Webinar proceedings - Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education and Recognition
The outbreak of COVID-19 is having a huge impact on education, higher education and recognition. The temporary closure of educational institutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic is leading to changes in qualifications, including examinations at the end of upper secondary school, which is some cases were modified by mode of delivery, postponed, or were cancelled. These changes sometimes lead to a qualification that could be based on average marks of previous learning, or no final qualification at all. This poses several issues for access to higher education, both in terms of assessment procedures and access requirements, and in terms of equality of treatment of students, fair recognition and ensuring the right to education. Recognition of disrupted learning is a crucial turning point for higher education systems and further information sharing is essential.
With a view towards the internationalization and fair recognition of qualifications, the impact of the pandemic will be long-lasting, including on cross-border mobility. Going forward it is important that we shift attention to post-pandemic planning to ensure the highest degree possible of quality and fairness in the recognition process, as well as the continued support to internationalization and recognition of qualifications granted during the current emergency period based on authoritative information sharing in Europe, Asia-Pacific and worldwide. The discussion of these issues at regional level in the framework of the RecoASIA project is aimed at supporting the current and future dialogue of regional and interregional cooperation in the field of recognition. The RecoASIA project aims at favouring and increasing the quality of vertical and horizontal mobility within the Asian and European higher education systems by increasing the recognition of qualifications within the two regions.
Below, please find the webinar proceeding to explore emerging challenges and new futures of higher education, including recognition practices from Europe and the Asia-Pacific featuring speakers from: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
This special event is co-organized by UNESCO’s Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education in collaboration with CIMEA, in the framework of the RecoASIA project.
Time: : 10:00–12:00 in Rome (GMT+2)/ 15:00-17:00 in Bangkok (GMT+7), 27 May 2020
For questions, please contact:
- Manila Marcuccio, CIMEA (m.marcuccio@cimea.it)
- Wesley Teter, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (wr.teter@unesco.org)
Background and COVID-19 resources:
- UNESCO, Covid-19 Response and Resources
- CIMEA, Information note “Effect of COVID-19 on Higher Education and Recognition”
- Reflection document: Recognition of foreign qualifications in times of COVID-19
- RECOASIA project: www.recoasia.eu
Agenda
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15:00 |
Opening remarks and introduction on RecoASIA and the Tokyo Convention on recognition a) Mr. Libing Wang, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education (presentation) b) Mr. Luca Lantero, President of the Lisbon Recognition Convention Bureau (presentation – video) Webinar moderator: Ms. Chiara Finocchietti, CIMEA |
| 20 min | Challenges and responses to COVID-19 in higher education: Perspectives from Europe a) Mr. Luca Lantero, President of the Lisbon Recognition Convention Bureau (presentation – video) |
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60 min (5-7 min each) |
Challenges and responses to COVID-19 in higher education: Perspectives from Asia-Pacific a) Cambodia – Ms. Sieng Emtotim, Rector, University of Battambang (UBB) (presentation – video) b) China - Mr CHENG Weixing, Director, Division of Information System Construction, China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center, Ministry of Education (video) c) Japan - Mr. Taiji Hotta, Executive Director, National Information Center for Academic Recognition Japan (presentation – video) d) Mongolia – Ms. D. Nasa, Officer, International Affairs Office, Mongolian University of Science and Technology (presentation – video) e) Republic of Korea - Mr. Dong-Seok SEO, Director, Korea Academic Recognition Information Center (presentation – video) f) Sri Lanka - Mr. Renuka Silva, Professor, Wayamba University (presentation – video) g) Thailand - Mr. Bundit Thipakorn, Associate Professor, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (video) h) Viet Nam, Mr. Vu Ngoc Ha, Official Higher Education Department, Ministry of Education and Training (presentation – video) Session moderator: Mr. Wesley Teter, UNESCO Bangkok |
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20 min |
Question & Answer: Main challenges ahead for international recognition post-COVID-19 |
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10 min |
Synthesis and closing |
