The UK and Colombia signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement of Higher Education Qualifications on Wednesday 2 November 2016, following a lecture on The Legacy of Peace by new Nobel Laureate President Santos at the London School of Economics.

The Agreement was signed on behalf of the UK by Minister of State for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson.

In a similar vein to recent bilateral agreements the UK has signed with Mexico and Chile, the treaty outlines the equivalent level of university qualifications in the two countries and details of simplified recognition processes. Holders of UK degrees will no longer be required to undertake a detailed analysis of course content in order to achieve recognition in Colombia.

The treaty will enhance student mobility between the two countries and promote UK educational export opportunities in Colombia, facilitating the establishment of institutional links for embarking on joint research and dual/joint degrees.

UK NARIC has provided the lead UK technical input into the treaty. The drafting process began with an initial technical workshop in Bogota with Colombian Ministry representatives and the British Council in August. These talks focused on developing a reciprocal understanding of quality assurance processes and ensuring that learning outcomes of the degrees included are comparable. During the intervening period, there have been negotiations with a range of UK stakeholders to develop an agreed final text.

For more information about the treaty and its provisions, please contact [email protected]

[BBC article on the state visit to the UK by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-37826823]