• Project title: Fair Recognition of Qualifications from the Third countries• Project description (including a short summary of project activities): Project proposal is based on implementing the priorities in the field of recognition and mobility set in the framework of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the European Higher Education Area (Bologna Process). The promotion of international openness and mobility in HE has been set as one of Bologna Process priorities both by the Leuven Communiqué (2009) and Bologna follow-up group work plan. With the development of EHEA, it is necessary to promote the competitiveness of the European HE on the global scale to ensure students’ mobility between various world regions. An essential tool for attracting students from the third countries is providing a fair recognition for all qualifications.The European and Latvian higher education institutions are increasingly interested in enhancing internationalisation, implementing joint programmes, enhancing students’ mobility and attracting students from the third countries. Already for several decades (even in Soviet times) the Latvian higher education institutions have had interest in cooperation with the third counties (previous Soviet Republics, countries in Asia and other regions). To ensure the development of enterprises, also employers show interest in labour force mobility with the third countries by providing work placements for mobility students. Therefore, this Project proposes to develop a tool for higher education institutions and employers in order to provide information about relevant national education systems and credentials, as well as recommendations for fair recognition of third countries diplomas. The main foreseen project activities are:- Analysis of HE and labour force mobility statistics and marking 10 most popular countries for in-depth studies;- Description of 10 national education systems and education credentials from these countries;- Recognition manual including information about the main principles on recognition – recognition procedures and processes, information about relevant documents (Lisbon recognition convention etc.), descriptions of national education systems, credential samples, the use of these principles in the recognition of diplomas awarded in the third countries;- 2 peer learning seminars, in which participants will be introduced with the main recognition principles, the European latest developments in recognition field and how to use them in recognition of education documents issued in the third countries;- Dissemination of results via internet, seminars and the Baltic NARIC annual meeting as the neighbouring countries have similar mobility flows.Target groups:Main target groups are higher education institutions and employers. At the same time project activities will involve policy makers, civil servants in the Ministry of Education and Science, employers, trade unions, students’ organizations, Latvian Rector’s Council, Higher Education Council, all agencies dealing with higher education issues and the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs as well.