Agreement on the Automatic Academic Recognition of the Baltic and Benelux countries enters into force
On 1 May 2024 the agreement of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg on the automatic mutual academic recognition of higher education degrees enters into force. The agreement was prepared and approved in 2021 and enters into force after all signatories ratify the agreement in accordance with their internal rules. In Lithuania the agreement was ratified by the Seimas in 2022. The agreement is formulated in such a way that other European Higher Education Area (EHEA) countries can join it later.
Automatic recognition of diplomas is an initiative of countries also promoted by the European Commission to facilitate mobility and create more educational opportunities and empower young people. Automatic recognition allows employers and higher education institutions to understand the value of foreign qualifications faster and easier, and holders of foreign qualifications avoid additional costs and lengthy academic recognition procedures when looking for a job or study opportunities.
SKVC actively cooperates with the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania and foreign partners, preparing for the automatic recognition of qualifications in Benelux and the Baltic States. Currently SKVC coordinates the project "DIGI-AR: Digital tools for the implementation of automatic recognition", which aims to support implementation of this agreement in practice. During the project, a digital platform (portal) covering all parties to the agreement will be created, which will provide standardized information about automatically recognized qualifications, the status and rights of qualification holders, and will provide an opportunity to print a certificate on comparability of qualifications generated on the digital platform.
After the agreement comes into force, students will be able just apply for further studies, without any additional procedures for the recognition of their diplomas, unless the receiving institutions want to verify the authenticity of the qualification. For employers, this means that when selecting applicants for a job, it is not necessary to refer them to SKVC in order to receive a decision on a qualification’s recognition. They will be able to refer to the qualifications comparison table in the annex to the agreement and apply normal employee selection procedures, focusing on the candidate's competencies and abilities to successfully perform the proposed duties.
Last updated: 06-05-2024
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