In construction: A Framework for Fair Recognition of Joint Degrees

ENIC-NARICs agree to deal with joint degrees with the greatest flexibility possible. They call upon higher education institutions to follow their guidelines for good practice when awarding joint degrees and upon quality assurance and accreditation agencies to strengthen their cooperation, also nationally.
Within the framework of the JOQAR-project, the European Consortium for Accreditation and ENIC-NARICs have cooperated to develop guidelines for good practice for institutions and programmes which award joint degrees and/or joint diploma supplements. In addition, the JOQAR project wants to contribute to the fair and flexible recognition of joint degrees.
In this context, ENIC-NARICs from 30 countries gathered in Barcelona on 9 November 2012 to discuss the current state of practice when dealing with joint degrees (and degrees awarded by joint programmes). The workshop offered ENIC-NARICs an opportunity to further exchange experiences and to discuss a draft Framework for Fair Recognition of Joint Degrees.
From the perspective of ENIC-NARICs, two projects have created new circumstances for the recognition of joint degrees. The European Area of Recognition (EAR) Manual on the one hand codified good practice based on the Lisbon Recognition Convention while ECA's Joint Programmes Quality Assurance and Recognition (JOQAR) Project is streamlining joint programme’s external quality assurance, accreditation and joint degree awarding.
In the workshops, ENIC-NARICs disected the distinctive elements that can play a role when dealing with joint degrees. The workshop dealt with the following elements: the joint programme consortium, the awarding institutions, the joint programme and the joint degree itself. Each issue was analysed through examples and good practices were formulated. The result of these and coming discussions will be published as the Framework for Fair Recognition of Joint Degrees in the beginning of 2013.
"The best way to deal with joint degrees is (a) to accept you don’t need to know everything, and (b) to know when the information and/or evidence gathered is sufficient to recognise or recommend recognition."
The presentation and participants list is available on the event website.