1. Information sources Workshop: Boosting quality: International Credential Evaluation and Higher Education Quality Assessment in SSH (PHOENIX) Bishkek, 13-14 April 2006 Gunnar Vaht Estonian ENIC/NARIC

2. What information is needed? educational system as a whole Status and type of institution system of quality assurance/accreditation study program access requirements; graduation requirements grading system, credit system purpose of studies - access to labor market and further studies International legal instruments and agreements National legislation and requirements

3. The applicant should present Application All certificates/diplomas since secondary education Transcripts (DS, academic transcripts, records) Certified translations ________________ Is it enough to make a recognition decision? - NO

4. Information sources Individual contacts and Networks (ENIC) Published sources Unpublished sources

5. Networks International Networks –ENIC and NARIC www.enic-naric.net –ENQA (European Network for Quality Assurance www.enqa.net –EAIE (European Network of International Education) professional section ACE (Admission officers and credential Evaluators) www.eaie.nl www.aic.lv/ace –NAFSA: Association of International Educators www.nafsa.org

6. Networks AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers) –www.aacrao.org AAU (Association of African Universities) –www.aau.org Association of Arab Universities –www.aaru.edu.jp Education Asia Network –www.eduasia.net AUAP (Association of Universities of Asia and Pacific) –http://sut2.sut.ac.th/AUAP

7. Contacts National Ministries of Education Quality assessment agencies Embassies Educational institutions Conferences/seminars Training courses/workshops/information days Education institutions (individual contacts with experts)

8. Published sources Databases (International and national) Handbooks/reference books (international and national) Periodicals Recognition conventions University catalogues Websites of educational institution Foreign Language Dictionaries

9. Published sources (national) Higher Education System Handbooks of higher education institutions (e.g. “Spravochnik” in RF, or “Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education” in USA) Comparison of foreign qualifications Fact sheets Country education profiles (e.g. by AEI - International Education Network/Australia; ECE - Educational Credential Evaluators/USA; publications of UNESCO-CEPES

10. Unpublished sources Internet search engine (eg “GOOGLE”) Files of previous cases Electronic mailing lists (e.g. ENIC list)

11. Persistent problems Too much of information Information is not structured Not well targeted information Not in widely used languages Different tasks of national ENIC offices Complications to get authoritative and up- dated information from other regions

12. Information provision by ENIC Information provision on education systems and on recognition is one of the core activities of the national centres in ENIC and NARIC Networks Acknowledging the need for relevant, accurant and up-to-date information, the national ENIC/NARIC office shall facilitate –a) access to accurate information on the national education systems –b) access to information on foreign education systems –c) giving information on recognition matters and assessment of qualifications