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Belgium Flemish Community

Belgium Flemish Community

National Information Centres

NARIC-Vlaanderen
NARIC-Flanders

Ministry of Education and Training
Agency for Higher Education, Adult Education, Qualifications and Study Grants (AHOVOKS)
Hendrik Consciencegebouw Toren A2
Koning Albert II-laan 15 bus 129
B-1210 Brussels, Belgium

Phone: +32 2 553 1700
E-mail: naric@vlaanderen.be
Website: http://www.naric.be
Head of Centre: Ms. Nele Breuls

National Education Bodies

Ministerie van Onderwijs en Vorming
Ministry of Education and Training

Link(s): English, Dutch
VLHORA - Vlaamse Hogescholenraad

Council of Flemish University Colleges

The VLHORA, the Council of Flemish University Colleges, was established in 1996 and was awarded the statute of public utility institution by law in 1998. The VLHORA gives advice to the Flemish authorities on all policy aspects regarding university college education, applied research, social services and the practice of the arts. Moreover the VLHORA organises and stimulates consultation between the institutions on all issues related to the university colleges.

Link(s): Dutch, English
VLIR - Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad

Flemish Interuniversity Council

In 1976, the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR) was set up as an autonomous public body with its own institutional status. The council consists of members who represent the Flemish universities. It defends the interests of the universities and gives advice to the Flemish government on university matters (consultation, advice and recommendations).

In addition, the council organises consultation between the universities.

Link(s): Dutch, English
NVAO - Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatieorganisatie

Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders

NVAO is the independent Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders. The organisation was established by international treaty and it ensures the quality of higher education in the Netherlands and Flanders.

Link(s): Dutch, English

System of Education

Education in Flanders

Link(s): English, English, English

University Education

Higher Education in Flanders
The Higher Education Register is a legal register that presents information in three ways:

1.Information about programmes and instutions
2.Information about studying in Flanders
3.Information about the higher education system

Link(s): English, Dutch
Higher Education in Flanders

Link(s): English

Recognised Higher Education Institutions

Hogeronderwijsregister - Higher Education Register

The Higher Education Register is a legal register that contains all the accredited higher education programmes in Flanders (Belgium) offered at registered higher education institutions, included non-statutory (private) ones.

All Bachelor and Master's programmes need accreditation in order to be recognised as higher education programmes and to be able to award recognised degrees.

From the academic year 2019-2020 also all the programmes leading to Associate Degrees will be listed in the Higher Education Register.

The Higher Education Register presents information in three ways:

1. Information about programmes and institutions

2. Information about studying in Flanders

3. Information about the higher education system

Only accredited degree programmes are listed in the Higher Education Register. Accredited degree programmes meet, according to the NVAO (the independent accreditation organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders, Belgium) predefined quality standards.

Link(s): English, Dutch
Institutions offering Associate Degrees in Flanders

Link(s): Dutch, Dutch, Dutch

Qualifications Framework

Framework

Bologna (EHEA) & Flanders

The (new) Flemish Higher Education System, which was established in 2005, is Bologna approved and compared with the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA),

The introduction of the Three-Tier system in Flanders (Bachelor-Master-Doctor structure) is one of the most visible results of the Bologna Process.

The higher education degree system in Flanders actually consists of four cycles.

(1) Short Cycle - Intermediate Degrees: Associated degree

(2) First cycle degrees: degree of Bachelor

(3) Second cycle degrees: degree of Master

(4) Third cycle degrees: degree of Doctor (PhD)

Link(s): English

Self-Certification

Bologna - EHEA - Framework of Qualifications in Europe and the North American Region

Information concerning the National Framework of Qualifications in Higher Education in Flanders, which is compatible with the overarching Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA):

(1) Bologna Self-Certification Report Flanders

(2) Report of the Verification Committee on Flanders

Link(s): English, English

Quality Assurance in Higher Education

NVAO - Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatieorganisatie

NVAO is the independent Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders.

The organisation was established by international treaty and it ensures as public bi-national institution the quality of higher education in The Netherlands and Flanders since 2005.

Link(s): English, Dutch

Policies and Procedures for the Recognition of Qualifications

Implementation LRC

Flanders (Belgium) has implemented the principles of the Lisbon Recognition Convention (The Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region, 1997 of the Council of Europe and UNESCO) in details in national legislation: "Besluit van de Vlaamse Regering betreffende de voorwaarden en de procedure tot de erkenning van buitenlandse studiebewijzen uitgereikt in het hoger onderwijs" 14 June 2013.

Link(s): Dutch
NARIC- Vlaanderen
Application form available in English at website

Link(s): Dutch

Diploma Supplement (DS) Information

Responsible organisation

Departement Onderwijs en Vorming - Afdeling Hoger Onderwijs - beleidsvoorbereiding
Higher Education Policy Division
Department of Education and Training
Higher Education Policy Division
Hendrik Consciencegebouw
Koning Albert II-laan 15
B-1210 Brussels
Phone: +32 2 553 98 79
E-mail: erwin.malfroy@ond.vlaanderen.be
Link(s): Dutch

Additional information:

For drafting the legislation (e.g. the format of the Diploma Supplement) the Department of Education and Training is the competent body.

For awarding the higher education degrees and the Diploma Supplement the individual higher education institutions are competent.

Information on DS (legislation, template, chart, etc)

Diploma Supplement Model in Flanders

Link(s): Dutch, English

Access to Higher Education

Post-secondary Non-university Education

Associate Degree

The European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning "EQF for LLL" was approved by the European Parliament and the European Council in 2008. The EQF for LLL is a translation tool to make qualifications expressed in competences intelligible and comparable at European level.

Subsequent to the European developments, the Flemish Parliament has developed in 2009 a Flemish Qualifications Framework (Vlaamse Kwalificaties Structuur "VKS"), inspired by the EQF for LLL. Therefore in the VKS level 5 was introduced and called "Hoger Beroepsonderwijs (HBO5)".

The higher education degree at level 5 is called "Gegradueerde" and officially translated as "Associate Degree".

Link(s): English, Dutch

Recognition of Qualifications held by Refugees

Refugees

Flanders has adopted special measures for the recognition of qualifications of refugees, displaced people and persons in a refugee-like situation in Flemish legislation.

(1) Fee

For asylum seekers, refugees and subsidiary protected people the recognition procedure is free of charge. Regular applicants have to pay 300 euro for the recognition of their doctoral degree (PhD), 180 euro for their Associate degree, Bachelor degree or Master degree and 90 euro for a higher education corresponding level statement (“niveaugelijkwaardigheid”). So, refugees, displaced people and persons in a refugee-like situation do not have to pay any fee for the recognition of their degrees.

(2) Procedure

Regarding the recognition procedure it is stipulated that asylum seekers, refugees, subsidiary protected people who are not able to provide all the documents and information, NARIC-Flanders has to offer an adapted and flexible recognition procedure.

NARIC-Flanders also may ask experts to provide an advisory statement regarding the foreign qualification of asylum seekers, refugees, subsidiary protected people and persons who are in a comparable situation on the basis of an interview like this is stipulated in the LRC.