A new University World News feature by Villano Qiriazi, Head of the Education Department, Council of Europe, Noah W. Sobe, Chief of the Higher Education Section at UNESCO, and Luca Lantero, former Chair of the Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee published on 24 October 2025, takes readers inside the 10th Session of the Lisbon Recognition Convention Committee, held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
The article — titled “Digital, AI Solutions in Focus at Lisbon Convention Meet” — explores how the Convention is being reshaped to meet emerging challenges in higher education recognition, from digital transformation to artificial intelligence, micro-credentials, and transnational education (TNE).
Through first-hand insights from UNESCO and Council of Europe representatives, the authors unpack two major updates adopted under the Convention’s previous mandate:
- the revision of the ENIC-NARIC Charter, strengthening quality assurance frameworks and integrating new learning formats; and
- the update of the Code of Good Practice in Transnational Education, which now addresses education fraud, AI ethics, and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The piece also discusses the Convention’s new 2025–2028 work plan, which prioritises cooperation on digital and AI-enabled recognition systems and reinforces the Convention’s ongoing commitment to fairness, transparency, and protection for vulnerable learners, including refugees and displaced persons.
