QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS IN THE EHEA AND EQF Bologna Board Chişinău, January 18, 2016 Sjur Bergan, Council of Europe

QUALIFICATIONS IN THE EHEA Two (later three) tier degree structure (1999, 2003) Role of the first degree in the labor market (1999) Recognition (1998 and later) Mobility Employability But Qualifications Frameworks mentioned for the first time: Bologna conference in March 2003 in København Berlin Communiqué 2003

MINISTERS IN BERGEN 2005, LONDON 2007 AND LEUVEN 2009 We have an overarching framework (adopted in Bergen 2005) of three cycles with the possibility of intermediate qualifications in national frameworks We will develop national frameworks compatible with the EHEA framework and prepared for self certification by 2012 (Leuven changed deadline) This is a steep challenge and we need continued coordination even if QFs are ultimately a national responsibility

QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS DESCRIBE How qualifications fit together within and between systems All qualifications in a given (higher) education system How these qualifications articulate How learners can move between qualifications within a system Learning outcomes All of the above in ways that make them understandable to informed foreigners QF: an instrument to describe and make sense of diversity

FRAMEWORKS AND FRAMEWORK National framework closest to the operational reality owned by national system ultimately determines what qualifications learners will earn describe the qualifications within a given education system and how they interlink Overarching framework facilitates movement between systems face of “Bologna”/European qualifications to the rest of the world provides the broad structure within which national qualifications frameworks will be developed (“outer limits” for diversity)

OVERACHING FRAMEWORKS Bologna (QF-EHEA) Adopted 2005 47 countries Higher education only 3 levels with short cycles integrated within the first cycle in 2015 Overseen by BFUG and WG QFs, coordinated by the Council of Europe until 2105 National correspondents EQF Lifelong learning Adopted 2008 36 countries All levels of education in a lifelong learning perspective 8 levels Overseen by EQF Advisory Board and the European Commission National Coordination Points

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION How can countries contribute better to the Network of National Correspondents? How can self certifications be presented and assessed? What should the relationship between QF- EHEA and EQF-LLL be?