The Qualifications Development and Planning, Research, and International Relations Services of the LEPL - National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement organized the first working meeting of the project "Strengthening the Implementation of Referencing and Self-certification Processes of the National Qualifications Framework of Georgia (GEOREF)."

The meeting brought together project team members, members of the working group approved for implementing the national qualifications framework's self-certification and referencing process, representatives of the advisory board (established for implementing and developing the national qualifications framework and study area classifier), and international experts from Estonia and Italy.

Participants discussed in detail three Peer Learning Activities (PLAs) scheduled within the project framework, which will involve international and local experts along with other relevant stakeholders.
 

LEPL - the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement initiated this project to harmonize Georgia's framework with European qualifications frameworks through referencing and self-certification with European meta-frameworks (EQF-LLL and QF-EHEA). This process fulfills obligations under the EU Association Agreement and addresses key recommendations of the Bologna Process. The project began in October 2024 and will continue until October 2026 and is being implemented within the framework of the Erasmus+ project, with EU financial support and co-financing from the Center.

The project aims to harmonize the Georgian National Qualifications Framework and establish its compatibility with both the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF-LLL) and the Qualifications Framework for the European Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA). This alignment will increase recognition of the Georgian education system and facilitate the recognition of Georgian qualifications in EU countries.

It is noteworthy that information about project activities will be shared with international partners, for example: the EQF Advisory Group, the National Correspondents' Platform established within the framework of EHEA-QF, and the members of the Thematic Peer Group A on Qualifications Framework (TPG A on QF).

Within the framework of various project activities, the involvement of representatives from the Republics of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the self-certification and referencing process is also envisaged. Their involvement aims to promote the alignment of the education systems of the regional countries with the European education system and to share best practices in the process of harmonizing national qualifications frameworks with the European meta-frameworks.