8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Sorin Eugen ZAHARIA, PhD., Director of the Agency ROMANIA NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN ROMANIA: ACTIONS AND PLANS

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Contents: 1. Rationale 2. National Qualifications Framework Strategy for A. Current situation at national level B. International level 3. Publications 4. Events 5. Conclusions

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro 1. Rationale

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro ►The rationale for the QFHE is to provide a mechanism to relate national frameworks to each other so as to enable: 1. International transparency and comparability between and across universities; with the employers and other stakeholders;  Instrument: Diploma Supplement; 2. International recognition of qualifications 3. International mobility of learners and graduates  Learners can ultimately have greater confidence that the outcomes of study abroad will contribute to a qualification sought in their country.  A framework will also be of particular help in supporting the development and recognition of joint degrees from more than one country; 4. Optimal insertion on the global labour market

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro 2. National Qualifications Framework in Romania – Strategy for

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro A. National Level A.1. Development of National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education A.2. Creation of National Register of Qualifications in Higher Education B. International Level B.1. Exchanges of good practices; B.2. Involvement in European actions for development the qualifications framework; B.3. Harmonization of the Romanian NQF with EQF and with other countries’ NQFs.

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Action/stepStep completed with an indication of timing Step to be completed with an indication of timing 1. Decision to start taken by the national body responsible for higher education 2005 Decision taken by the Ministry of Education 2. Setting the agenda: The purpose of the NQF Development, recognition and certification of qualifications, defined by means of learning outcomes A. NATIONAL LEVEL

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Action/stepStep completed with an indication of timingStep to be completed with an indication of timing 3. Organizing the process: Identifying stakeholders; setting up a committee/WG 2005: According to Government Decision no 1357/November 11, 2005 APART turns into the National Authority for Qualifications in Higher Education (ACPART) 2006 Rector’s Conference – presentation of EQF and discussion related to a possible development of a national qualifications framework in Romania National conferences, regional workshops organised in order to promote the concepts and principles of NQFHE through the academics and professionals; Establishment of a Working Group for designing the Methodology on NQFHE development; the Working Group is set up by ACPART, following consultation with higher education institutions.

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Action/stepStep completed with an indication of timing Step to be completed with an indication of timing 4. Design Profile: Level structure, Level descriptors (learning outcomes), Credit ranges 2007 Design of the first draft methodology on NQFHE development – completed by ACPART + WG 5. Consultation National discussion and acceptance of design by stakeholders 2007  First version of the Methodology on NQFHE subject to public debate for one year (during 2007), by workshops and seminars organised by ACPART with a view to consulting and having the feedback of the representatives of all universities, of important employers, sectoral committees, trade unions, professional associations, high schools and other beneficiaries (students, teachers, graduates);  Piloting the NQFHE Methodology by 10 study programmes described in terms of competences, based on the grids of specific descriptors

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Action/stepStep completed with an indication of timing Step to be completed with an indication of timing 6. Approval according to national tradition by Minister/ Government/ legislation The final version of the Methodology for NQFHE development submitted to the Ministry for approval 2008 To be approved by Government decision 7. Administrative set-up Division of tasks of implementation between HEI, QAA and other bodies 2008 Accomplished – provided through the methodology

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Action/stepStep completed with an indication of timing Step to be completed with an indication of timing 8. Implementation at institutional/ programme level; Reformulation of individual study programmes to learning outcome based approach The implementation phase of the NQFHE will be done under the European Social Fund by means of a three years project: “Development of an Operational System of the Higher Education Qualifications in Romania – DOCIS”. The overall objective of the project is to restructure and improve the higher education system by implementing the NQFHE and re-mapping the entire system according to the labour market requirements 9. Inclusion of qualifications in the NQF; Accreditation or similar (cf. Berlin Communiqué) Validation of qualifications as provided for by the Methodology on NQFHE development: anticipated for 2010 under the ESF funded project

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Action/stepStep completed with an indication of timing Step to be completed with an indication of timing 10. Self-certification of compatibility with the EHEA framework (Alignment to Bologna cycles etc.) Alignment to the Bologna cycles accomplished – according to Law 288/ Self-certification of compatibility with the EHEA framework 11. National qualifications web site is available to users Web address:

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Romanian Model of NQF of HE Competences can be classified in two categories: professional competences; transversal competences. (competences) (skills) ( knowledge )

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Concept of learning outcomes (LO) LO = knowledge + skills + competences LO = résultats de l’enseignement (l’apprentissage) (mieux: acquis de l’apprentissage ) rezultatele învăţării LO + assessment = learning outputs = résultats de l’enseignement

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Building a consensus on the NQFHE development and implementation

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro

B. INTERNATIONAL LEVEL B.1. Harmonization of the Romanian NQF with OFQ in EHEA, with EQF and with other countries the NQFs  Leonardo da Vinci Project / LE2-707 EQF ”Developing Key Methodological Units for the the Implementation of EQF by Means of NQFs – EQF by NQFs”. Its development period is January 1st, 2007 – December 31st,  The general objective of the project is to exchange experiences and to develop and test modular grids of competences and key methodological units comprising principles, mechanisms and guidance tools for the elaboration of EQF and specific NQFs.

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro

 Leonardo da Vinci Pilot Project FR/04/B/P/PP „European mechanism for distance information, orientation and validation of the jobs and qualifications in informatics and multimedia, from a lifelong learning point of view” – EURO PORTIC promoted by the University of Versailles. Partner countries: France, Spain, Great Britain, Romania, Estonia.  Transnational cooperation project Socrates-Minerva CP FR-MINERVA-MPP „European programme of e-trainings and validation through competences in data- processing and multimedia” – e-FORMINFO promoted by the University of Versailles. Partner countries: France, Spain, Poland, Romania, Great Britain.

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Leonardo da Vinci Mobility Project RO/2006/97041/EX „Experts training in the field of quality assurance and qualifications in HE” – CALEX promoted by the ACPART Agency. Partner countries: France, Ireland, Spain.

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro 3. Publications

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro  Papers and support materials for information and dissemination regarding the system of qualifications at European and national level  „Conceptual bases for the development of NQFHE in Romania” (May, 2007)  Proceedings of UNISO 2006  Proceedings of UNISO 2007

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro 4. Events

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro ►Summer University „UNIversity in SOciety – UNISO” 2007 „Lifelong learning and qualifications in higher education” was organised in Versailles (France) July 2007 by ACPART in collaboration with the University of Versailles 2008 “Competence-based Higher Education: Challenges and solutions”, in Iaşi (Romania) – of July: Student-centred education: pedagogical innovations; Standards and assessment in European higher education; Facilitating social insertion of graduates through competence-based education; Qualifications Framework: a tool for mobility, flexibility and professional insertion.

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro 5. Conclusions

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro 1. The necessity for improving the dialogue with universities, stakeholders, students:  to explain;  to build up together the NQFs;  to have feedback.

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro 2. The NQF should be an opportunity for a student-centred higher education; 3. Qualifications framework should support:  the mobility;  curricula reform;  better understanding of study cycles and learning outcomes after each cycle.

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro quality assurance; credit transfer and accumulation systems; lifelong learning; flexible learning paths and the social dimension; recognition of qualifications, particularly the diploma supplement and quality assurance. 4. Linking the development of the qualifications framework to other Bologna action lines:

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Thank you for your attention!