In response to globalization trend and enhancement of global mobility, it is necessary toestablish a framework for higher education qualifications to ensure Taiwan is on par withinternational standards as well as ensuring the quality of cross-border higher education. Thisresearch aims at analyzing the current situations of the qualifications framework in majorcountries and strategies to construct the framework for higher education qualifications inTaiwan. The study first investigates literature references and analyzes official documents, tounderstand the development of framework for higher education qualifications for majorcountries. Secondly, 5 scholar experts were interviewed to analyze the necessity of buildingframework for higher education qualifications in Taiwan and the challenges it faces. Lastly, afocus groups discussion was held between 5 scholar experts and government officials inexamining the framework for higher education qualifications prototype and feasiblestrategies.
The study’s conclusions are as follows: 1. Establishment of a framework forqualifications possesses significant value. There are over 150 countries worldwide haveformulated regional, international and national qualification frameworks, with all Associationof Southeast Asian Nations membership countries completing their nationals qualificationsframework by 2018. 2. There are five aspects that need to be taken into consideration inestablishing framework for higher education qualifications in Taiwan: a) Beneficialinternational mobility; b) Promotes the knowledge-action integration; c) Advocate lifelonglearning d) Improve national reputation; 5) Beneficial to economic negotiations etc. 3. Thechallenges of establishing framework for higher education qualifications in Taiwan includethe following: a) Dispersed authority and difficulty in integration; b) Time consuming todistinguish the large variety of fields; c) Gap between school education and vocationaltraining. 4. Feasible strategies for building framework for higher education qualifications inTaiwan include the following: a) Request the Executive Yuan to establish cross departmentproject teams; b) Invite the industry, government officials, academic scholars to discussrequired occupational competency and determine priorities as well as yearly goals; c)Effective correspondence between school courses and occupational competency standards. 5. The framework for higher education qualifications prototype comprises 4 levels, integratehigher education associate bachelor or above with occupational competency standard level 3to level 6 to align with the level 5 to level 8 of Europe and Association of Southeast AsianNations. The The study’s education policy suggestions include: 1. Active construction of the nation’s framework of qualifications; 2. Integrate qualifications framework authority, ensuring significant effects from minor changes.
