universities are located – including the role of applied research and engagement with economies and societies, and how to address pressing sustainability challenges such as poverty, hunger, climate change, and health.

Given the unique challenges higher education systems face in different regions, it is crucial to develop context-specific strategies. For example, flexible and adaptive policies that address these barriers are needed in areas affected by political instability or economic constraints. Case studies from different regions can provide valuable insights and best practices.

Creation of a global ecosystem

The EHEA – 16 of whose members are already States Parties to the Global Convention – serves as an exemplary model for regional cooperation in higher education. Over the past 25 years, the EHEA has helped promote common values ​​and tools around high-quality higher education to support the Bologna Process, from the Diploma Supplement to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

This inspires similar efforts in other regions, such as Latin America and the Caribbean, where a feasibility study on the implementation of the Diploma Supplement was carried out earlier this year.

Through the global convention, UNESCO aims to unite different countries and regions around a common global higher education ecosystem. The 29 countries that are parties to the convention differ in terms of size, demographics, enrollments, regulations and organization of their higher education systems, but they share one common commitment – ​​to ensure fair, transparent and non-discriminatory recognition of higher education qualifications and qualifications that provide access to higher education.

The States Parties include 17 high-income countries, four upper-middle-income countries, seven lower-middle-income countries and one low-income country. Their population ranges from approximately 124 million in Japan to seven million in Nicaragua and 80,000 in Andorra, with enrollments generally following demographic trends. It is encouraging that the number of states parties is constantly growing – over 30 countries are reported to be at an advanced stage of ratification of the treaty.

The vast majority of them – 27 to be precise – are also countries that are parties to one or more conventions on the recognition of regional qualifications and use regional networks of information centers.

These networks also vary in size and scope – from the ENIC-NARIC network in the European region, which has existed for over two decades, to the APNNIC network in the Asia-Pacific region established in 2019, the CINALC network in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the African network of national implementation structures, launched over the last two years.

The various networks bring together over 100 education systems – with networks in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean open to all countries in their regions – and act as the operational arms of the convention, helping to promote cooperation and trust between education systems.

Ideally, they will not only form the basis of a common global higher education architecture, but also the cradle of the future networks of national implementation structures that will be established under the global convention.

Significant investments in developing the capacity of higher education institutions are important. This includes establishing national information centers and quality assurance bodies and strengthening existing infrastructure and technological capabilities. Developing tailored training programs for educators and administrators can further support this goal.

Global Convention: From Ratification to Reality

In the coming year, the priorities of the Global Convention will be the development of operational guidelines for its implementation; research (focusing on the recognition of refugee qualifications and quality assurance, including transnational education); capacity development; and communication and advocacy.

This is the mandate established by the Intergovernmental Conference of States Parties – the general governing body of the global convention – which convened for its landmark session in March 2024.

Part of the capacity development program will focus on supporting countries to establish appropriate national information centers and quality assurance bodies to help support both regional and global agendas.

The integration of regional networks of information centres into a larger network is also on the medium-term agenda, which aims to foster the exchange of information, cooperation and building on common values ​​in order to facilitate the recognition of higher education for millions of learners and, ultimately, promote mobility between regions.

Effective communication and advocacy strategies are essential for the success of the Global Convention. Developing comprehensive outreach programs to raise awareness of the benefits of ratification and implementation can help build broader support. Leveraging digital platforms and social media can also increase engagement with diverse stakeholders.

Moreover, a recommendation on the relationship between the World Convention and regional recognition conventions is scheduled for 2027 at the latest.

As Secretariat of the Convention, UNESCO is committed to supporting countries in ratifying and implementing the Global Convention and the Regional Recognition Convention, as set out in the Tirana Communiqué.

The importance of the latter at the regional level cannot be overestimated, as regional conventions continue to be implemented in parallel with the global convention to create a solid basis for interconnecting regional higher education systems.

Higher education as a human right

Since investment in higher education is key to building a nation’s future and ensuring the equal distribution of opportunities, UNESCO strongly advocates the following three key actions.

First, accelerate efforts to remove financial and non-monetary barriers to quality higher education for all students, prioritizing vulnerable groups. Exploring and implementing sustainable financing models is key to removing financial barriers to higher education.

This could include creating international scholarship funds, supporting public-private partnerships and creating tailored student loan programs for low-income countries. Transparency and accountability in the allocation of funds should also be emphasized.

Second, orienting higher education programs, research, and outreach around sustainability stakes. Encouraging collaborative research initiatives between institutions in different regions can significantly increase innovation and knowledge transfer. These partnerships should address local and regional development challenges, thereby contributing to the realization of the SDGs.

Third, placing higher education in a lifelong learning perspective, recognising prior learning, contributing to upskilling and reskilling, and supporting learning communities and cities.

To promote lifelong learning, it is essential to develop flexible educational pathways that are tailored to non-traditional learners, including adults and marginalized communities. Recognition and accreditation of prior learning and work experience can make higher education more accessible and relevant to a wider population.

Key events

This year, UNESCO has designated several key events that aim to position education, including higher education, as a global ecosystem that aims to serve as a catalyst for transformative change in the broader multilateral landscape. These include the UN Future Summit in New York in September and the UNESCO Meeting on Global Education in Fortaleza, Brazil, in late October.

The UN Summit will culminate in the adoption of the Pact for the Future, a momentous international agreement that aims to transform our world by focusing on peace, financing for sustainable development, youth, technology and governance.

These aspirations represent UNESCO’s collective commitments to creating a more just, inclusive and sustainable world. To this end, higher education is at the forefront as a human right and a force to reimagine and shape the future.

Borhene Chakroun is Director of the Division of Lifelong Learning Policies and Systems at UNESCO. His recent work focuses on global trends in reforming education and training systems and the global skills development agenda in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Gonzalo Baroni Boces is National Director of Education in Uruguay and Chair of the Buenos Aires Convention Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean . He is an economist involved in education, development and public administration with extensive experience in the public sector. Lamine Guèye is the Executive Secretary of the National Authority for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, Research and Innovation in Senegal and Chair of the Addis Africa Convention Committee. He is a professor with extensive experience in higher education, research and university leadership.

This article is a commentary. Commentary articles are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of University World News.