The international conference “Automatic recognition: potential and challenges” was held in Riga, Latvia on March 21, 2016. The conference was arranged by the Academic Information Centre – Latvian ENIC/NARIC in cooperation with Archimedes Foundation (Estonia) and Centre for Quality Assessment in Higher Education (SKVC, Lithuania).
The event was aimed at dissemination of the results of Erasmus+ NARIC project “Automatic Recognition between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania” (1.08.2014-31.03.2016). The main task of the project was to analyse the legislation and practices of academic recognition in the three countries and to research possibilities for automatic recognition of qualifications concerning higher education between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Specific task of the project was to propose measures and steps related to recognition of foreign qualifications to the ministries of education of the three countries in order to introduce practice of automatic recognition.
Comparative study report „Automatic Recognition between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania” providing results of analysis of the legislation and practices of academic recognition in the Baltic countries and proposed measures/steps regarding automatic recognition was presented during the conference.
The study explored the education systems, legislation regarding recognition of foreign qualifications and implementation of the Bologna process tools (NQFs, ECTS, DS, quality assurance, learning outcomes) in the Baltic countries. According to the analysis of present situation of education systems of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, there is a great potential for implementing automatic recognition. Analysis of the existing Agreement among the Government of the Republic of Estonia, the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the Academic Recognition of Educational Qualifications in the Baltic Educational Space (concluded in 2000) has been done and proposals for respective national authorities for revision of the agreement taking into account possibilities of automatic recognition of qualifications between the three countries have been prepared.
During the conference, invited speakers from the Netherlands and European Commission presented practice of an automatic recognition of qualifications between Benelux countries and experience of EHEA Pathfinder Group on Automatic Recognition accordingly. Questions regarding different interpretations of concept of automatic recognition, qualifications subjected to automatic recognition and challenges/objectives of an automatic recognition were discussed during work sessions.
Presentations delivered at the conference and discussions inspired by them had a great value for sharing opinions and practice on question of automatic recognition. It will help to develop the work concerning automatic recognition further.
Comparative study report „Automatic Recognition between Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania” in English.
Presentations can be found at:
http://www.aic.lv/portal/en/par-aic/events/conference-21.03.2016
