The Lisbon convention
The Lisbon convention is an agreement made between countries in UNESCO and the Council of Europe to make grounds for more extensive academic mobility across borders.
It was signed at a diplomatic conference in Lisbon in 1997, and came into force in February 1999. Norway ratified the convention in April 1999, and it came into force in Norway on 1 June 1999.
The Lisbon convention replaces previous conventions on recognition of foreign education.
The convention is only binding for the convention parties. However, it is a load-bearing principle that the convention be invoked also when processing applications for recognition of qualifications from countries that have not ratified the convention.
Central clauses in the convention:
Qualifications:
The title of the convention (Convention on the recognition of qualifications regarding higher education in the European region) itself points to a key principle, namely that “qualifications regarding higher education” are meant to comprise both qualifications achieved through higher education, and qualifications giving access to higher education.
Principles for case processing:
The convention secures both the applicants’ right to have their qualifications assessed (art. III.1.1), and a non-discriminatory treatment (art. III.1.2).
The procedures and criteria employed in the assessment process and recognition should be open to access as well as consistent and reliable (art. III.2.).
Applicants themselves are responsible for providing documentation regarding their education, while the educational institution is obliged to issue documentation regarding the education (art. III.3.).
Processing time:
The convention ensures that the applicant gets his / her application assessed and, if possible, recognised within a reasonable time.
Right to appeal and duty to provide guidance:
The convention ensures the applicant’s right to appeal the decision.
The convention imposes upon the administration the duty to inform the applicant of why an application for recognition has been refused, and if applicable, what the applicant must do to obtain recognition at a later stage (art. III.5.).
Access to higher education:
Part IV concerns access to higher education. Education leading to “higher education entrance qualification” in one country, should in practice do so in the other countries as well. Exceptions can be made if there are significant differences. Moreover, the same requirements as those imposed on a country’s own applicants can be imposed on applicants from other countries.
Periods of study:
Part V states that periods of study, i.e. components which have been completed and assessed, should be recognized even if they are not part of a completed program of study.
Result of the recognition:
Part VI concerns which rights the recognition entails. Recognition of a qualification should give the rights to a title and/or access to further studies in the same way as they are given a person with qualifications from the country where the recognition was granted. In addition to this, it should facilitate access to the labour market.
Refugees:
Part VII concerns qualifications held by refugees. The parties of the convention have committed themselves to “make use of any feasible and reasonable measures” assess qualifications held by refugees, even those lacking documentation.
Quality assurance:
Parts VIII and IX set out the duty each country has to inform about their educational system, qualifications, institutions etc. Part VIII concerns quality assurance of study programmes in each country of the convention. The convention does not distinguish between public and private institutions. However, information should be given on procedures for quality assurance and the quality of different educational facilities.
Special information centres:
The countries should have national information centres regarding quality assurance in education (NOKUT in Norway). This information centre should, among other things, facilitate the access to information about the education system in their own country and in other countries of the convention, as well as give advice on recognition issues and promote the use of Diploma Supplement (Part IX).
The Declaration of Reykjavik:
The Declaration of Reykjavik is a Nordic agreement from 2004 that deals with mutual recognition of education in the Nordic countries.
The agreement covers recognition of periods of study, exams and the possibility to combine education from various Nordic countries. To a great degree it entails the same points as the Lisbon convention.