Expert Meeting on the Impact of Globalization on Quality Assurance,

Accreditation and the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education

!E"#$, %aris, &'(&& "eptember )''&
ILO perspectives
Bill Ratteree,
ILO, Geneva
The international context
1. The background document prepared by ro!. van "amme clearly #et# out
the changing context and challenge#$
the regulation o! ne% educational provider# out#ide the traditional public
#ector, nationally ba#ed higher education in#titution or #y#tem&
the international tran#!erability and recognition o! 'uali!ication# and
credit#, e#pecially in employment term#&
developing an international approach to 'uality a##urance and
accreditation, more o! an in#titutional concern than that o! employment(
related i##ue#, but neverthele## important in an era o! increa#ingly
tran#national educational provi#ion.
). *ithin thi# context I %ould like to !ocu# on the challenge# po#ed by the
range o! employment con#ideration# %hich %ill condition mobility o! educational
provi#ion in higher education, either through tran#national provi#ion
+electronically ba#ed virtual, open or corporate univer#itie#, public or private
con#ortia, etc, or mobility o! pro!e##ional#. The examination o! -uropean
experience# in thi# !ield contained in .r. /iri "ivi#0 paper provide# a very good
#tarting point !or di#cu##ion by !ocu##ing on #everal key i##ue#$
advance# in the area o! *acceptance+ of professional ,ualifications a# a
!orm o! recognition of e,ui-alence %ithin or out#ide national border#&
important %ork done by 12-34O, 4--3, the 4ouncil o! -urope and the
-uropean 4ommi##ion in developing recommendation# and code# o! good
practice in area# o! transparency instruments and international
net.or/s
recognition o! %hat are termed *regulated+ professions through -uropean
1nion directive#&
the need !or #imilar initiative# in non(regulated professions0
the emerging challenge o! ,ualifications structures and1or competencies
systems in the !rame%ork o! increa#ing diver#ity o! learning alternative#
and li!elong learning.
Extending the focus to other employment issues2 the use of international
standards
5. I %ant to #ugge#t that an important addition to the regional or international
e!!ort# to addre## the#e challenge# come# in the !orm o! the !E"#$
Recommendation concerning the "tatus of Higher(Education 3eaching
%ersonnel, &445. Thi# in#trument ha# begun to be monitored beginning in )666
by the /oint ILO712-34O 4ommittee o! -xpert# on Teacher#.
1
It could be a
u#e!ul #et o! good practice# in the area# o! in#titutional autonomy, academic
recognition, academic !reedom and e#pecially employment condition# %hich
enhance the context o! recognition !or labour market deci#ion#.
8. In the realm o! institutional autonomy and accountability !or example,
the Recommendation contain# provi#ion# on$
international academic co(operation .hich transcends national,
regional and other barriers and promoting e'ual partner#hip o! academic
communitie# around the %orld +9rt )) +n,&
urge# the creation o! statements or codes of ethics at in#titutional level in
negotiation# %ith higher education per#onnel organi:ation# to guide
teaching, re#earch and exten#ion %ork +9rt )) +k,, %hich could be
important element# o! a regulatory !rame%ork !or tran#national 'uality
control or recognition o! competence to %ork in another country a# a ba#i#
!or employment recognition&
development o! appropriate accountability #y#tem#, including 'uality
a##urance mechani#m# at in#titutional level, including the participation o!
teacher#0 organi:ation# +9rt )8, %ith detailed de!inition# o! criteria in 9rt.
)),, %hich could a##i#t the #earch !or 'uality a##urance at regional or
international level.
;. In term# o! individual right# and !reedom# ( civil right#, academic !reedom,
publication right# and international exchange# ( the Recommendation contain# an
important #et o! guideline# in the#e !ield# %hich underpin the contextual
!rame%ork o! #y#tem# a# much in the ne% globali:ed context a# in more
traditional, nationally ba#ed #y#tem#$
re#pect !or basic ci-il or human rights in terms of freedom of thought,
expression, assembly and association +9rt )<,+important !or individual#
1ILO and 12-34O, Report, 3eventh 3e##ion o! the /oint ILO712-34O 4ommittee
o! -xpert# on the 9pplication o! the Recommendation concerning the 3tatu# o! Teacher#,
Geneva, 11(1; 3eptember )666.
and in#titution#, and important to evaluate in term# o! tran#national
educational provi#ion,&
academic freedom .ithout discrimination in teaching, research and
professional acti-ities +9rt )=(56, a# a corner#tone o! international
#tandard# +12-34O, in a##ociation %ith the ILO, i# launching a multi(
year re#earch pro>ect on thi# #ub>ect %hich could provide important point#
!or re!lection in de!ining ho% thi# principle can be incorporated into
regional or international regulatory !rame%ork#,&
<. In term# o! expected duties and responsibilities o! higher education
teaching and re#earch per#onnel a# the nece##ary balance to right# and !reedom#,
the Recommendation contain# 1) detailed guideline# inherent in academic
!reedom +9rt 58, %hich include principle# #uch a#$
re#pect !or ethical #tandard# on teaching, re#earch and di##emination o!
in!ormation7publication# derived !rom re#earch&
avoid con!lict# o! intere#t in !ull con#ultation %ith in#titution# and
appropriate di#clo#ure +a potentially important con#ideration in the #pread
o! national or tran#national re#earch and teaching %hich i# #upported by
large private !inancial intere#t#,&
avoid mi#repre#entation o! pro!e##ional experti#e to the public +and by
exten#ion #tudent#, other member# o! the academic community,, etc.
=. 9rea# o! the employment relation#hip, notably entry into the academic
profession and career de-elopment, security of employment, appraisal and
discipline 6 dismissal provide #ome key pointer# on i##ue# underpinning
recognition$
a >u#t and open #y#tem o! career development, ba#ed on !air procedure# !or
appointment, tenure, promotion, di#mi##al, etc +9rt 85,, %hich provide#
the general principle !or national application o! non(di#criminatory
employment practice# among member# o! a regional bloc +!or in#tance the
increa#ingly contentiou# i##ue o! -1 national#, #uch a# teacher# o! !oreign
language#,&
#ecurity o! employment in the !orm o! tenure or its functional e,ui-alent
+9rt 8;(8<,, %hich al#o may come under increa#ing #crutiny or challenge
%ithin entitie# #uch a# the -uropean 1nion, but %hich %ill probably
emerge in other regional #etting#, and indeed acro## border# a#
tran#national educational provi#ion #pread#. The ILO, in a##ociation %ith
12-34O and other #takeholder#, i# beginning a complementary re#earch
pro>ect on thi# i##ue to that on academic !reedom&
appraisal systems of higher education staff, #till a relatively
underdeveloped and al#o highly #en#itive i##ue a# to criteria and
procedure#, but a 'ue#tion at the heart o! recognition i##ue#. The
Recommendation +9rt 8=, lay# out #ome recommended guideline# !or both
criteria and procedure# %hich merit con#ideration in national, and by
exten#ion, tran#national #etting#&
#imilarly, criteria especially .hich condition disciplinary and dismissal
actions %hich may bear on portability o! capacity and aptitude to teach or
re#earch in tran#national #etting#.
?. In the area o! salaries, .or/load and social security benefits +9rt ;=(
<@,, %e enter a realm %hich may or may not have direct implication# !or
recognition o! 'uali!ication# and 'uality a##urance, but %ill #urely have indirect
e!!ect# on the practical application o! mobility +are the #tandard# the #ame, ho%
do you compen#ate !or #alary di!!erential#, %orkload re'uirement# and content,
portability o! #ocial #ecurity bene!it#,. O! #pecial intere#t are study and
research lea-e pro-isions +9rt <;(<@, %hich are 'uite di!!erent among
educational #y#tem# and in#titution# but directly impact on 'uali!ication# and
competence#.
@. There i# another #imilar domain %hich %e might 'uali!y a# a A#econdary
generationB o! i##ue#, namely tho#e %hich concern #pecial categorie# #uch a#
disabled and part(time higher education personnel +the latter a large
component o! the overall %ork !orce and gro%ing,, but %hich are likely to gro%
in importance a# tran#national provi#ion and mobility o! per#onnel increa#e#,
particularly in the context o! national and regional non(di#criminatory la%#.
"umming up2 a proposal for action
16. Thi# revie% #ugge#t# that a# a ne% and #till underutili:ed international
#tandard, the 1@@= Recommendation, complemented by !or in#tance international
labour #tandard#, could play an important contextual, and even direct role in
a##i#ting the e#tabli#hment o! regional or international regulatory !rame%ork# !or
recognition and 'uality a##urance in the !uture. In that re#pect, 12-34O, along
%ith the ILO and notably the /oint ILO712-34O 4ommittee o! -xpert# could
play a u#e!ul role in #ynthe#i:ing and a##uring complementarity in application.