PELIARQ (Promoting European-Levantine Internationalisation and Automatic Recognition of Qualifications) is a project to support European HEIs improve their engagement with the education systems of the Levant (Lebanon, Jordan and Syria) through developing guidance for European HEIs seeking internationalisation opportunities in the region, and through supporting them with an improved understanding of the education systems and qualifications frameworks of the region to better enable the integration of students from the region into the European higher education system. Strategic internationalisation activities are a cornerstone of world class higher education systems. European universities must be at the forefront of internationalisation to deliver quality higher education opportunities for their students and the opportunities for staff to develop ground-breaking research. At the same time, the ability to understand international education systems and qualifications frameworks is a crucial enabler for universities looking to recruit the best students and staff from around the world. The key objectives of the project will be twofold: to promote opportunities for internationalisation by European universities with the focus on the specific target countries in the Levant; and to promote improved recognition of qualifications and transparency around the education systems in Europe. The principle participants will be international office and admissions staff at EU universities and higher education institutions. It is they who will be the end target beneficiaries of the project results, benefiting from improved guidance on internationalisation opportunities and obtaining a better understanding of the education systems in the Levant. The consortium will undertake to develop the project results through an approach incorporating a number of key activities. These will include phased stages of primary and secondary source research (incorporating surveys as well as interviews and engagement via associated events) into the systems and opportunities available in the Levant, as well as the areas in which EU HEIs particularly require guidance and support; webinars to inform stakeholders about the project aims; the drafting and development of the toolkit on internationalisation opportunities and guidance on education systems; and ultimately events to involve participants face-to-face in understanding the project outputs. The project will result in tangible outputs that will be disseminated across Europe to promote increased cooperation between higher education institutions in Europe and the Levant. The project will develop guidance on internationalisation opportunities in the Levant, for the benefit of internationalisation strategies of EU universities, and on understanding Levantine educations systems and qualifications (in particular qualification and credit frameworks, with a view to making the connections between them and EU tools such as the EQF and ECTS clear and transparent) so that EU universities can better integrate students from the region into the EU education system. The results will be available digitally, in the form of an online toolkit, enabling widespread access by EU HEIs. The expected impacts of the project will be both short-term and longer-term, including an increased awareness by European HEIs of the opportunities for internationalisation and partnerships between Europe and the Levant, and increased understanding of the education systems and qualifications in the Levant by European HEIs. This thereby supports HEIs internationalisation strategies and improves the smooth functioning of admissions processes when accepting applicants from the region. Longer-term impacts will include improved transparency of qualifications, and a greater ability for learners to be mobile between Europe and the Levant through an improved understanding of the respective systems. The links formed in the project will also support the longer-term impact of increased partnerships and activities between the Levant and Europe, enabling European HEIs to achieve their internationalisation strategies.
The project Promoting European-Levantine Internationalisation and Automatic Recognition of Qualifications (PELIARQ) sought to support European higher education institutions to establish improved links with and understanding of the education systems in the Levant (Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria). To do so, the project team developed guidance to aid HEIs across all of Europe to create new links and partnerships between European HEIs and the Levant region. This guidance toolkit focuses on making internationalisation activities in the Levant clear and easier for European HEIs. In turn this has the potential to generate a direct impact on students and staff in European HEIs who will benefit from the collaboration with colleagues in the Levant. The project also sought to improve the understanding of the current landscape of education and qualifications frameworks, and the use of credit frameworks, to support the inclusion of students and staff from the region in study programmes, exchanges and academic settings in Europe.
The PELIARQ project sought to support EU HEIs to establish improved links with and understanding of the education systems in the Levant (Jordan, Lebanon and Syria) in order to guarantee the improvement of the international dimension of the EU higher education system. Strategic internationalisation activities are a cornerstone of world class higher education systems. European HEIs must be at the forefront of internationalisation to deliver high quality opportunities for their students and staff. The ability to understand international education systems and qualifications frameworks is a crucial enabler for universities looking to recruit the best students and staff globally. Enhanced cooperation supports the fair and automatic recognition of skills and qualifications in the region and of the region’s qualifications within the EHEA. The EHEA is a top destination for Levantine students. There is increasing institutional cooperation between HEIs. It is therefore necessary for EHEA institutions to better understand the education systems of the region, and have clear guidance on the available opportunities, and the ways in which these opportunities can be maximised, to achieve their internationalisation agendas.