Recognition bodies and their networks
Since the 1980s, the Council of Europe, UNESCO and the Commission of the European Union have been encouraging the development of international networks in the area of academic recognition.
In 1984 a network of national centres for academic recognition, the National Academic Recognition Information Centres, or NARICs, were established. NARICs meet regularly to exchange information and to discuss any recognition problems that may have arisen and, if possible, solve them.
In 1994 the Council of Europe and CEPES, the European higher education center of UNESCO, joined their networks to form the European Network of Information Centres on Recognition and Mobility (ENIC). Just as with the NARICs, the most important function of ENIC is to identify recognition problems or issues, and put them on the relevant agendas.
Both networks remain independent. However, given the fact that they are actually staffed by the same national organisations, the NARICs and ENICs do collaborate and even have a joint annual meeting. In the past many ENICs and NARICs have been active in Council of Europe and UNESCO/CEPES Working Parties on different issues. Because of the close linkage between quality assurance & accreditation and international recognition, the ENIC/NARIC networks also work together with the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) en the European Consortium for Accreditation in higher education (ECA).
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| The ENIC-NARIC Network |
