UNESCO - recognition

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by Lerner, Feb 11, 2005.

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  1. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    A diploma mill posts this info on their web site.


    UNESCO IS THE EDUCATION ARM OF THE UNITED NATIONS - UNESCO IS RECOGNIZED BY THE
    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
    and
    UNESCO IS RECOGNIZED BY THE COUNCIL ON HIGHER EDUCATION ACCREDITATION (CHEA) - SEE LISBON CONVENTION

    Is this info correct?
    What is the level of recognition of UNESCO sponsored / accreditation bodies?

    Thanks
     
  2. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    None. Many NGO's are affiliated in some way with many UN agencies. None of that has any impact on the recognition of degree-granting institutions. And UNESCO doesn't recognized accreditors.
     
  3. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    It apears that in the world of degree recognition and mobility in EU UNESCO is involved and is recognized.
    Served as Council of Europe/UNESCO Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education in the Europe Region;

    I also noticed that Credential Evaluation agencies use UNESCO
    recomendations on degree mobility and recognition when it comes to East Europe and Central Europe degrees.

    From what I read they have a level of authority in the field of recognition of qualification in EU.

    "I can compare them to lets say IEEE wile IEEE is not ABET they are
    represented in ABET and a part of making ABET policies and wile IEEE is not directly accrediting body they are recognized as an organization within Engineering that sets standards."
    Maybe it's not the best analogy any way

    This from UNESCO-CEPES web site

    UNESCO-CEPES (the European Centre for Higher Education/Centre Européen pour l'Enseignement Supérieur) was established in September 1972 with a view to promoting co-operation in higher education among Member States of the Europe Region (the countries of Europe, North America, and Israel). The activities of the Centre are focused foremost on higher education in Central and Eastern Europe and the Director of UNESCO-CEPES also serves as the Representative of UNESCO in Romania.

    Since September 2003, UNESCO-CEPES has been a consultative member of a Follow-up Group of the Bologna Process (BFUG), which is tasked with the implementation of the Bologna Process goals.

    To fulfill its mission, UNESCO-CEPES:

    undertakes projects relevant to the development and reform of higher education, in teh context of both the 1998 UNESCO UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education and the creation of the European Higher Education Area (the Bologna Process);

    serve as the secretariat or co-secretariat of specialised networks, particularly those related to the implementation of the Council of Europe/UNESCO Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education in the Europe Region;

    coordinates relations with a designated number of UNESCO Chairs relevant to the Centre's activities, within the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs programme;

    participates in the actvities of other governmental and non-governmental organisations;

    promotes policy development and research on higher education and serves as a forum for the discussion of important topics in higher education;

    gathers and disseminates a wide range of information on higher education;

    provides consultancy services;

    serves as a link between UNESCO Headquarters and Romania.

    In order to support higher education reform and development in the Europe Region (with particular emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe), UNESCO-CEPES has undertaken activities in areas such as the elaboration and implementation of higher education policy, legislative reform, academic quality assurance and accreditation, institutional ranking and its methodologies, the recognition of academic qualifications, brain drain and the intellectual labour market, new approaches to governance and institutional management , university autonomy and academic freedom, the status of teachers and their training, university-industry relations in the context of the knowledge society, the use of ICT including on-line courses, and transnational education (TNE).

    Learner
     
  4. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    Maybe in USA they are not regarded.

    But in EU -

    UNESCO-CEPES
    UNESCO-CEPES activities are monitored by an Advisory Board consisting of eight prominent academics and personalities, among which members appointed by the Director-General of UNESCO, and observers representing of the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the OECD, and the European University Association (EUA), respectively. The Advisory Board also serves as the Regional Follow-up Committee for the Europe Region of the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education.

    Co-Secretariat of the ENIC/NARIC Networks

    UNESCO-CEPES serves as the co-secretariat of the ENIC/NARIC Networks, that was set up to implement the Council of Europe/UNESCO Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications Concerning Higher Education in the European Region.


    ENIC/NARIC Networks Directory
    Last Meetings of the ENIC/NARIC Networks (for other meetings, please see the Archive:)
    - 11th Joint Meeting of the ENIC and NARIC Networks (Strasbourg, France, 7-8 June 2004)
    - 10th Joint Meeting of the ENIC and NARIC Networks (Vaduz, Liechtenstein, 18-20 May, 2003) - Final Report


    Recognition Issues in the Bologna Process

    Criteria and Procedures for the Assessment of Foreign Qualifications

    References:

    Recommendations on Criteria and Procedures for the Assessment of Foreign Qualifications (Riga, 6 June, 2001)
    Explanatory Memorandum to Recommendations on Criteria and Procedures the Assessment of Foreign Qualifications (Riga, 6 June, 2001)

    Transnational Education

    UNESCO-CEPES carries out substantial work in the field of academic recognition and mobility as they are related to Transnational Education. The revised version of the "Code of Good Practice in the Provision of Transnational Education" was adopted by the ENIC/NARIC networks as well as by the Committee of the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region in the its 2nd meeting (Riga, 6 June 2001). (see more)

    References:


    Code of Good Practice for the Provision of Transnational Education (Riga, 6
    June, 2001)

    Diploma Supplement

    International Access Qualifications
    Given the fact that the Lisbon Recognition Convention is an international instrument focussing on the recognition of qualifications belonging to the education systems of the parties, i.e. national qualifications, a need was felt to also address the issue of international qualifications, possibly through a recommendation subsidiary to the Convention. The respective working group, which was established in 1997, elaborated a Draft Recommendation, dealing mainly with international secondary-school leaving qualifications, circulated it to the ENIC/NARIC Networks and, later on, had it adopted by the First Session of the Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee, June 1999.

    UNESCO-CEPES has actively participated in the working group on International Access Qualifications.

    References:


    Recommendation on International Access Qualifications (Vilnius, 16 June 1999)


    Recognition of Qualifications between Europe and the United States of America (1994)


    Recognition of Qualifications between the Russian Federation and other European Countries (2nd Ed., 2000)
     
  5. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    Lerner, would you please provide your sources for whatever text that you post? That way we can know its provenance and its context.

    And what do UNESCO's legitimate educational activities have to do with the question in your original post?

    I feel that you are trying to make some kind of point here, but I don't know what it is precisely.
     
  6. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    Here is the link

    http://www.cepes.ro/cepes/mission.htm

    My piont is that UNESCO has todo alot in the sfere of degree recognition and mobility and not only educational activity.
    But actual RECOGNITION of the education.

    I do understand that they are not accrediting universities but they seem to be authority on recognition of the accreditors or Identifing recognized QA systems and have a say in international degree mobility and recognition.

    So when we talk about GAAAP of degrees from other countries it is usefull resource as well.

    When NGO is affiliated to this organization it apears to have
    some level of athority or recognition.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 12, 2005
  7. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    Thanks for you coments.

    I did more research and agree with your reply.

    I do seperate the INESCO / CEPES from the many other agencies or NGO's in the UN.
     
  8. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member


    Within UNESCO itself, terminology regarding NGOs is used in a variety of ways that can easily lead to confusion amongst those who are only partially informed of the complexity of the arrangements. Whilst the bodies referred to in a particular UNESCO context may be very clear, documents communicated between contexts may lend themselves to misinterpretation, especially when "NGO" is used as a codeword without relevant qualifications. Some distinctions may be poorly understood by UNESCO sectoral representatives, by delegates from Member States, or by their UNESCO National Commissions -- as well as by NGOs themselves.

    The confusion at UNESCO, and probably amongst delegates from Member States, concerning the nature of NGOs is well-illustrated by the affirmation of one highly placed official that an "NGO" must necessarily have collective (national) members or else it could not be an "NGO". In fact many NGOs (including those recognized by UNESCO) have either individual or collective membership, or both.
     

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