1 The UNESCO/OECD Guidelines on Quality Provision in Cross-Border Higher Education: the reasons of their development and their main consequences Alexandria November 2005 Bernard Hugonnier OECD Deputy Director for Education

2 The Seven wonders 1. Les pyramides 2. Les jardins suspendus de Babylone 3. La statue de Zeus à Olympie 4. Le temple d’Artémis à Éphèse 5. Le mausolée de Halicarnasse 6. Le colosse de Rhodes 7. Le phare d’Alexandrie 8. La bibliothèque Alexandrina 9. The UNESCO/OECD Guidelines

3 Next steps 1. Analytical work 2. Dissemination 3. Implementation

4 Trade and international co-operation Consumer protection Competition Development 1.Learners are protected from low-quality provision and qualifications 2.High international validity and portability of qualifications prevail 3. Strong quality assurance and accreditation systems exist 4. International co-operation among national quality assurance and accreditation agencies is increased 1. Foreign provision meet the needs of the importing country (economic, social and cultural needs) 2. The risk for the stability and continuity of the education system is limited 3. Capacity building is taking place 1.Sending and receiving countries are sharing responsibilities for assuring quality of cross-border higher education 2.The brain drain risk is minimised 3.The education gap between the least developed countries and the other developing countries is mitigated 1.There exist a level playing field for HEI 2.Competition between HEI is open and fair 3.Competition between professionals is open and fair The consequences of the Guidelines on consumer protection are very clear The consequences on development are straightforward as well The consequences on competition and trade need further analytical work Joint Analytical work between the OECD Education and Competition Committees Co-operation between UNESCO, WTO and OECD

5 Dissemination r Brochures r Web sites r House magazines (e.g. OECD Observer) r Policy Briefs r Conferences (e.g. 3 rd UNESCO Global Forum on QA focusing on Learners, October 2006) r Media r Co-ordination with stakeholders

6 Implementation r Presentation of an action plan to the OECD Education Committee (March 2006) r Action plan l Spring 2006: Creation of national co-ordinators l Summer 2006: Meeting at national level of associations of main stakeholders (2006) who could either: –Aknowledge the Guidelines –Validate the underpinning principles and the objectives of the Guidelines –Agree to take action (dissemination & implementation) l Summer 2007: second meeting at national level of stakeholders l Autumn 2007: OECD meeting with national co-ordinators l Autumn 2007: UNESCO/OECD conference in preparation to a progress report from the Unesco DG to the 34th General Conference

7 Implementation r Information tool l Objective: creation of a portal of accredited HEIs and programmes to be hosted by UNESCO l 2006: pilot project r Capacity building l 2006: UNESCO and World Bank to assess the capacity building needs and develop an action plan. l : implementation l Autumn 2007: progress report by the DG to the 34th UNSECO General Conference

8 Thank you. OECD: Education Directorate: