The aim of international information exchange and co-operation networks is to facilitate better recognition of qualifications. 

The Finnish National Board of Education functions as the national co-ordination and information centre for the following international information exchange and co-operation networks: Academic Recognition Information (ENIC/NARIC), Professional Qualifications Directive, the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and Europass.

Lissabon Recognition Convention for academic recognition

The Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European
Region was adopted by national representatives meeting in Lisbon in 1997. The Convention entered into force in Finland in 2004. Finnish legislation complies with the Convention which covers all the Finnish higher education institutions. 

Already 50 countries have ratified the Convention. In addition to European countries, it has been signed by e.g. Canada and the USA. The Convention promotes academic mobility within the European Higher Education Area by facilitating the recognition of qualifications: students’ access to further studies and credit transfers between higher education institutions. Furthermore, the Convention aims at improving the recognition procedures and transparency of the assessment criteria. The Convention stipulates that qualifications must be recognised unless substantial differences can be proved.

There is a Committee to oversee the implementation of the Convention. It has adopted recommendations on good practices such as Criteria and Procedures for the Assessment on Foreign Qualifications, Code of Good Practice in the Provision of Trans-national Education and  Recommendation on the Recognition of Joint Degrees. 

ENIC and NARIC networks 

The Finnish National Board of Education represents Finland in the ENIC and NARIC information exchange networks (the European Network of National Information Centres on Academic Recognition and Mobility and the Network of National Academic Recognition Information Centres, respectively), aiming to promote academic recognition of foreign education.

Joint degrees

A ‘joint degree’ refers to a degree programme jointly developed and provided by more than one higher education institution, which confers one or more degree certificates. The Ministry of Education issued a recommendation on development of international joint and double degrees in 2004. The Finnish National Board of Education in co-operation with the Ministry of Education and Culture, Finnish higher education institutions and the Centre for International Mobility (CIMO) has prepared a memo on designing joint degrees. The memo has been updated in November 2011 and it is available in Finnish, Swedish and English.

Professional Qualifications Directive (2005/36/EC)

The National Board of Education functions as the National Contact Point for information on recognition of professional qualifications. The National Contact Point is responsible for providing information about qualifications and competences and recognition procedures in Finland and other EU and EEA Member States.

European Qualifications Framework (EQF)

The Finnish National Board of Education is the National Co-ordination Centre for the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Further information about the European Qualifications Framework is available on a separate subpage.

Europass

Europass is an open system developed by the European Commission to help learners and workers to prove their skills on the labour market and for education and training purposes. Europass brings together five documents (Europass CV, Language Passport, Mobility, Certificate Supplement and Diploma Supplement), which are used in the same format in all EU/EEA countries and which have been developed to facilitate the mobility of both learners and workers throughout Europe.