European Qualifications Framework Research Articles

Defining competencies in curriculum and instruction and developing a new competency model

This research aims to define competencies and propose a new competency model based on expert opinions. Using the Delphi technique, a qualitative research approach was employed. Data were collected through three rounds of Delphi surveys from 29 experts at universities with doctoral programmes in the field of Curriculum and Instruction (CI), who hold doctoral degrees in this area. In the first round, open-ended questions enabled experts to identify key competencies for CI. The subsequent rounds refined these competencies into a 7-point Likert scale questionnaire. Content and descriptive analysis were applied to the first round, while measures of central tendency and dispersion analysed the second and third rounds. The study culminated in a model encompassing 22 competencies: 5 in knowledge, 10 in skills, and 7 in attitudes and values. The knowledge domain includes sub-competencies such as possessing and deepening knowledge. The skills domain covers areas like teamwork and leadership, knowledge dissemination, independent working, problem-solving, and critical thinking, along with innovative and analytical thinking. The attitudes and values domain comprises professional sensitivity, lifelong learning, and commitment to ethical principles and values. This competency model aligns with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and the National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education in Türkiye (NQF-HETR), offering a robust framework for CI doctoral programmes. This model not only enhances the quality of CI education but also ensures alignment with international standards.

체제 전환과 통합 전환의 루마니아 교육

Due to changes in ideology and policy, the Romanian education system is divided into three distinct periods: the period from modern times to 1944, the socialist education system from 1944 to 1989, and the great transition period after 1989. While the first period was characterized by the expansion of the public education system and progress in improving curriculum and teacher education programs, the second period was characterized by the nationalization of all educational institutions, extreme centralization through a unified basic curriculum and textbooks, excessive politicization, and an emphasis on abstract teaching methods. The period of socio-political and economic change in Romania after 1989 led to the reform of the education system, with pressures on the market economy and the restoration of democratic principles, pressures imposed by the Bologna Process. During the transition period, there were many changes in the curriculum, public and private educational institutions, retraining and mobility of teaching staff, and infrastructure. The responses of the Romanian education system to new variables and opportunities were partly immediate and partly gradual, depending on the interlocking circumstances and interests. The reform process, including new challenges and social risks during the transition period, was difficult, slow, and complex, influenced by economic, political, and social conditions. However, Romanian education during the integration transition period symbolized by the Bolona Process and EU membership became a stepping stone for successful reform. In this process of integrated transformation, Romanian education continues contemporary ongoing educational reforms by embracing a unified three-level degree program (Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral programs), ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) & EQF (The European Qualifications Framework), as well as providing internationalization and mobility programs in higher education.

DIGITAL TOOLS FOR MATCHING QUALIFICATIONS TO THE LEVELS OF THE NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK

Mutual compatibility of different national qualifications frameworks (NQFs) based on their compatibility with the European Qualifications Framework (or another international one) is crucially important for the effective recognition of qualifications between states. In turn, it depends on the quality of “filling” NQF levels with qualifications. Right comparing professional (occupational) qualifications with NQF level is a non-trivial problem for standard developers. The quality of any national system of qualifications depends on the comparability of qualifications with the level of the NQF so the comparison process should be strongly argued to secure the comparability. For qualification standard developers (especially for occupational standard developers) there were no strictly justified recommendations on how to compare qualification with the NQF level. Th. Saaty’s Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is developed to resolve the problem of evidence-based comparing educational or professional (occupational) qualifications with the level of the National Qualification Framework (NQF). Research results give standard developers software tools based on a strong mathematical background to determine NQF level for developed standards. It is shown that Th. Saaty’s Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is close to optimal for solving the problem of qualifications comparing and therefore looks like the best option for such methods. However, AHP demands non-trivial qualifications in mathematics and computing. The key problem resolved by this research is simplifying procedures to ensure effective access to the tool for qualification standard developers with minimal qualification in mathematics and computing. It is proven that each problem of qualification comparison with NQF level may be reduced to three options of decision. At the lower level of the decision-making process, there are 3-4 descriptors of qualification. Therefore, a user should be capable of forming at most four matrices of judgments and computing the main eigenvectors with some level of accuracy. The maximal dimension of matrices is four (for example it's true for the Ukrainian case). But for some national qualification frameworks that use only three descriptors maximal dimension of matrices equals three. Therefore, some simple approximation methods for eigenvector computing may be applied using only minimal means of Microsoft Excel or analogous applications. For the most general case of four NQF descriptors, Microsoft Excel macro is developed to secure achieving any level of accuracy. Corresponding API is developed by PHP programming language. Both Excel and API are accessible for users at the website of the Institute of Educational Analytics in Kyiv. The novelty of the article is that for the first time in national and international practice, it proposes an alternative/supplementary algorithmic method for determining the level of certain full and/or partial professional qualifications by the National Qualifications Framework, thus creating prerequisites for further automation of the activities of professional standards developers.

The development of a Competence Framework for Environmental Education complying with the European Qualifications Framework and the European Green Deal

Following the severe impact of capitalist industrialization on the environment, the EU has funded several projects in the context of the European Green Deal to pursue climate neutrality by 2050. Some of these projects attempt to achieve zero emissions through political participation, while others by committing EU citizens to adopt sustainable habits in terms of both practical behavior and economic choices. The GreenSCENT project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, aims to develop a Competence Framework compliant with the European Qualifications Framework and the European Green Deal. The present article documents the process of developing such a Competence Framework. Eight distinct research teams independently conducted a similar thorough literature review over an assigned topic (Climate Change; Clean Energy; Circular Economy; Green Building; Smart Mobility; From Farm to Fork; Biodiversity; Zero Pollution). The resulting documental corpora have then elicited to build the competence matrices and the corresponding European Qualification Framework levels. Once the information has been reorganized as a knowledge graph, the researchers discovered a large amount of novel interdomain connections, providing a more engaging way of interacting with the Competence Framework, and potentially apt to avoiding information overload issues while preserving the complexity, in line with the simplexity paradigm. The environmental education tools produced by this research could be useful in mitigating the repercussions of Capitalocene on the environment toward the adoption of more sustainable behaviors.

An in-context overview of legal translator competences, qualifications and other professional requirements set in the ISO 20771:2020 Legal translation – Requirements standard

Abstract This article provides an overview of legal translator competences, qualifications and other professional requirements set in the ISO 20771:2020 standard. References to existing frameworks, such as European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and some research, complementary ISO standards (notably ISO 17100:2015) and current industry best-practice offer relevant context and background information, and identify the gap that has been filled by this important standard. The author demonstrates that ISO 20771:2020 is a good example of a requirements standard developed for the translation industry that is up-to-date, reflects actual industry best-practice, and addresses a need for standardization of legal translator requirements for the purpose of certification. It is posited here that ISO 20771:2020 is a valuable resource for all stakeholders as it not only provides accurate information about standard market requirements for legal translation (and translation in general) but also contributes to translators’ professionalization by setting objective professional benchmarks. Additionally, ISO requirements standards are, by definition, pragmatic and operational, and therefore easier to validate through conformity assessment and certification than any other resources, and hence both the industry and academia can only benefit from increased ISO standards uptake. The overview of legal translator competences, qualifications and other professional requirements set in the ISO 20771:2020 standard reflects the ISO approach to setting translator requirements, and outlines some of the practical implications of translation industry standardization and certification in the hope that it might become the starting point for more discussions on this subject in the future.

Can we teach publication competency?

Watch VIDEO. Publication competency is a fundamental skill for researchers, serving as a vital criterion for attaining a Ph.D. degree. The European Qualifications Framework and Norwegian Qualifications Framework both recognize the importance of these skills. However, institutions differ in their approaches to teaching this skill set, with some neglecting it altogether. The specific skills required for researchers to publish their work extend beyond simply disseminating research appropriately. While the qualifications frameworks offer broad guidelines, various definitions, such as the Vancouver guidelines, the Norwegian NVI guidelines, and Plan S, need consideration. Specifically we have taken publication ethics, understanding impact, copyright and Open Access into consideration. In addition to benefiting Ph.D. students in their own endeavors, publication competency contributes to enhancing information literacy, research principles, and our local institutional knowledge. It establishes a foundation for a more systematic approach to teaching this essential skill. To address this issue, we conducted an analysis of Ph.D. students' competency levels in publication at the University of Agder, through interviews and questionnaires. Our findings align with previous research conducted at other institutions. In our forthcoming paper, we will discuss these findings and their implications for the University Library's approach to disseminating publication competency and creating robust institutional support systems, and suggest a method for increasing publication competency among Ph.D. students.

Transforming CS Curricula into EU-Standardized Micro-Credentials

Micro-credentials are a way to integrate flexible learning pathways into the classic forms of education defined in the European Qualification Framework (EQF). They allow members of the workforce to get necessary skills described, certified, and recognized in a transparent and portable way. One way for universities to enter this market for lifelong learning is to convert existing study programs into smaller units, namely, micro-credentials. This process of converting a study program consisting of modules into small, independent pieces is called unbundling. When unbundling a program, the existing modules have to be converted to a standard EU-wide recognizable form. In this paper, we will describe the process we used to convert modules from our study program at DHBW. The first step converts the skill descriptions into a standard form. Since there is no common accepted formal standard, we use the Dublin descriptors as a way to structure the skills on the different abstraction levels, and ESCO-terms as a widely used standardized vocabulary. The second step breaks down modules of 3-12 ECTS into smaller constituents (each ECTS corresponds to a workload of around 30 hours). Typical micro-credentials have a size of 1 to 3 ECTS, a group or stack of micro-credentials corresponds to one module. Keywords: micro-credentials, curriculum design, internationalization, computer science, learning outcomes, standardization

ТЕОРЕТИЧЕН МОДЕЛ ЗА РАЗВИТИЕ НА НЕСТАНДАРТНОСТТА ЧРЕЗ ПРИЛОЖЕНИЕ НА ПРОБЛЕМНИ СИТУАЦИИ В НАЧАЛНА УЧИЛИЩНА ВЪЗРАСТ

Analyzing the European Qualifications Framework (EQF)1 as well as the national one (NQF),2 the emphasis on lifelong learning stands out eloquently. This necessitates the need for the educational process to emphasize not only the assimilation of knowledge from a specific subject area (know what), but also the creation and upgrading of students’ research skills and abilities (know how) already at primary school age. That is why pedagogical science faces the difficult but important task of looking for ways to form and develop non-statity, to go beyond the typical, well-known, patterned thinking. The article proposes a theoretical model for the development of non-standardization through the application of problem situations considered as a supportive, complimentary tool). The model aims to support and optimize the educational process, in particular the work of primary teachers (both in terms of their theoretical and practical training).

Antrenör Eğitim Sistemlerinin Ülkeler Arası Karşılaştırılması: Almanya, Belçika, Birleşik Krallık, Estonya, Fransa, Finlandiya, İspanya, İsviçre, İtalya, Portekiz ve Türkiye

The basis of the coach education system in a country depends on the quality of the education. The competencies and employment opportunities for coaches achieved through education programmes also contribute to the social and human capital of countries. The aim of this research is to examine the existing coaching education systems in Türkiye and some European countries by comparing them in terms of the criteria determined in management and dimensions of education. In the research, the comparative approach was used to reveal the qualitative similarities and differences. The data in this study were acquired through the data collection tool, which was designated by the researchers Gök and Aslan (2019). The research sample consists of Türkiye, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, Estonia, France, Finland, Spain, Switzerland, Italy and Portugal which have different developmental characteristics in the field of international sports. The results obtained in this study reveal that that coaching education system and structures in these countries were not similar in terms of the criteria indicated on the data tool and accordingly there are some differences with regards to practices regarding the authorized institutions for organizing the coaching education courses; conditions of participation, model, curriculum and duration of courses; coaching levels; assignments of instructors to courses; entitlement to obtain certificate/diploma; supervision of courses; employment of coaches and recognition/diploma equivalency of certificate run in coaching education system. The reason is that there are various existing regulations for the specific structure of the sport and the branch of sport in each country as well as different practices depending on the international sports and also the advisory international and European coaching qualification framework.

Current Fundamental Competences - The Specifics of the Teaching Profession

Abstract The design, implementation and evaluation of the initial and continuous training programs for teaching staff are based on the competence approach model, as a way of defining and recognizing training results. Competences are defined as integrative sets of knowledge, skills, motivations and attitudes that mediate professional behaviour and guarantee expert action in specific fields and contexts of activity for the teaching profession. The main fields in which the competences corresponding to the teaching profession are defined and according to which the continuous training programs are designed, realized and evaluated, are: the specialty field, corresponding to the educational disciplines and the teaching position held by the teaching staff; the field of pedagogy and educational psychology; the field of didactics/specialized didactics; the field of educational management and school legislation; the field of information and communication techniques applied in teaching and learning processes, in institutional management and data management. The competence system on which this methodology is based takes over and adapts to the specifics of the teaching profession and to the requirements of Romanian pre-university education the categories and levels of competence with which the European Qualifications Framework and the National Qualifications Framework in higher education operate. The system operates with two fundamental categories of competences: professional competences: cognitive competences; functional-action skills; and transversal skills: role skills; to which the intercultural and interrelationship competence is added, the competence meant to ensure well-being and the competence to support the environment, according to what is stated by the OECD in the PISA Global Competence Framework, The European Sustainability Competence Framework, The Council of Europe Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Cultures. The pedagogic practice internship involves a set of activities of observation, analysis and support of lessons, all under the guidance of a pedagogic practice mentor. The research method used was the survey, the questionnaire instrument being used in order to interview the students of the “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Faculty of Letters and Arts and Faculty of Social and Human Sciences.

Assessment of Students’ Mathematical Skills in Relation to Their Strengths and Weaknesses, at Different Levels of the European Qualifications Framework

Many scientific studies focus on finding the relationship between students’ mathematical skills and socio-economic, demographic, and ontogenetic factors. In this publication, we answer the question of how students’ mathematical skills are achieved in relation to their strengths and weaknesses, also with regard to the use of mathematics in everyday life. In this article, we examine the relationship between the results of the mock final math exam for eighth grade primary school students/final year high school students and additional math classes, the application of math in everyday life and the greatest difficulties with specific areas of taught material. The study was conducted in Poland on almost ten thousand eighth graders and high school leavers who took part in mock exams online, respectively: eighth-grader exam, and school-leaving maturity exam. The participants of these online exams were asked to respond to a survey that pertained to their math grades, attending additional math classes, their perceived most useful mathematical topics in everyday life and future professional work, and identification of their strengths and weaknesses. In the following paper, the relationships between the answers to the survey questions and the results of the mock online exam are analyzed. The results indicate that there are differences in the area of results of the mock exam and answers about strengths and weakness in mathematical literacy. The analysis of answers about use the mathematical knowledge are different for eight-graders and high-school students. Eight-graders indicate the importance of arithmetic operations while high -school students point out more abstract topics like probability, statistics and geometry. The results of the study are compared to the existing results.

Higher military education focused on quantifiable learning outcomes

This article proposes potential solutions for adapting higher military education to the trends of education centered on learning outcomes. These solutions are based on specific military competences captured by national specialized institutions and aim to meet the requirementsof the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). The analysis and proposed model are based on the Sectoral Qualifications Framework for the Military Officer Profession (SQF-MILOF), which was proposed by the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) and recognized by the Military Committee of the European Union in 2021. This approach is relevant because the ESDC system will serve as the basis for developing a model based on learning outcomes, adapted to the national framework for training future commanders and staff officers. The authors intend to promote this solution as one aligned with European standards.

Современные образовательные стратегии подготовки творческих кадров высшей квалификации в области исполнительских искусств в России и Австрии

This research aims to meet the needs of the international performing arts professionals interested in delivering a relevant, contemporary, and engaging curriculum that combines the educational principles of the Classical University and the requirements needed for the survival of the Performing Arts in the digital epoch. Regardless of the existed restrictions, an increasing internationalization of performing arts education urges the creation of new methodological approaches in curriculum design. The authors identify key features of the modern educational strategies via benchmarking the actual curriculum structure on master’s degree (Level 7 by European Qualifications Framework) programmes in Austrian and Russian HEI’s. The overall goal is to elaborate the model of the innovative and academically strong curriculum for the master's degree programme in vocal arts. Acclaimed in national, regional, and global dimensions, the updated performing arts education programmes enrich the actual cultural landscape worldwide.

SECTORAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK IN THE GLOBAL CONTEXT AND PERSPECTIVES FOR UKRAINE

Qualification frameworks are regarded as one of the key tools in standardizing and harmonizing professional qualifications at different levels and for different sectors of the economy, enabling comparison of qualifications obtained in different countries. This paper reviews a typo­logy of qualifications frameworks, characterizes pan-European sectoral qualifications frame­works and explores European public policy on sectoral qualifications frameworks. The research is based on a neo-institutional approach. Findings indicate that qualification frameworks cover different geographic levels and subject areas. Sectoral frameworks of qualifications are designed to help in harmonizing the knowledge, skills and competences necessary for effective professional activity, as well as in creating a transparent system of recognition of qualifications. Sectoral ones can be implemented at different levels – from national to transnational, and relate to both broad and narrow fields. Research demonstrated that the framework development process is based on the broad involvement of various stakeholders from education and the labor market. Such work includes: audit or functional analysis of existing qualifications, professional standards and education standards, summarization and updating of information on qualifications in demand on the labor market, step-by-step design of the framework of qualifications with filling according to different levels of qualifications and different descriptors; approval of the branch/sectoral framework of qualifications by the authorized body; if necessary – referencing, comparison with the European Qualifications Framework or other frameworks. The undertaken analysis of the European, in particular, Polish experience, where the elaboration of sectoral frameworks is institutionalized within the public policy and practice (20 sectoral sectoral frameworks were placed into Integrated System of Qualifications), has shown that the role of industry stakeholders consists in the elaboration of decisions and recommendations formulated in the framework, as well as in the implementation of this framework in practice. In conclusion, there is no clear policy in Ukraine for sectoral qualifications frameworks so far. In the future, the mechanisms for the development of such a framework should be legally determined, in particular, the institutional responsibility of various stakeholders, including the National Qualifications Agency.

ОСНОВИ ФОРМУВАННЯ ГАЛУЗЕВИХ РАМОК КВАЛІФІКАЦІЙ

The article is devoted to the problems of the development of the national system of qualifications in Ukraine. The European vector of Ukraine's development necessitated the development and approval of the National Framework of Qualifications based on the European meta-frameworks. The universal nature of the latter does not allow taking into account the branch specifics of human activity and, as a result, the problem of developing branch frameworks of qualifications, characterized by common features of professional activity and necessary for modern specialists to work in a certain field, is actualized. The article compares the levels and descriptors of the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning, the Qualifications Framework for the European Area of Higher Education and the National Qualifications Framework of Ukraine, which made it possible to state that our country has chosen its own path in the development of the qualification system, taking into account the experience of the countries of the European Union. It is noted that in European countries, the development of sectoral frameworks of qualifications can be carried out on the basis of two approaches: for the fields of education and the fields of the labor market. For Ukraine, the main problem at the moment is the criteria by which the types of the sectoral frameworks of qualifications should be determined, in particular, by the fields of higher education or types of economic activity. The article presents the author's vision of the sectoral framework of qualifications in relation to the 7th level of qualifications for the field of knowledge "Social and behavioral sciences", the characteristic feature of which are additional dimensions that reveal the specific characteristics of the field. It has been established that representatives of relevant central bodies of executive power, industry councils, professional associations and the education system, employers, and the population should participate in the development of sectoral frameworks of qualifications. All of them will determine the framework requirements for specialists in certain fields of activity, which will become one of the means of increasing the efficiency of the use of labor potential at all levels of the national economy. Prospects for further research into the sectoral framework of qualifications are related to their content, definition of criteria for their quantitative determination, and institutional support.

DEVELOPMENTS AND APPLICATIONS OF SECTORAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS IN BORDER AND COAST GUARDING COURSE DESIGN

The surge of developing Sectoral Qualifications Frameworks and their use in vocational training for the past few years can be illustrated by a Frontex2 initiative in the extensive area of border and coast guarding. The EU authorities have tried to promote and model a harmonised approach to course design and training based on the European Qualifications Framework and Bologna and Copenhagen processes, matching the developments in general education across Europe. The aim of this paper is to examine the particular case of Sectoral Qualifications Framework for Border and Coast Guarding, focusing on vocational specificities, recent developments and practical applications at the level of course design. The corpus of the analysis consists of a specific training program in course design developed by Frontex in the past 5 years. The content analysis focuses on two main tiers: recent developments in SQF course design and applications of SQF in border and coast guarding course design. Each of these levels has structural and functional features with direct and critical implications onto national law enforcement curricula and training programs design, such as consistent revision of job competences, recognition of non-formal and informal learning and national accreditation and validation processes of qualifications and border police training programmes.

An Exploratory Study in Non-Professional Football on the Perception of Stakeholders about the New Working Professional Profile of Sports Kinesiologist

In Italy, recent amendments to Legislative Decree n. 36 of 28 February 2021, on sports work, may have made the application of the reform by stakeholders unclear, with the risk of generating further confusion among them. One of the most critical points concerns the possible equivalencies to the professional profile of the kinesiologist, which would be illegitimately recognized even for a different level of education, contrary to the requirements of the European qualification framework. The aim of the study was to understand the perceptions of stakeholders in the world of non-professional football regarding recent legislative provisions. A survey, divided into two sections, was administered to 112 presidents and 112 trainers of non-professional football associations of the province of Salerno. The first section presents five items common for both presidents and trainers, which seek to probe stakeholders' perceptions of the enjoyment, appropriateness, usefulness, and scientificity of kinesiologists. The second section presents five differentiated items. Validity and reliability were calculated. A chi-square analysis (χ2) was performed to test the independence within and between-subjects (trainers and presidents) on their perceptions about the new working professional profile of sports kinesiologist. From the results, it was possible to appreciate a discordance of opinion among stakeholders. Although the majority of presidents and trainers are in favour of introducing such a professional profile (p < 0.05), contradictions emerge concerning the contribution the new professional profile can make in practice (p > 0.05). The perceptual contradictions found among stakeholders' responses demonstrate how the complexity of recent regulatory provisions regarding possible equivalencies to the title of kinesiologist have inevitably generated further confusion among stakeholders.

Study on Using Machine Learning-Driven Classification for Analysis of the Disparities between Categorized Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes are measurable statements that articulate educational aims in terms of what knowledge, skills, and other competences students possess after successfully completing a given learning experience. This paper presents an analysis of the disparity between the claimed and formulated learning outcomes categorized in knowledge, skills, and social responsibility competency classes as it is postulated in the European Qualification Framework. We employed machine learning classification algorithms to detect and reveal main errors in their formulation that result in incorrect classification using generally available syllabus data from 22 universities. The proposed method was employed in two stages: preprocessing (creating a Python dataframe structure) and classification (by performing tokenization with the term frequency–inverse document frequency method). The obtained results demonstrated high effectiveness in correct classification for a number of machine learning algorithms. The obtained sensitivity and specificity reached 0.8 for most cases with acceptable positive predictive values for social responsibility competency classes and relatively high negative predictive values greater than 0.8 for all classes. Hence, the presented methodology and results may be a prelude to conducting further studies associated with identifying learning outcomes.

A European perspective on accrediting short learning programs: First experiences are out

In higher education, micro-credentials – that is, proof of the learning results a student has acquired after a short learning programme (SLP) – are gaining in importance. In general, SLPs are formative programs addressed to professionals in a specific area of knowledge. Despite the various characteristics of this type of training, delivered in a wide range of teaching centres and modalities, and therefore the difficulties in defining it, this article presents the first experience of a recognised external quality assurance agency of higher education in accrediting these programs under the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESGs). This is a pioneering experience in Europe, which also has the active and direct participation of universities, the professional sector and government departments (specifically those responsible for university, continuous education and employment policies). From an initial assessment of 33 SLPs, organised by universities and aligned with the demands of the productive sector, different conclusions are drawn. The validity of the proposed evaluation methodology, focused on eight specific dimensions, is emphasised, but there are also difficulties inherent in this type of assessment, such as the qualifications of students who access the programs and the balance between the academic and professional characteristics of the teachers concerned.

Framework for developing an exposure science curriculum as part of the European Exposure Science Strategy 2020-2030.

Evaluating and managing exposures to chemical, physical and biological stressors, which frequently interplay with psychological stressors as well as social and behavioural aspects, is crucial for protecting human and environmental health and transitioning towards a sustainable future. Advances in our understanding of exposure rely on input from well-trained exposure scientists. However, no education programmes in Europe are currently explicitly dedicated to cover the broader range of exposure science approaches, applications, stressors and receptors. To address this challenge, a curriculum is needed that yields credible, well-defined career pathways in exposure science. Needs and conditions for advancing exposure science education in Europe were identified. As a starting point for a way forward, harmonised learning outcomes for exposure science were defined at each level of the European Qualifications Framework. The course programme coordinators were recruited for three varying courses, with respect to the course level and the proportion of the curriculum dedicated to exposure science. These courses were assessed via our systematic course review procedure. Finally, strategic objectives and actions are proposed to build exposure science education programmes. The ISES Europe 'Education, Training and Communication' expert working group developed a framework for creating a viable exposure science curriculum. Harmonised learning outcomes were structured under eight learning levels, categorised by knowledge, skills and competence. Illustrative case studies demonstrated how education providers integrated these learning outcomes for their educational context and aligned the overall exposure science curriculum. The international recognition and adoption of exposure science education will enable advances in addressing global exposure science challenges for various stressors, from behavioural aspects from individual to population scale, and effective communication between exposure scientists and relevant stakeholders and policy makers, as part of the European Exposure Science Strategy 2020-2030.