Tag Archives: europe

February 16, 2018 · 7:31 am

The European Qualifications Passport: Giving Refugees a Second Chance

February 16th, 2018

Chance

Something amazing and unprecedented has happened across the Atlantic. The Council of Europe will recognize the education qualifications of refugees who have fled their homelands with little or no documentation.

The Council of Europe launched the project known as the European Qualifications Passport in 2017 with the goal to help those refugees who had finished high school or completed university studies in their home countries by having their education attainment evaluated.

The European Qualifications Passport as defined by the Council of Europe is:

“a document providing an assessment of the higher education qualifications based on available documentation and a structured interview. It also presents information on the applicant’s work experience and language proficiency. The document provides reliable information for integration and progression towards employment and admission to further studies.

It is a specially developed assessment scheme for refugees, even for those who cannot fully document their qualifications.”

The European Qualifications Passport follows in the footsteps of a project already in place in Norway by NOKUT that has successfully assisted refugees without academic documents to gain recognition of their academic achievements through a carefully implemented screening and assessment process. These individuals must demonstrate their level of knowledge and education in order to qualify for the European Qualifications Passport. The first step is to complete a questionnaire which is then reviewed by an evaluator after which an interview is scheduled. The interview is conducted by at least two individuals, one of whom is well versed in the language and education system of the country where the refugee claims to have studied.

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Below is a step-by-step chart of this assessment process provided by the Council of Europe:

View a documentary on the European Qualifications Passport here

Sample:

Sample

Many nations today are facing unprecedented pressure to tackle the migration challenge, and are seeking effective and sustainable methods to screen, assess and recognize the qualifications of refugees. The European Qualifications Passport is a remarkable achievement and a huge step forward in helping refugees by recognizing their education that will help their integration into their host country and making our world a better place.

Additional Links:

https://rm.coe.int/168070016d

https://fruitfame.com/category/miracle-fruit/european-qualifications-passport-for-refugees

https://www.coe.int/en/web/education/-/new-video-on-the-european-qualifications-passport-for-refugees

https://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/strategic-framework/skills-qualifications_en

https://acei-global.blog/2017/02/03/recognition-of-refugees-qualifications-norwegian-and-european-experiences-and-solutions/

The Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc. (ACEI), was founded in 1994 and is based in Los Angeles, CA, USA. ACEI provides a number of services that include evaluations of international academic credentials for U.S. educational equivalence, translation, verification, and professional training programs. ACEI is a Charter and Endorsed Member of the Association of International Credential Evaluators. For more information, visit www.acei-global.org.

1 Comment

Filed under Credentials, Education

Tagged as europe, Passport, refugees

September 28, 2017 · 10:46 pm

20 Fun Facts About Estonia (2.0)

September 29th, 2017

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You may be wondering why we chose Estonia for this blog. We don’t receive too many academic documents from Estonia for evaluation and have not had the opportunity to visit this country, at least not yet! But when we asked one of our staff to pick a country, he chose Estonia. So, here are some non-evaluation related facts you may enjoy about this country in northeastern Europe. We’re reposting our post on Estonia from 2012 with a few updates. Enjoy!

Let’s get started with “tere” which means Hello in Estonian!

1. While the official capital of Estonia is Tallinn, the country is unique because it has more than one recognized capital. In fact, it has several capitals that change throughout the year. Tartu is established as the “cultural capital of Estonia”, while Parnu is known as the “summer capital”.

2. Estonia was the first country in the world to use online political voting.

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3. Estonia has two Independence Days. It first achieved independence from the Soviet Union on February 24, 1918 and again on August 20, 1991 after 51 years of occupation. The second date is known as the “Restoration of Independence Day.”

4. Estonian is the official language. Russian is also widely spoken.

5. The Estonian currency was the Kroon, but they have joined the Euro-zone and Euro is their official currency now.

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6. Even though Estonia is considered to be a part of the Baltic countries; Latvia and Lithuania, there is no real political alliance.

7. Estonia is named after the “Ests” who inhabited the region in the first Century AD.

8. Estonia is the least religious country in the world with only 14% of the population claiming any religious beliefs.

9. Almost 50% of Estonia is covered by forest.

10. Estonia has a population of 1.3 million and one of the most sparsely populated countries in Europe.

11. Estonia has the highest number of meteorite craters per land area in the world.

12. Estonia is the homeland of Skype, Hotmail and KaZaA.

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13. All Estonian schools are connected to the Internet.

Teachers at Konguta Kool use online programs for students to practice basic arithmetic. Estonian students are among the highest performers in Europe on international math, reading and science assessments. (Photo: Sarah Butrymowicz)

14. Chess Grandmaster Paul Keres was born in Estonia. When he died in 1975, over 100,000 people attended his funeral (10% of the country’s entire population).

15. Out of the nearly 200 countries in the world, Estonia ranks in the second place with a literacy rate of 99.8%.

16. In 1994, Estonia became the first country to institute the flat income tax.

17. They have the biggest collection of folk songs in the world with written records of 133,000 folk songs.

18. The Estonians invented Kiiking, which is considered a sport. It involves fastening yourself to an enormous standing steal swing (kiik means swing in Estonian) which has a full 360 degrees of rotation to it. To swing a kiiker the contestant must pump by squatting and standing up on the swing. The swing gains momentum taking the person in full circle by his skillful pumping.

Estonian have also won for 11 consecutive years, the wife carrying competition. The only way to describe this non-Olympic sport is to share this photo:

19. Estonia produces quality vodka and boasts Viru Valge and Saaremaa as its most popular brands.

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20. Estonia is the only Baltic country with far-reaching and deep-rooted island culture. Estonian islands tend t be rural, most uninhabited, with traces of local Viking and medieval culture.

Hope you enjoyed this. Head aega! (That’s “goodbye” in Estonian.)

For further information on the world education systems and credential evaluations, visit our website at www.acei-global.org or contact ACEI at acei@acei-global.org.

Sources for more fun facts on Estonia:

https://www.visitestonia.com/en/why-estonia/estonia-facts

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/estonia/articles/amazing-facts-about-estonia/

http://thefactfile.org/interesting-facts-estonia/

https://www.vox.com/2014/11/4/7154571/vote-online-estonia-internet-voting-risk-hacking

http://hechingerreport.org/estonia-new-finland/

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/en.html

Brussels: Impact of Terror Threats on Studying Abroad

March, 24th 2016

Recent news of the terrorist bombings at the airport and subway in Brussels have justifiably raised safety and security concerns in American parents and their children studying abroad. Reading the news headlines and listening to reports on the radio and television with minute by minute updates do accelerate anxiety and a sense of vulnerability in anyone who travels, has loved ones traveling and studying overseas. We even sense the level of anxiety increasing here in our own towns and cities, yet we must never lose sight of our own inner strength and resolve to not cower and succumb to fear but to continue with our lives.

One thing that threats from terrorism do to our psyche is to react by taking actions that actually end up alienate us from our international partners. When it comes to education, the one thing we should commit to bolster rather than eliminate, is to continue our support and encouragement of study abroad programs. We need our young to travel and see the world beyond ours, expose them to the diverse cultures and peoples which will help them be good ambassadors of our country and return with a broader and better understanding of those living outside our borders. Our institutions of higher education need to be beacons of learning where qualified candidates from different corners of the world can pursue their academic dreams so they too can return to their home countries with a better understanding of the U.S.

We cannot build walls. How high does the wall have to be to keep the Internet out? We are not living in a time of moats and high walls to protect our domains. We cannot, in the 21^st century employ primitive techniques of the 13^th century. We will not succeed. We will, however, through our steadfast commitment to improving our education systems and programs that foster student exchange be able to overcome bigotry, distrust and xenophobia.

Helpful links:

Quinnipiac Students From Mass. Run To Safety After Brussels Airport Blasts

Following Brussels Attack, U.S. Universities Reach Out To Students Abroad

Jasmin Saidi-Kuehnert is the President and CEO of the Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute (ACEI).

20 Facts on Denmark

October 15th, 2015

In the recent U.S. democratic presidential debate on October 13, 2015, candidate Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont mentioned Denmark as the bastion of healthy social programs for its people. According to Sanders: “We should look to countries like Denmark, like Sweden and Norway and learn from what they have accomplished for their working people.” In this week’s blog, we’ve decided to put the spotlight on Denmark and share a few facts on this Scandinavian country.

1. The Danes are a homogenous Gothic-Germanic People who have inhabited Denmark since prehistoric times.

2. Denmark is the smallest of the Scandinavian countries (half the size of Maine). It is in northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, on a peninsula north of Germany (Jutland); also includes several major islands (Sjaelland, Fyn, and Bornholm).

3. Denmark is a Constitutional Monarchy. The Danish royal family is probably the oldest uninterrupted European monarchy. It traces back its roots to legendary kings in the Antiquity. Gorm the Old, the first king of the “official line”, ruled from 934 C.E.

4. The population of Denmark is 5,581,503 (July 2015 est.) which include Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, and Somali.

5. The capital of Denmark is Copenhagen with a population of 1.206.million (2011 est.)

6. The flag of Denmark, Dannebrog, is the oldest state flag in the world still in use by an independent nation. It was adopted in 1219.

7. The principal language in Denmark is Danish but English is a required subject in school and fluency in English is high.

8. Education is compulsory from ages 7 to 16 and is free through the university level.

9. Denmark has had no less than 14 Nobel laureates, including 4 in Literature, 5 in Physiology or Medicine, and one Peace prize. With its population of about 5 million, it is one of the highest per capita ratio of any country in the world.

10. Denmark boasts a literacy rate of 99%.

11. The Danish company Bang & Olufsen (B&O) manufactures some of the most upscale audio products, television sets, and telephones in the world.

12. Denmark guarantees religious freedom and 95% of Danes claim religious affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Islam is the second-largest religion in Denmark.

13. In 1989, Denmark became the first country to legalize same-sex unions (although same-sex marriage was not granted until 2012).

14. Denmark’s Industries include: iron, steel, nonferrous metals, chemicals, food processing, machinery and transportation equipment, textiles and clothing, electronics, construction, furniture and other wood products, shipbuilding and refurbishment, windmills, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment.

15. Denmark’s Natural resources include: petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, stone, gravel and sand.

16. Denmark has the highest employment rate in Europe (75%).

17. In 2012 Denmark enjoyed the 2nd highest nominal GDP per capita in the European Union, after Luxembourg. At purchasing power parity (PPP), Denmark was ranked in 8th position within the EU.

18. Separate studies have ranked Danish people as the happiest in the EU (2007 Cambridge University study), and happiest people in the world (2006 Leicester University study) or 2nd happiest in the world (World Database of Happiness 2000-2009).

19. The Danish prince Hamlet, the fictional character of William Shakespeare’s famous play, was inspired by an old Danish myth of the Viking Prince Amled of Jutland.

20. The world famous building toys Lego are from Denmark.

Useful Links:

http://facts.randomhistory.com/denmark-facts.html

http://www.visitdenmark.com/heritage/fun-facts-about-your-danish-american-heritage

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/da.html

http://www.eupedia.com/denmark/trivia.shtml

http://eng.uvm.dk/Education/Overview-of-the-Danish-Education-System

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/14/clinton-and-sanders-why-the-big-deal-about-denmark.html

2 Comments

Filed under Education, Travel

Tagged as Denmark, education, europe, facts, history, trivia

June 7, 2013 · 5:08 pm

20 Facts About Turkey

June 07, 2013

In light of the protests that have erupted in Turkey against the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, we wanted to share a few facts about this country situated at the northeast end of the Mediterranean Sea in southeast Europe and southwest Asia. North of Turkey is the Black Sea and on its west is the Aegean Sea. Its neighbors are Greece and Bulgaria to the west, Russia, Ukraine, and Romania to the north and northwest (through the Black Sea), Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east, and Syria and Iraq to the south. The Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosporus divide the country.

The history and culture of Turkey is such that coming up with 20 facts out of thousands was an incredibly difficult task. We know that so much has been omitted for the sake of brevity. The list below is a primer to this country’s rich heritage.

1. Turkey is officially known as the ‘Republic of Turkey’.

2. The Republic of Turkey was founded on October 29, 1923, under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

3. Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary and constitutional republic.

4. Ankara is Turkey’s capital while Istanbul is its largest city.

5. It has a population of 71.1 million.

6. Of the 87% of the population that is literate 95% are male and 80% female.

7. The major religion of Turkey is Islam, while its official language is Turkish. Kurdish, Dimli, Zaza, Arabic, Armenian, Greek and Azeri are also spoken in the country.

8. Istanbul is the only city in the world built on two continents and has been the capital of three great empires, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman for more than 2000 years.

9. The part of Turkey in Europe is called ‘Thrace’ (an area about equal to the state of Massachusetts), while the part in Asia is called ‘Anatolia’ (an area about the size of the state of Texas).

10. Anatolia is the birthplace of historic legends, such as Omar (the poet), King Midas, Herodotus (the father of history) and St. Paul the Apostle.

11. Julius Ceasar proclaimed his celebrated words, “Veni, Vidi, Vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered) in Turkey when he defeated the Pontus, a formidable kingdom in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

12. The oldest known human settlement is in Catalhoyuk, Turkey (7500 BC).

13. Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the two of the seven wonders of the ancient world, are in Turkey.

14. Turks introduced coffee to Europe.

15. Turks gave the Dutch their famous tulips.

16. Turkey has 94 State universities and 45 Foundation (Private) universities

17. Approximately 55,000 Turkish students go abroad annually for educational purposes.

18. Turkey has been sending more than 10,000 students a year to the U.S. since 2000 exceeding other European countries such as Britain and Germany.

19. Istanbul’s Robert College (established in 1863), is the oldest American school outside the United States.

20. Turkey provides 70% of the world’s hazelnuts; the nut in your chocolate bar was most probably grown in Turkey.

Alan Saidi
Senior Vice President & COO

4 Comments

Filed under Education, History, Human Interest, Language, Travel

Tagged as asia, europe, facts, history, middle-east, politics, prime minister recep tayyip erdogan, travel, turkey

Tag Archives: europe

The European Qualifications Passport: Giving Refugees a Second Chance

20 Fun Facts About Estonia (2.0)

Brussels: Impact of Terror Threats on Studying Abroad

20 Facts on Denmark

20 Facts About Turkey

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