Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union NOKUT J Refugees Country Briefing Refugees and Recognition -  Toolkit aims to promote the implementation of effective recognition procedures for refugees, displaced persons and persons in a refugee-like situation.
Libya
Official name:  State of Libya Location: Libya is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west. Population: 6.5 million Ethnic groups: Libya is quite a homogeneous country, where 97% of citizens identify as ethnically Berber or Arab. Languages: Arabic, Italian, English. This country briefing – especially developed to help with the evaluation of credentials of refugees, displaced persons and persons in a refugee- like situation – should give orientation on the education system in Libya in the light of recent political and economic developments in this country. It presents a systematised overview on its higher education system and links to the available information sources that are useful for the evaluation of qualifications of refugees coming from Libya, even in cases where candidates present insufficient or lack of documentation. Photo coverpage: Whitewashed walls against bright blue sky in ancient city of Ghadames, Libya Photo: Getty Images Source: CIA World Factbook
The political situation in Libya has seen many changes over the last ten years, having an impact on both the educational system and the current refugee situation. In 2011, following protest in eastern Libya, came the fall of Muammar Qadhaffi's 42 years regime. Then in 2014, armed conflict broke out after the second parliamentary elections, leading to political divisions. The situation changed again in 2016, with Libya being an increasingly fragmented society, with what can be described as four different political governments: 1. Democratic Party Libya (DPL) launched by the Libyan Freedom and Democracy Campaign, founded in July 2011 by Ahmed Shebani and lead by Prime Minister, Khalifa Ghwell. 2. The Government of National Accord, established in January 2016 and lead by Prime Minister, Fayez al-Sarraj is based in Tripoli, but not officially recognised 3. Khalifa Haftar, leader of the Libyan National Army (LNA) is an anti-Islamist general who launched Operation Dignity in May 2014 against ISIS and controls Tobruk and al-Bayda authorities. 4. ISIS has occupied Sirte for the past two years. According to UNHCR Libya fact sheet dated November 2016, there are a total of 814,219 persons of concern (including internally displaced persons as well as refugees and asylum seekers. Furthermore, the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) claims that 462,957 are returning to Libya¹. Despite the unrest and the closing of some schools, the overall educational structure of Libya has not been directly affected by the turmoil and the primary curriculum does not appear to have changed since the fall of Qadhaffi. With regards to higher education, the instability of the political context has led to the lack of consistent information regarding the number of recognised institutions; for example, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Tripoli (2016) recognise nine universities, whereas the UK NARIC’s Libya country file citing both Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Libyan Quality Assurance Agency identifies 16 public universities. Alternatively, ICEF claimed in 2014 that there are 17 universities with more than a hundred technical and vocational institutions in Libya. Approaches to evaluation of the qualifications from Libya can be different in different ENIC-NARIC countries depending on the mandate and practices of the evaluation authorities. More information on assessment practices of documentation from Libya can be obtained from the E-learning modules to be developed within the framework of the EU-funded project “Refugees and Recognition – Toolkit for recognition of higher education for refugees, displaced persons and persons in a refugee-like situation" by the ENIC-NARIC centres of France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. The political situation in Libya has seen many changes over the last ten years, having an impact on both the educational system and the current refugee situation. ¹ Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM – IOM) September 2016. This refugees country briefing was last updated in 2017.
Doctor of Philosophy Masters degree Postgraduate diploma Basic Education Certificate (Kindergarten/Primary/Preparatory School) 0 = Duration of education
Education system
Qualifications
SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE (ﺓﺩﺍﻩﺵﺓﺱﺍﺭﺩﻝ!ﺓﻱﻭﻥﺍﺙﻝ!ﺓﻡﺍﻉﻝ!) (Shaha'dat al-dirasa al-thanaweeya al-3ama) • Entry requirement: Basic Education Certificate (おやいないと) (Shaha'dat itmam marhal'at al-ta3leem al-assasi) awarded after 9 years of education. • Duration: o  General Secondary School 3 years o  Specialised / Technical School 4 years ² Source – UK NARIC https://naric.org.uk/product/International%20Comparisons/ information.aspx?CountryID=95&TextID=157 ³ Source – UK NARIC https://naric.org.uk/product/International%20Comparisons/information.aspx?CountryID=95&TextID=157
STREAMS
General Secondary School Streams and Subjects Table 1: General Secondary School Streams and Subjects²
• Progression: A score of 65% and above from either school allows for progression to study at Bachelor degree level at university. Scores below 65% allow for entry to a Higher Technical Institute Higher Diploma with the option in some cases of then progressing to a Bachelor degree level, within the same Institute. • Certificate details: The stream/specialisation is noted on the final certificate. In the case of specialised/technical school the school name will also indicate the area of specialisation.
Specialised / Technical School Streams and Subjects
The first two years are spent studying general curriculum (as above) and the final two years spent studying a subject specialisation. Table 2: Specialised Secondary School Type and Specialisations offered 3
. Entry requirement: Secondary Education Certificate – Score of 65% or above for university study, scores below may be accepted for study at a higher technical institute. . Duration: Dependant on specialism, see table 3.
BACHELOR DEGREE
(ﺱﻭﻱﺭﻭﻝﺍﻙﺏﻝ/ﺱﻥﺍﺱﻱﻝﻝ) (Al-bakalawreeus / Al-lisans) Table 3: Duration and Specialisation of Bachelor degrees from Universities
Table 4: Duration and Subjects offered at Bachelor degree level from Higher Technical Institutions
• Institution type: Public and private universities as well as some Higher Technical Institutions •   Professional rights: Each profession has its own pathway it is advisable to contact the appropriate professional body for more details. See section 5.2 for a list of civil and professional bodies in Libya.
HIGHER DIPLOMA
(ﻡﻭﻝﺏﺩﻝlﻯﻝlﻉﻝl) (Al-diblom al-3alee) • Entry requirement: Secondary Education Certificate – Scores below 65% although there is no information on the lowest possible entry score • Duration: 3 years • Institution type: Higher Technical Institution • Subjects offered: A wide range of subjects are offered; the institutions tend to specialise in one area which is included in their name • Progression: In some cases, may provide advanced standing on to Bachelor degree courses. MASTER’S DEGREE (ﺭﻱﺕﺱﺝﺍﻡﻝ/ﺓﺯﺍﺝﺍﻝlﺓﻱﻝlﻉﻟl) (Al-majistair / Al-ijaza al-3alia) and Postgraduate Diploma (ﻡﻭﻝﺏﺩﺕﺍﺱﺍﺭﺩﻝﺍﯼﻝﻉﻝﺍ) (Diblom al-dirasat al-3olia) • Entry requirement: Bachelor degree • Duration: 2-3 years • Institution type: These awards are offered at select universities, generally larger public universities •   Subjects offered: Information suggests that due to cultural and historical reasons Arabic, Islamic studies, Social Science and Humanities are consistently offered at postgraduate level with only University of Tripoli and the Libyan Academy offering Engineering specialisms; see table 5. • Progression: o  Master's degree allows for progression on to PhD level study o  Postgraduate Diploma allows for progression on to Master's degree level study.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
(ەاروتكدلا/ةزاجالاةقىقدلا) (Al-doktora / Al-Ijaza al-dakeka) Entry requirement: Master's degree • Duration: 2-4 years • Institution type: University • Subjects offered: PhDs are offered in certain subjects such as Arabic, Social Studies and Humanities. There is currently no provision for doctoral students wishing to study science, technology or engineering and as a result many Libyan students pursue doctoral studies outside of Libya.
Table 5: Master's degrees in Engineering: Higher Education Grading System There is no national standard for grading . across Libya although the vast majority of institutions use the percentage system together with a remark, see below table: • Whilst less common there are examples of universities using the GPA system, these universities include: University of Tripoli (formerly Al Fateh University), University of Benghazi (formerly Garyounis University) and the Libyan Academy (formerly the Libyan Academy of Postgraduate Studies). Universities which use the GPA system can also include a letter grade or remark similar to the above.
Table 6: Al Arab Medical University Grading Scale Table 7: Libyan Academy Grade Point System:
Table 8: University of Tripoli Grade Point System:

Education Institutions
Links to national higher education and
technical education bodies: •   Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research - http://highereducation.gov.ly/ • Quality Assurance and Accreditation Centre (QAA)Libya - oversees accreditation and quality assurance at public and private universities in Libya) – http://qaa.ly •   QAA list of public universities: http://qaa.ly/index. php/home/details/gov_organizations/116 • QAA list of private universities: http://qaa.ly/ index.php/home/details/organizations/20 • Technical and Higher Institutions (Oversees accreditation and quality assurance at higher technical institutes in Libya) - http://www.ahti.org.ly/ • AHTI list of higher technical institutes in Libya: http://www.ahti.org.ly/mhad1.aspx
Links to secondary education
• List of Libyan Transnational Education schools in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland: http://culturalaffairs.libyanembassy. org/?p=12991 • Secondary School education materials from the Cultural Affairs department of the Libyan Embassy: http://culturalaffairs.libyanembassy. org/schools/?page_id=352 • Libyan Herald list of international schools in Libya: https://www.libyaherald.com/libya-guide/ international-schools/ • It has not been possible to find a list of state secondary schools located in Libya.
UNIVERSITY NAME CHANGES
Since 2011 a number of public universities have undergone changes in name. Table 8 lists the public universities whose name has been changed. Table 9: Public University Name Changes

Accreditation and Quality
Assurance
Public universities are automatically accredited in Libya but the situation for private universities is more complex. Prior to the revolution students who studied at private universities were required to take the “A-Shamel” examination (Comprehensive/ Calibration Examination) in order to have their degrees recognised. Since the revolution, the situation has changed and a new system established by which the Private Higher Education Administration certifies qualifications from private higher education institutes in Libya. This certification comprises of a statement/certificate from the body. The Quality Assurance and Accreditation Centre (QAA) oversees quality assurance in all Libyan universities. Universities are also expected to have a dedicated department for implementing internal quality assurance. Prior to 2013 higher education qualifications required a stamp from the QAA in order to be certified genuine and thus valid in Libya. This is no longer the case with the responsibility now falling to the universities and Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
Characteristics of Secondary Education and Higher Education Qualifications Table 10: Characteristics of Secondary Education and Higher Education Qualifications
USEFUL GENERAL LINKS ON EDUCATION IN LIBYA • The Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya – The Development of Education in the Great Jamahiriya http://www.ibe.unesco.org/International/ICE47/ English/Natreps/reports/libya_en.pdf •   World Education Services – Education in Libya http://wenr.wes.org/2004/07/wenr-julyaugust- 2004-education-in-libya •   European Training Foundation: ETF – Libya Union for the Mediterranean Country Fiche http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/tempus/participating_ countris/documents/13_libya_en.pdf •   University of Bristol – International Students Libya Country Profile http://www.bristol.ac.uk/international/countries/ libya.html •   University of Leicester – International Students Libya Country Profile https://le.ac.uk/student-life/international- students/countries-list/africa/libya •   European Commission / Tempus – Higher Education in Libya http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/tempus/participating_ countries/overview/libya_overview_of_hes_final. pdf •   British Council – Education in North Africa since Independence https://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/sites/ default/files/attachments/education-in-north- africa-since-independence-libya.pdf •   WES – World Education News and Reviews. (2014). Education in Libya. [online] Available at: http://wenr.wes.org/2004/07/wenr-julyaugust- 2004-education-in-libya [Accessed: 12/12/2016] •   ECFR: A quick guide to Libya's main players http://www.ecfr.eu/mena/mapping_libya_conflict European Commission – Tempus. (2012). Higher Education in Libya. [online] Available at: http:// eacea.ec.europa.eu/tempus/participating_ countries/overview/libya_overview_of_hes_final. pdf [Accessed: 12/12/2016] . UK NARIC (n.d.) Higher Education in Libya. [online] Available at: https://naric.org.uk/product/ International%20Comparisons/information. aspx?CountryID=95&TextID=162 [Accessed: 12/12/2016] •   UK NARIC (n.d.) Technical and Vocational Education in Libya. [online] Available at: https://naric.org.uk/product/ International%20Comparisons/information. aspx?CountryID=95&TextID=161 {Accessed: 12/12/2016] • UK NARIC (n.d.) List of Recognised Higher Education Institutions Libya. [online] Available at: https://naric.org.uk/product/International%20 Comparisons/institutions.aspx?CountryID=95 {Accessed: 12/12/2016]
• UNHCR
http://reporting.unhcr.org/node/12003 {Accessed: 30/11/2016] •   USIP: The Current Situation in Libya - A USIP Fact Sheet (May 16, 2016) http://www.usip.org/publications/the-current- situation-in-libya
Refugees and Recognition – Toolkit is a finalised Erasmus+ supported project taking place between 2016 and 2018, with the aim to promote the implementation of effective recognition procedures for refugees, displaced persons and persons in a refugee-like situation.
Goal
Central to the project is the development of a Toolkit for Recognition of Refugees Qualifications. The follow up project entitled Refugees and Recognition – Toolkit 2 (REACT), taking place between 2018 and 2020, builds on the results achieved as part of the Toolkit project.
Main project activities
Development of five refugees country briefings Development of Toolkit for Recognition . of Refugees Qualifications Testing of the developed Toolkit . Development of e-learning modules .
Outcomes
The project addressed the need for the identification of common principles and best practice tools for the recognition of refugees' qualifications, with the development of a Toolkit for Recognition of Refugees' Qualifications. In addition to the development of the Toolkit, the project developed five refugee country briefings to help with the evaluation of credentials of refugees, displaced persons and persons in a refugee- like situation. The country briefings presents a systematised overview of the educational systems in Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Libya and Syria. In the second-cycle REACT project, the overall goal is to enhance the mobility, employability and access to further studies for refugees, displaced persons and persons in a refugee-like situation – including those without official documentation of their educational background. The participating NARICs in the REACT project developed similar briefings on Iran, Ethiopia, Venezuela, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
TIMELINE

Final dialogue seminar 2018 Publishing and reporting on results
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
This refugees country briefing is part of a collection of five briefings, developed within the Erasmus+ supported Toolkit project. Moreover, five additional briefings have recently been developed in the second-cycle Erasmus+ Toolkit 2 (REACT) project. For further information, please visit the websites of the projects: Websites: Toolkit: https://www.nokut.no/en/about-nokut/international- cooperation/erasmus-projects/refugees-and-recognition/ Toolkit 2 (REACT): https://www.nokut.no/en/about-nokut/ international-cooperation/erasmus-projects/react--refugees-and- recognition/ Email: project-react@nokut.no Drammensveien 288 Postboks 578,1327 Lysaker Telefon: 21 02 18 00 www.nokut.no This document was developed in the framework of the EU-funded project "Refugees and Recognition – Toolkit for recognition of higher education for refugees, displaced persons and persons in a refugee-like situation" by the ENIC-NARIC centres of France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom. NOKUT（） nuffic @CIMEA The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use, which may be made of the information contained therein.