Walking the Tight-Rope of Harmonization: Contextualizing UNESCO’s Global Convention on Recognition of Qualifications
摘要
This chapter discusses the need for harmonization in the context of increasing human mobility, migration, and the challenges faced by individuals seeking recognition of their qualifications across borders. The chapter argues that while harmonization benefits individuals by facilitating mobility and recognition of qualifications, it can exert isomorphic pressures on institutions, leading to homogenization and undermining institutional diversity. The chapter explores the potential impact of harmonization on different dimensions of internationalization, such as credit transfer, grade conversion, and qualification recognition. The chapter also critically examines the UNESCO Global Convention, highlighting its objectives, challenges, and potential roadblocks, including implementation issues and concerns from the perspective of developing countries. It further discusses the UNESCO Qualifications Passport initiative aimed at facilitating the recognition of qualifications for refugees and displaced persons. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the need for a balanced approach that creates global standards while preserving institutional diversity, respecting cultural differences, and addressing the concerns of developing countries.