RECIPROCAL AGREEMENT AMONG TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

Reciprocal Agreement among tertiary institutions had been endorsed by UNESCO  as a means of fostering cooperation among academic  institutions of higher learning around the world. Under the scheme, a student in level 200 can seek for credit transfer to another institution either in the same or foreign country and be admitted at the same level. (You may google out reciprocal Agreement  among tertiary institutions for more details). 

In that case, it would resort to Dual Degree also known as Reciprocal Degree award;  that means,  a Graduate with a university degree from one school could as well be awarded another Degree of the other school on admission either on the same or another course as equivalent based on the  reciprocal agreement between the two institutions. 

Similarly, the European-American University had entered into Validation  Agreement (also known as Reciprocal Agreement) with universities in several Latin American  countries  and around the World including  the United States of America for Dual Degree awards and for the  global recognition of her Degree programme.  (See “Recognition” on her website for more details). In Nigeria, there are also Nigerian universities affiliated to several foreign universities based on Reciprocal Agreement. It makes it easy for student who  had a Bachelor Degree in Nigeria to begin his or her Master Degree programme in a foreign country of the partner institution. (You may google  for the list of foreign affiliated universities in Nigeria). 

Based on this development, students are prepared based on the Curriculum agreed by the two parties prior to the admission overseas. Outside the reciprocal agreement, the Bachelor Degree may  be downgraded to an ordinary Diploma level  overseas  due to academic standard differences between the two countries. 

Consequently, the student would start all over to read and pass his  or her exams in order to be qualified for the Bachelor Degree award of that country’s standard. 

RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING AND EXPERIMENTAL EXPERIENCECE

Certificates, Diplomas and even Degrees could be awarded to any individual based on the recognition of prior learning and experimental experience as endorsed by UNESCO and approved by  other tertiary institutions globally. 

Such qualification will be recognized both in the government and private sector based on the following factors:

The awarding institution must be approved by the government in the host country through official registration.  

The Director/Proprietor of the institution must be a member of recognized professional body and in some cases as a Corporate Member using the name of the institution and not as an individual depending on the choice of the Director/Proprietor. 

The institution should be affiliated to a recognized University awarding  Degrees as its mentor after assessment of the credibility, qualification, legal status   and professional expertise of the Director/Proprietor.

For the purpose of references, the institution should maintain list of all registered students/graduates on her website.

According to law, the institution can only award both Certificates and Diplomas and not Degrees. 

Type of Certificates and Diplomas is quite distinct from that of the academic qualifications. Consequently, private institution awards, Graduate Diplomas, Professional Postgraduate Diplomas and others as equivalent to that of the academic diplomas award by Universities and other tertiary institutions.   

Most people particularly Africans think that only  Certificate,  Diploma and Degree could be earned  through academic works attached. But that is not true. UNESCO had endorsed academic qualification and credit earned based on the recognition of prior learning and experimental experience and not based on book work alone. Most inventions we enjoy today were not  studied in the classroom. It is from the inventions of those individuals with Primary Six Certificate and ordinary lab technician, we put  in writing and then become a classroom work for us  to earn Certificate, Diploma and Degree.  Now the question is  'The Inventor and the student in the Classroom, who is to be awarded Degree first?. Google UNESCO recognition of prior learning   experience and search results of other websites and including European-Amercan University website for more details.