The degree equivalence dilemma

A wide variety of practices/Equivalence issues are locally processed/What is done to facilitate mobility within Europe/To rely on partnerships agreements

see also "understanding French degrees"

A wide variety of practices

Engineering training fields and engineer status differ widely among countries.
In Europe for instance, the apparently simple problem of correspondance among degrees, not to speak of equivalence, is far from being solved, and the idea of harmonizing the various systems does not seem realistic.
Educational systems specificities are deeply rooted in each country's culture, industry and economy. Large disparities appear in Europe between :

• kinds of high-school studies and their length before college entrance,
• means of student recruitment,
• length of training, in terms of number of years of studies as well as annual credit hours,
• pedagogical methods (for instance, internships),
• degree awarding,
• academic recognition,
• professional recognition.

These disparities appear in a few comparative tables, which show some characteristics of various engineering training systems as compared to the French system. In many countries, two engineer profiles coexist : a design engineer with a broad training, and a production and application engineer (trained for instance by Fachhochschulen in Germany or by NFI in France). For each profile, there are nevertheless important national peculiarities.

Equivalence issues are locally processed

With such a diversity one may understand why a foreign candidate admission in a French engineering institutions does not follow automatic level equivalence rules, but results from various factors : number of study years, major and minor fields of studies, implemented projects, ...
A specific European directive about professional recognition of engineering training was planned, but never materialized. Therefore, there is only one European general directive in this area, dealing with recognizing degrees obtained after at least three higher education years for entrance in professions having regulated access.

What is done to facilitate mobility within Europe

Because of this definite lack of equivalence standards, Europeans have chosen to develop student and professional mobility by recognizing and validating studies made in institutions of other countries. The ERASMUS program was managed under this principle : student study periods in a European partner institution are being validated by the initial institution.

This process has strongly developed : - in some cases through the development of programs leading to double degrees - through the E.C.T.S. project (European Credit Transfer System), based on academic credits which are transferable within higher education institutions of the European Union. Institutions wishing to participate in E.C.T.S. - particularly those following non-university framework - must make great efforts to adapt : they have to reorganize the contents of their training programs with credit hours (1 year = 60 credit hours) and they have to use a homogeneous grading scale. The University of Technology of Compiegne (UTC) was the first French engineering school to engage in ECTS in the field of mechanical engineering. Other schools, like INSA of Lyon and ESIEE have more recently adhered.

To rely on partnerships agreements

Apart from this very structured system, mutual recognition of study periods among institutions from several countries more and more appears to be an essential component of an international opening policy, and is not limited to European exchanges.

Partnership agreements exist also with American universities, like the partnership between the Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Kansas State University and University of Wisconsin at Madison. Developing this practice and enlarging student exchanges requires confident relationships between foreign partners. A new, unassuming attitude develops, where one takes notice of differences between sys-tems, without emitting value judgements.

 Claude.Maury@wanadoo.fr Leave any suggestions, ideas or improvements that could be used.
http://www.cefi.org/