Non-traditional learning modes: formal, non-formal and informal mechanisms for the delivery of educational programmes and learning activities not primarily relying on face-to-face interaction between the educator and the learner
Partial recognition: the partial recognition of a full and completed qualification which cannot be fully recognized on account of the demonstration of substantial differences by a competent recognition authority
Partial studies: any part of a higher-education programme which has been evaluated and, while not a complete programme in itself, represents a significant acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and competencies
Prior learning: the experience, knowledge, skills, attitudes and competencies which an individual has acquired as a result of formal, non-formal, or informal learning, assessed against a given set of learning outcomes, objectives, or standards
Qualification:(a) Higher-education qualification: any degree, diploma, certificate, or award issued by a competent authority and attesting the successful completion of a higher-education programme or the validation of prior learning, where applicable
(b) Qualification giving access to higher education): any degree, diploma, certificate, or award issued by a competent authority and attesting the successful completion of an education programme or the validation of prior learning, where applicable, and giving the holder of the qualification the right to be considered for admission to higher education
Qualified applicant: an individual who has fulfilled relevant criteria and is considered eligible to apply for admission to higher education
Qualifications framework: a system for the classification, publication and organization of quality-assured qualifications according to a set of criteria
Quality assurance: an ongoing process by which the quality of a higher-education system, institution, or programme is assessed by the competent authority/authorities to assure stakeholders that acceptable educational standards are continuously being maintained and enhancedRecognition: a formal acknowledgment by a competent recognition authority of the validity and academic level of a foreign education qualification, of partial studies, or of prior learning for the purpose of providing an applicant with outcomes including, but not limited to:(a) the right to apply for admission to higher education; and/or
(b) the possibility to seek employment opportunities
Region: any one of the areas identified in accordance with the UNESCO definition of regions with a view to the execution by the Organization of regional activities, namely, Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Latin America and the Caribbean
Regional recognition conventions: the UNESCO conventions on the recognition of qualifications concerning higher education in each of the UNESCO regions, including the Convention on the Recognition of Studies, Diplomas and Degrees in Higher Education in the Arab and European States bordering on the Mediterranean