A Kuwaiti education official on Thursday commended the outcomes of a UNESCO-hosted international conference to adopt the Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in the Arab States, known as the Arab States Convention.

In a press statement following the wrapping-up of the gathering held in Paris, Director-General of the National Bureau for Academic Accreditation and Education Quality Assurance (NBAQ) Hamad Al-Adwani, said the conference focused on how to revamp high education in the region and create sustainable collaboration between Arab and world countries.

He hoped that the revised convention, which is of paramount significance, would usher in a fresh stage of a more holistic endeavor to apply the 2019 Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education.

The educational official pointed out that the Kuwaiti delegation partaking in the international event had participated in the revision of the Arab States Convention.

The 1978 Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in the Arab States, known as the Arab States Convention, was the only UNESCO regional recognition convention that had not been revised to take into account transformations in higher education systems, policies and environments.

The International Conference of States to adopt the revised Convention, which took place at UNESCO Headquarters from 1 to 2 February 2022, was co-chaired by Egypt and Morocco.

In 2017, two consultation meetings to revise the Convention took place between UNESCO and higher education experts from the region (Sharm El Sheikh, March 2017, and Cairo, October 2017).

In November 2019, the Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education was adopted by the 40th session of the UNESCO General Conference, becoming the first United Nations treaty on higher education with a global scope.

Source: Kuwait News Agency