Qualifications
recognitionseminar
Marijke Blom-Westrik
Senior credential evaluator
Dutch ENIC-NARIC
Tokyo, November 2015

Introducing your speaker Senior credential evaluator 14 years of experience Master degree in Chinese language Country expert for Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam

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Topics seminar Role of the EP-NUFFIC as National Information Centre Outline of Dutch recognition system
 Questions

 Group assignments

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ROLE OF EP-NUFFICASNATIONAL INFORMATION CENTRE

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Role of EP-NUFFIC as National InformationCentre International Recognition Department has been appointedby MOE to function as ENIC/NARIC for the Netherlands

 ISO 9001:2008 certification
 Evaluation of foreign qualifications (in total 16,000
applications in 2014)

 Clients: Dutch HEI, government, employers/job offices,
professional bodies, refugee organisations, diploma holder.

 Nuffic Certificate for Chinese students: 100% verification5

 Evaluations for Dutch HEI (database): free of chargeRole of EP-NUFFIC as National Information
Centre Country modules with the description of over 70 foreign
education systems (free access online) Providing information about Dutch higher education system
to other ENIC-NARICs.

 Courses on credential evaluation and recognition(beginners course, advanced course, tailor made onrequest of the HEI) Participation at EAIE conference, NAFSA and TAICEP Consultancy and projects relating to professional andacademic recognition: EAR HEI and STREAM.
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 PHARE and MATRA: capacity building with setting up newNARICs (academic and professional recognition)

Role of EP-NUFFIC as National Information
CentreSupport to admission officers

 Applications in database: HEI can check status application,
see previous evaluations and standardized evaluations

 Urgent: contact on the phone Evaluation sent within 5 working days by email
 EveryDecember a meeting with all admission officers
7Role of EP-NUFFIC as National Information
CentreSupport to admission officers (2) Country Modules online
 Attending admission officers meetings of universities andof universities of applied sciences Newsletter Tailor made training
8 LinkedIn / Twitter forum

Role of EP-NUFFIC as National Information
CentreProject EAR and EAR HEI

 2 Manuals with practical guidelines and good practices forthe daily work of credential evaluators

 EAR = European Area of Recognition

 Topics: types of recognition, accreditation, diploma mills,authenticity, credit transfer, grades, applying the Lisbon
Recognition Convention, qualification frameworks,
information resources, information provision, transnational
education, joint programmes, refugees, etc.
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Role of EP-NUFFIC as National Information
CentreProject EAR and EAR HEI EAR Manual: guidelines for ENIC-NARIC experts
http://eurorecognition.eu/manual/EAR_manual_v_1.0.pdf

 EAR HEI Manual: guidelines for admission officers (seehttp://eurorecognition.eu/Manual/EAR%20HEI.pdf)

 Japanese translation of the Usage of the EAR HEI Manual:https://qaupdates.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/earheijp.pdf
10Role of EP-NUFFIC as National Information
CentreProject STREAM

 Target: build training and good practice platform foradmissions officers, based on EAR HEI.

 Survey under admission officers in European countries,
asking for good practices and interests/needs for furthertraining

 Developed free training platform for admission officers,
since September 2015 available at www.enic-naric.net.
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OUTLINE OF DUTCH
RECOGNITION SYSTEM

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Outline of Dutch recognition system
Credential evaluation:

 Staff and facilities Status and content of the evaluations
 Methodology & Lisbon Recognition Convention

 Criteria
 Outcome of the evaluation
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Outline of Dutch recognition system
Staff and facilities
 17 credential evaluators + management staff +administrative staff (total 24 persons) Language skills (Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew, Russian,Spanish, German, French, Italian, Greek, Korean) Country experts, not generalists (expertise centre).
 Database, library, subscription on information resources,archive, document research equipment
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Outline of Dutch recognition system
Status and content of the evaluations

 All evaluations are recommendations, not decisions: Dutch
HEI are autonomous and take their own decisions

 Content of EP-Nuffic evaluations- Remarks regarding authenticity of qualifications- Accreditation status of the programme/institution- Purpose of the program- Content of the program/learning outcomes- Admissions requirements- Official duration of the program- 15Substantial differences

Outline of Dutch recognition system
Procedure: Credential evaluation in 10 steps

1. We check whether the file is complete (file requirements).
2. If incomplete, we request additional documents.
3. We study the file and check authenticity.
4. We check previous evaluations forconsistency/legislation/purpose.
5. We check the diploma: layout, terminology, content, learning
outcomes, name of the degree conferred, (name of the) issuingbody, temporary/definite diploma, formal rights in the homecountry, status of the institutions
6. We consult information resources
7. We check the study program: nominal duration, admission
requirements, content.
16 draft the evaluation (substantial differences)
8. We
9. We check by one of our colleagues (quality control).
10.We sent out the final version of the evaluation to the Dutch HEI .

Outline of Dutch recognition system
Methodology: in our work we apply the principles of theLisbon Recognition Convention:

 Adopted in 1997 and signed by 50 countries
 “Recommendation on Criteria and Procedures”

 Fair recognition of qualifications
 Academic mobility
 Transparant procedures and criteria
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Outline of Dutch recognition system
Content LRC
 Access/admission
 Transparent procedures
 Consistency
 Recognition of periods of study Refugees

 Substantial differences Reasonable time limit
 General and specific requirements(admission)
 Burden of proof
 Right to appeal

A difference between a foreign and domestic qualification isconsidered to be substantial if it could prevent the applicant fromsucceeding in the desired activity, such as further study, research
activities or employment.

Credential evaluation in practice
Methodology: our file requirements

 purpose of application
 curriculum vitae & proof of identity
 original documents/authorized copies
 all diplomas after primary school in national language academic record in national language / diploma
supplement / Transcript certified/notarized translations
 proof of professional registration
 IELTS/TOEFL
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Credential evaluation in practice
Methodology: information resources we use on internet

 ENIC/NARIC: www.enic-naric.net
 Website Ministry of Education
 Website of the institution
 Wayback machine (older versions of websites) Country modules EP-NUFFIC Country Education Profiles NOOSR (Australian NARIC) UK NARIC
 Anabin (German NARIC) National or institutional verification databases (e.g. China:
20CHSI)

Credential evaluation in practice
Methodology: other information resources we use: Contacts and networks: Ministry of Education, embassy,front offices (DAAD, Edu France, NESO, British Council)

 Published resources: handbooks/reference books,
Recognition conventions, Higher Education Act, University
catalogues, Nursing in the World; Unpublished resources: our own archive and database, theexperience with students from a certain country/HEI.
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Credential evaluation in practice
Methodology: how we fight fraud We request documents in the original language We ask to see original documents (when in doubt)
 We receive original transcripts directly for USA, PH, AU
 We check the status of the awarding institution
 We are familiar with the layout of documents
 We contact the awarding institution or ENIC/NARIC forverification
 We use national or institutional verification databases
when possible
 We check professional registration
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Credential evaluation in practice
Methodology: how we fight fraud (2)We are on the alert if:- different typefaces are used on 1 document- correction fluid has been used
- it is claimed that originals cannot be obtained- grammatical mistakes have been made- educational terminology is incorrect- the name of the institution is historically incorrect- the name of the president is incorrect- the IELTS/TOEFL test is forged
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Credential evaluation in practice
Methodology: criteria

 Level: admission requirements, place in the educationalsystem, academic rights for further study Quality/status: accreditation, authenticity
 Workload: nominal duration and credits
 Profile: content/structure of the programme Learning outcomes: competences.
Substantial differences may be found for any of these criteria,
but not every difference is substantial.

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Credential evaluation in practice
Methodology: outcome of the evaluation

 Full recognition
 Partial recognition
 Conditional recognition
 Alternative recognition
 No recognition.
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Questions

Are there any questions?

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Assignments

Assignments

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