1. UNESCO/OECD Guidelines on Quality Provision in Cross-Border Higher Education
Education International
UNESCO, Paris 5 April 2005
Stamenka Uvalic-Trumbic,
Division of Higher Education

2. WHY THE GUIDELINES? Context
Growth of cross-border higher education: DE, franchises, branch campuses, IT academies, trade in education (GATS);
Growing commercialization of (higher) education
Need to provide an EDUCATIONAL response
Maximize opportunities, minimize threats, based on UN principles and instruments

3. Why UNESCO? Existing frameworks:
1998 WCHE and WCHE + 5: identified the challenges of higher education and globalization and HE’s role in the knowledge society as an element of sustainable development;

4. Why UNESCO? Existing frameworks
The 6 regional conventions on the recognition of qualifications
The Global Forum on International Quality Assurance, Accreditation and the Recognition of Qualifications: new dimensions in quality assurance and qualifications recognition;

5. Why UNESCO?
The 32 GC/10 Resolution “Globalization and Higher Education” that called for UNESCO to work with other partners and to develop principles and guidelines on cross-border higher education;
Hence, the UNESCO-OECD initiative to jointly elaborate guidelines on quality provision in cross-border higher education.

6. Guidelines: the Process
Three drafting meetings, April 2004, UNESCO, Paris; October 2004, MEXT,Tokyo, Japan; January 2005, OECD, Paris;
Inclusive Process: all 190 Member States invited as well as stakeholder groups both at IGO and NGO level;
Participated: official representatives from 94 Member States, 28 observers from MS; 22 NGOs; experts…
Final draft presented to UNESCO and the OECD decision-making bodies for further action – April 2005

7. Objectives
support and encourage international cooperation and understanding of the importance of quality provision in cross-border higher education
protect students and other stakeholders from low-quality provision and disreputable providers
encourage the development of quality cross-border higher education that meets human, social, economic and cultural needs

8. The scope Voluntary and non-binding BUT
Stamp of two IGOs: UNESCO and the OECD
Addressing Governments but recognizing the role of NGOs and Student Organizations.

9. The stakeholders Governments;
Higher Education Institutions/academic staff;
Students bodies;
Quality Assurance and accreditation bodies;
Academic Recognition Bodies;
Professional Bodies;

10. Importance of Guidelines for Developing Countries
Resource for Developing Countries to Use;
Value of the Guidelines in the follow-up: a framework for capacity-building;
Responsibility for partnerships, sharing, dialogue and mutual trust between sending and receiving countries in assuring quality and relevance in cross-border higher education.

11. Regional Capacity Building:
RIACES (Latin America + Spain)
The Caribbean: CANQATE
Asia Pacific Quality Network (APQN): Partnership with World Bank
ENQA and ECA: Role in the Bologna Process
The Mediterranean (TEMPUS-MEDA): Partnership with EU
CANQATE: We/UNESCO are not doing anything there yet
The GCC-proposal was referred to in the 2004 INQAAHE workshop that was held in Oman. I guess the Omanis would be the driving force (from the Minister + delegation meeting) but I have no further news about it. (I should check it with the ambassador)
RIACES: (Red Iboamericana para la Acreditacion de la Calidad de la Educacion Superior) established in 2002 as a network of Latin American and Spanish quality assurance agencies and organisations dealing with higher education. (Some Ministries) They had a presentation of the guidelines at the conference in March – I haven’t got any reply from Ivan yet as how it went.
APQN is already helping to build alliances between agencies, and assisting countries that do not have a quality assurance agency of their own. Obtained World Bank support for capacity-building through the early years. This may provide a good link for the African network
ENQA in cooperation with EUA, EURASHE, and ESIB was invited (in the Berlin communique. of 19 September 2003) by the Ministers of the Bologna Process signatory states to develop “Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area” to be discussed in May in Bergen (report available at the Bologna website)
ECA European Consortium for Accreditation in Higher Education (ECA). Consist of 13 QA agencies from 7 . The ultimate aim of the consortium is the achievement of mutual recognition of accreditation decisions among the participants before the end of 2007.

12. Regional Capacity Building
Africa: Launch of AQUAnet (partnership with AAU)
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Network for Quality Assurance in HE
Arab States: Regional Accreditation (Egypt)

13. Implementation Challenges
Effective only if implemented:
Build foundations for CBHE: increase equity and access;
Increase educational opportunities;
Responsibility of governments and other stakeholders in the implementation process

14. Implementation Challenges
Emphasis:
Capacity Building – based on Strategy proposed by 2nd Global Forum, Paris, June 2004;
Role of receiving countries;
Partnerships and Dialogue;
Collaboration and Exchange – internal and external
Accessibility, Clarity and Transparence of Information
UNESCO Info-Tool on recognized HE institutions

15. UNESCO - EI
Awareness raising about the guidelines among its members – as one of the 6 stakeholder groups addressed
Support capacity-building and clearinghouse functions
Support co-operation with existing and emerging regional trends

16. Guidelines awareness raising
AFRICA - AAU, Capetown, Feb. 2005: support and dissemination
INQAAHE, Wellington, NZ, March 2005: support and dissemination - initiative to strengthen francophone capacity building networks
ASIA and the PACIFIC: Regional Committee for Recognition Convention, Kunming, China, May 2005
EUROPE: Bergen Summit, May 2005