UNESCO Conventions on the Recognition of Higher-Education Qualifications

Abstract

With a globalised economy that depends on technical innovations and the competitive use of knowledge by highly skilled individuals, higher education is increasingly seen as vital for a country’s economic growth and standard of living. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed in 2015 acknowledge this necessity with the inclusion of a target of ensuring equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education, including university. However, those seeking to pursue further higher education, or highly skilled work in a different country from that in which they obtained their higher-education qualifications, often experience challenges in having their foreign credentials or studies recognized in the host country. Similarly, individuals returning to their home countries having studied abroad can find that their foreign qualifications are not appropriately recognized.