8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Sorin Eugen ZAHARIA, PhD., Director of the Agency ROMANIA NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN ROMANIA:

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro

Sorin Eugen ZAHARIA, PhD.,

Director of the Agency

ROMANIA

NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN ROMANIA:

ACTIONS AND PLANS


Contents: 1. Rationale 2. National Qualifications Framework

Strategy for 2007-2010A. Current situation at national level

B. International level

3. Publications 4. Events 5. Conclusions


1. Rationale


►The rationale for the QFHE is to provide a mechanism to relate national frameworks to each other so as to enable:

1. International transparency and comparability between and across universities; with the employers and other stakeholders;

Instrument: Diploma Supplement;

2. International recognition of qualifications3. International mobility of learners and graduates

Learners can ultimately have greater confidence that the outcomes of study abroad will contribute to a qualification sought in their country.

A framework will also be of particular help in supporting the development and recognition of joint degrees from more than one country;

4. Optimal insertion on the global labour market


2. National Qualifications Framework in Romania – Strategy for 2007-2010


A. National LevelA.1. Development of National Qualifications

Framework for Higher Education

A.2. Creation of National Register of Qualifications in Higher Education

B. International LevelB.1. Exchanges of good practices;

B.2. Involvement in European actions for development the qualifications framework;

B.3. Harmonization of the Romanian NQF with EQF and with other countries’ NQFs.


Action/step Step completed with an indication of timing

Step to be completed with an indication of timing

1. Decision to start taken by the national body responsible for higher education

2005Decision taken by the Ministry

of Education

2. Setting the agenda: The purpose of the NQF

Development, recognition and certification of qualifications, defined by means of learning outcomes

A. NATIONAL LEVELA. NATIONAL LEVEL


Action/step Step completed with an indication of timing Step to be completed with an indication of timing

3. Organizing the process: Identifying stakeholders; setting up a committee/WG

2005:

According to Government Decision no 1357/November 11, 2005 APART turns into the National Authority for Qualifications in Higher Education (ACPART)

2006 Rector’s Conference – presentation of EQF

and discussion related to a possible development of a national qualifications framework in Romania

National conferences, regional workshops organised in order to promote the concepts and principles of NQFHE through the academics and professionals;

Establishment of a Working Group for designing the Methodology on NQFHE development; the Working Group is set up by ACPART, following consultation with higher education institutions.




4. Design Profile: Level structure, Level descriptors (learning outcomes), Credit ranges

2007

Design of the first draft methodology on NQFHE development – completed by ACPART + WG

5. Consultation National

discussion and

acceptance of design by

stakeholders

2007

First version of the Methodology on NQFHE subject to public debate for one year (during 2007), by workshops and seminars organised by ACPART with a view to consulting and having the feedback of the representatives of all universities, of important employers, sectoral committees, trade unions, professional associations, high schools and other beneficiaries (students, teachers, graduates);

Piloting the NQFHE Methodology by 10 study programmes described in terms of competences, based on the grids of specific descriptors




6. Approval according to national tradition by Minister/ Government/ legislation

The final version of the Methodology for NQFHE development submitted to the Ministry for approval

2008

To be approved by Government decision

7. Administrative set-up Division of tasks of implementation between HEI, QAA and other bodies

2008

Accomplished – provided through the methodology




8. Implementation at institutional/ programme level;

Reformulation of individual study programmes to learning outcome based approach

2008-2010

The implementation phase of the NQFHE will be done under the European Social Fund by means of a three years project: “Development of an Operational System of the Higher Education Qualifications in Romania – DOCIS”. The overall objective of the project is to restructure and improve the higher education system by implementing the NQFHE and re-mapping the entire system according to the labour market requirements

9. Inclusion of qualifications in the NQF; Accreditation or similar (cf. Berlin Communiqué)

Validation of qualifications as provided for by the Methodology on NQFHE development: anticipated for 2010 under the ESF funded project




10. Self-certification of compatibility with the EHEA framework (Alignment to Bologna cycles etc.)

Alignment to the Bologna cycles accomplished – according to Law 288/2004.

2010-2012

Self-certification of compatibility with the EHEA framework

11. National qualifications web site is available to users

Web address:

www.acpart.ro


Romanian Model of NQF of HE

Competences can be classified in two categories:

professional competences;

transversal competences.

(competences)

(skills)

(knowledge)


Concept of learning outcomes (LO)

LO = knowledge + skills + competences LO = résultats de l’enseignement (l’apprentissage)

(mieux: acquis de l’apprentissage )

rezultatele învăţării

LO + assessment = learning outputs = résultats de l’enseignement


Building a consensus on the NQFHE development and implementation



B. INTERNATIONAL LEVELB. INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

B.1. Harmonization of the Romanian NQF with OFQ

in EHEA, with EQF and with other countries the

NQFs Leonardo da Vinci Project 2006-4607/001-001 LE2-707 EQF

”Developing Key Methodological Units for the the

Implementation of EQF by Means of NQFs – EQF by NQFs”. Its

development period is January 1st, 2007 – December 31st, 2008. The general objective of the project is to exchange experiences

and to develop and test modular grids of competences and key

methodological units comprising principles, mechanisms and

guidance tools for the elaboration of EQF and specific NQFs.



Leonardo da Vinci Pilot Project FR/04/B/P/PP-151128 „European mechanism for distance information, orientation and validation of the jobs and qualifications in informatics and multimedia, from a lifelong learning point of view” – EURO PORTIC promoted by the University of Versailles. Partner countries: France, Spain, Great Britain, Romania, Estonia.

Transnational cooperation project Socrates-Minerva 116530-CP-1-2004-1-FR-MINERVA-MPP „European programme of e-trainings and validation through competences in data-processing and multimedia” – e-FORMINFO promoted by the University of Versailles. Partner countries: France, Spain, Poland, Romania, Great Britain.


Leonardo da Vinci Mobility Project

RO/2006/97041/EX „Experts training in

the field of quality assurance and

qualifications in HE” – CALEX

promoted by the ACPART Agency.

Partner countries: France, Ireland , Spain.


3. Publications


Papers and support materials for information and dissemination regarding the system of qualifications at European and national level

„Conceptual bases for the development of NQFHE in Romania” (May, 2007)

Proceedings of UNISO 2006

Proceedings of UNISO 2007


4. Events


►Summer University „UNIversity in SOciety – UNISO”

2007„Lifelong learning and qualifications in higher education” was organised in Versailles (France) - 9-12 July 2007 by ACPART in collaboration with the University of Versailles

2008 “Competence-based Higher Education: Challenges and solutions”, in Iaşi (Romania) – 16-20 of July:

• Student-centred education: pedagogical innovations;• Standards and assessment in European higher education;• Facilitating social insertion of graduates through competence-based

education;• Qualifications Framework: a tool for mobility, flexibility and

professional insertion.


5. Conclusions


1. The necessity for improving the dialogue with universities, stakeholders, students:

to explain; to build up together the NQFs; to have feedback.


2. The NQF should be an opportunity for a student-centred higher education;

3. Qualifications framework should support: the mobility;curricula reform;better understanding of study cycles and

learning outcomes after each cycle.


quality assurance; credit transfer and accumulation systems; lifelong learning; flexible learning paths and the social dimension; recognition of qualifications, particularly the diploma

supplement and quality assurance.

4. Linking the development of the qualifications framework to other Bologna action lines:


Thank you Thank you

for your for your

[email protected]

Documents

8-9 July 2008, Cetinje, Montenegro Sorin Eugen ZAHARIA, PhD., Director of the Agency ROMANIA NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN ROMANIA: