Regional Committee and Activities

One of the flagship higher education activities for UNESCO in this region is the implementation of the Asia-Pacific Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education (Tokyo Convention, 2011), which came into force on 1 February 2018 following the ratification by five Member States – Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and Republic of Korea. The issue of academic recognition is clearly important for promoting the cross-border mobility of students and professionals. However, in addition to efforts to urge member states to abide by the principles of transparency, fairness and nondiscrimination, QA-based recognition arrangements should make sure that the recognition of qualifications is supported by a common understanding of QA practices rather than simply good-will from relevant countries.

This ties academic recognition more closely with the harmonization of QA and NQFs since LOs at subject and programme levels can constitute solid bases for facilitating recognition. Such a holistic approach has been endorsed by Member States of the region in the Sydney Statement adopted at the 14th Session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Committee on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications in August 2016 in Sydney, Australia. A QA-based academic recognition begins with information sharing and capacity building, followed by more bilateral equivalency agreements and eventually by enhanced degrees of harmonization in quality standards among Member States in the region.

This is especially relevant to SDG Target 4.b, which seeks “by 2030 [to] substantially expand globally the number of scholarships available to developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing states and African countries, for enrolment in higher education….” With the increased mobility of students in tandem with more scholarships, the harmonization of QA and NQFs will aid in enhancing the recognition of qualifications among Member States in the region. It should be added that being State Parties to the Tokyo Convention will also enable countries to develop their capacities to align their QA systems and NQFs with international norms and best practices as well as collectively contributing to the regional harmonization processes in quality assurance in higher education.