THEMATIC MANUAL FOR RECOGNITION OF STUDIES
(Compiled by Maiki Udam, Tallinn University of Technology and Cathrine Gladh, Mid Sweden University)

1. Background

Mobility of students, recognition of studies and e-learning have become the most current issues in higher education in all the world. Both Lisbon Convention and Bologna Declaration are aimed to support students’ mobility and recognition of studies, which require both transparency and mutual trust of universities. Although the cultural experience obtained in different countries is essential, sometimes it is not possible to leave your home or work, i.e. to be “physically mobile”. In that case, virtual mobility is an excellent replacement to get diverse and rich academic experience. In principle, both physical and virtual mobility, should be facilitated between all universities. It is, however, obvious that for different reasons more exchanges take place between some institutions. Joint curricula with limited, but compulsory and intensive mobility within one programme among limited number of institutions, is an extreme example. Usually there are also systems in place that facilitate mobility within one country. Virtual consortia that can be established with different aims, might also support interuniversity mobility among its members.

The aim of this manual is to present different opportunities how the virtual mobility of students can be managed and supported within one country and/or within one consortium, to highlight which problems raise when “crossing the border”, and to suggest which solutions could fit for international mobility.

The authors of this paper have analysed three different cases how e-learning consortia can be organised, considering respective systems in France, Estonia and Sweden. These are perfect examples to be implemented nationally in one country; still, neither of them can directly be “copied” to the international context. The main reason is that the system of financing of higher education is very different in different countries, e.g. in France students pay fees within the consortium presented below, in Sweden studies are free for all students, and in Estonia there is a mixed system (see also descriptions of the education systems), which may make the accounting between different institutions rather complicated.