1. Assessment of Refugees’ Qualifications: Current Challenges and Possible Solutions
Rolf Lofstad
Deputy Director of Foreign Education
NOKUT (Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education), Norwegian ENIC-NARIC

2. NOKUT – Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education
NOKUT is an independent body, established in It works with higher education institutions and vocational higher education providers, as well
as individuals seeking to obtain recognition of their foreign qualifications, to ensure and
promote quality in higher and tertiary vocational education (supervision and control over the institutions’ internal quality systems, accreditation of new institutions and programs, and revision of their post-accreditation activities)
Independent agency, established by the Ministry of Education through the Universities and Colleges Act in 2003
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

3. Article VII – Lisbon Recognition Convention
Each Party shall take all feasible and reasonable steps within the framework of its education system and in conformity with its constitutional, legal, and regulatory provisions to develop procedures designed to assess fairly and expeditiously whether
refugees, displaced persons and persons in a refugee-like situation
fulfill the relevant requirements for access to higher education, to further higher education programmes or to employment activities,
even in cases in which the qualifications obtained in one of the Parties cannot be proven through documentary evidence.
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

4. Norwegian experience 2005 2011-2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
NOKUT / UK NARIC
proposal
European Qualifications Passport for Refugees
Special recognition procedure for refugees
Background paper
NOKUT’s Qualifications Assessment for Refugees
Pilot project
Qualifications Passport for Refugees tested in Greece
NOKUT’s Qualifications Assessment for Refugees established
Standardized recognition procedure for refugees
HEIs + NOKUT
NOKUT’s UVD-procedure is established
Legally binding decision
UVD-methodology is crucial in Students at Risk scheme
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

5. Recognition procedures for persons without verifiable documentation – alternative ways to recognition of qualification
Application for general recognition
Ordinary / paper based process for NOKUT's general recognition
Legally binding decision on recognition as on par with Norwegian higher education
- Assessment of documentation
- Verification, if necessary
Mapping of applicant’s background
NOKUT’s assessment/level placement of qualifications
Assessment by expert committee appointed by NOKUT
Recognititon procedure for persons without verifiable documentation (UVD-procedure)
Mapping of applicant’s background
NOKUT’s assessment/level placement of qualifications
Structured interview with NOKUT’s case officers
NOKUT’s Qualifications Assessment for Refugees
NOKUT’s Qualifications Assessment for Refugees
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

6. UVD: Recognition model
Stage 1
Application for general recognition and referral to recognition procedure for persons without verifiable documentation
Stage 2
Mapping of applicant’s background and assessment of result
Stage 3
NOKUT’s assessment/level placement of qualifications and setting up of a committee of experts
Stage 4
Assessment by expert committee appointed by NOKUT
Stage 5
Final assessment / NOKUT’s decision on general recognition and filing in archives
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

7. Suzan Came to Norway as an asylum-seeker in 2010
Contacted NOKUT for recognition of her engineering qualification (Bachelor degree) in June 2013
Referred to the recognition procedure for refugees in July 2013
Contacted NOKUT by telephone, she heard from someone that NOKUT was about to start the new recognition scheme.
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

8. Interview in the expert committee
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

9. August 29, 2013 : Education recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian Bachelor degree
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

10. Current challenges Volumes Language competency
Unfinished qualifications

11. GD Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017
GD Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017
Source:

12. Let us stop for a minute … what are we actually talking about?
Recognition is more than a technical exercise
Recognition is more than a preparation for further studies or employment
Early recognition of refugees` qualifications is a key to build inclusive societies
Recognition of a qualification = recognition of the human behind the qualification
Inclusion – empowerment – participation
Reduce the risk of (social, political, economical) alienation
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

13. What kind of solution we need?
Early deployment / Fast
Effective
Accessible
Professional
Fair / provide equal treatment
Provide relevant information
Provide feasible system for transition and easy mobility between regions, educational levels and even countries

14. Current challenges
Current refugee crisis concerns all European states, but:
Different legislations
Different assessment practices
Different financial capacity
Different number of refugees
Different willingness to help
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

15. The path to a multi-national tool to assess refugees’ qualifications
September 2015
Norwegian ENIC-NARIC (NOKUT) and UK NARIC proposed the idea of a European Qualifications Passport for Refugees
Inspiration: The Nansen Passport
February – June 2016
Methodology successfully tested in a pilot project in Norway
March – December 2017
Pilot project in Greece by the Council of Europe and Greek authorities in cooperation with UNHCR
Assessments, including interviews
Recognition experts from Greece, Italy, Norway and UK
Important with experts from many countries – also a way of capacity building on methodology bigger than in this concrete project
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

16. NOKUT’s qualification assessment for refugees
Trial project (February-March 2016)
First passport issued 24. February 2016
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

17. NOKUT’s Qualifications Assessment for Refugees: goal
To map, summarize and present available information on the applicant’s educational level, work experience and language proficiency, in order to provide information that can be relevant to applications for employment or internship, qualification courses and admission to studies.
Permanent tool in our toolbox (for domestic use).
Prepare for EQPR pilot
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

18. European Qualifications Passport for Refugees
Who is it for?
European Qualifications Passport for Refugees is issued to refugees who claim to have completed or partially completed studies at the level of upper secondary school and above, including if they have insufficient or missing documentation.
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

19. European Qualifications Passport for Refugees
What is it?
A document containing advisory statement concerning refugee’s qualification(s).
A document which summarizes and presents available information on the applicant’s educational level, work experience and language proficiency.
A document which provides credible information that can be relevant in connection with applications for employment, internships, qualification courses and admission to studies.
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

20. European Qualifications Passport for Refugees
What it is not?
The European Recognition Passport for Refugees is not:
a substitute for identification or educational documentation;
a substitute for regular recognition statements/authorization issued by the national recognition authorities;
an automatic system that guarantees admission to studies or employment
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

21. European Qualifications Passport for Refugees: methodology
Assessment of available documentation;
Use of the considerable experience gained through previous evaluations;
Structured interview with the applicant carried out by experienced case officers;
Standardized presentation of available information
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

22. Qualifications Passport for Refugees: benefits
Advice about the road ahead – positive for further integration
Standardized document - standardized and quality assured assistance for the integration sector, employers and higher education institutions
The scheme can be implemented relatively quickly
The scheme is efficient
The scheme can be adapted to other relevant processes and for admission purposes
Portability – the data will be stored electronically
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

23. European Qualifications Passport for Refugees
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

24. The way ahead
Coordinating an Erasmus+ project on development of toolkit for recognition of refugees’ qualifications;
Qualifications Passport for Refugees tested in Greece – pilot project initiated by Council of Europe in cooperation with Greek Ministry of Education and UNHCR: evaluation and follow-up;
Further testing of the EQPR in Italy, 2017;
Portability – the data will be stored electronically. Developing the data repository and release of data to end users “GD-style”!
Documents will probably still be issued
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017

25. Thank you for your attention!
Rolf Lofstad Deputy Director of Foreign Education NOKUT (Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education), Norwegian ENIC-NARIC
Groningen Declaration Network, Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia 2017