What is a Blue Diploma?

The document known as the "Blue Diploma" in our country is a type of diploma supplement given together with the diploma. To understand what the blue diploma is, its scope and validity, it is necessary to first understand the Bologna Process and the content of the contract titled "Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications in the European Higher Education Region", also known as the 'Lisbon Recognition Convention'.

A Brief History Lesson on Blue Diploma

Bologna Process

The Bologna Process essentially started in 1998, at a meeting in which the education ministers of England, Germany, France and Italy came together at the Sorbonne, where the idea of creating a common higher education area in Europe was put forward and the Sorbonne Declaration was published at the end of the meeting. It became official when it was signed and published by the Ministers responsible for higher education in 29 European countries.

Two years after the Bologna Declaration was published, the ministers responsible for higher education in European countries, with the participation of Turkey, Croatia, Liechtenstein and the Republic of Cyprus, met in Prague on 19 May 2001 to discuss the Bologna Process, talk about the future of the process and determine its priorities.

With the countries that became part of the process in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2015, the number of countries participating in the Bologna Process reached 49 and the European Higher Education Area expanded to the same extent. Today, the participating member states of the European Higher Education Area are:

• Germany
• Andorra
• Albania
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Belgium
• United Kingdom
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bulgaria
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Armenia
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Georgia
• Croatia
• Holland
• Ireland
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Italy
• Iceland
• Montenegro
• Kazakhistan
• Cyprus
• North Macedonia
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Hungary
• Malta
• Moldova
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Russia
• San Marino
• Serbia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Türkiye
• Ukraine
• Vatican
• Greece

At the conferences held in Prague in 2001, in Berlin in 2003, and in Bergen in 2005, the objectives of the Bologna Process and the European Higher Education Area were shaped as follows:

• Creating higher education diplomas and/or degrees that are easy to understand and comparable to each other and developing the Diploma Supplement (known as "Blue Diploma" in our country) application in line with this goal.
• Implementation of "Quality Assurance Standards and Implementation Principles" developed by the European Association of Quality Assurance (ENQA) for higher education institutions in the European Higher Education Area in member countries.
• Implementation of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)
• Creating a synergy between the European Higher Education Area and the European Research Area
• Making the European Higher Education Area more attractive and ensuring and strengthening cooperation with countries outside Europe
• Strengthening the social dimension of the Bologna Process
• Offering joint higher education programmes, including doctoral programmes.
• Ensuring the quality of education
• Ensuring and expanding the mobility of students and faculty members
• Implementation of National Qualifications Frameworks
• Promoting lifelong learning
• Recognition of higher education diplomas and/or degrees and periods of study
• Ensuring the active participation of higher education institutions and students in the Bologna Process
• Developing the European dimension in higher education
• Creating flexible learning paths in higher education
• Establishing and disseminating networks for quality assurance systems in higher education
• Implementation of a three-stage degree system in higher education: bachelor's, master's and doctorate.

Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications in the European Higher Education Area

The Convention on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications in the European Higher Education Area, prepared in cooperation with the Council of Europe and UNESCO and adopted in Lisbon in 1997, is a fundamental legal instrument for the recognition of higher education qualifications in Europe and has been ratified by more than 50 states to date.

In the ninth section of the relevant Agreement;

Article IX.1

" In order to ensure the recognition of documents related to higher education , the parties undertake to create transparent systems for the full identification of the documents received."

Article IX.2

1. To meet the need for accurate and up-to-date information on the subject, each Party shall establish or operate a national information center and shall notify one of the depositary authorities of the establishment of such center or any changes affecting the centre.”
2. “In each Party, the national information center shall :
   • will provide access to consistent and accurate information regarding the higher education system and documents of the country in which it is located ;
   • facilitate access to information on higher education systems and documents of other Parties ;
   • will advise or provide information on recognition and evaluation of documents under national laws and regulations .”
3. Each national information center will allocate the necessary tools to fulfill its functions.

Article IX.3

shall promote , through national information centers or otherwise, the use of the UNESCO/Council of Europe Diploma Supplement or another equivalent document issued by the Parties' higher education institutions .”

The phrases are included.

How to Obtain a Diploma Supplement (“Blue Diploma”)?

Graduates from all countries participating in the Bologna Process and within the European Higher Education Area have the right to receive the Diploma Supplement automatically, free of charge, and in one of the official languages of Europe. Although relevant practices may vary from country to country, the Diploma Supplement is generally issued by the registrar's office or registrar's office of the institution that awarded the academic qualification.

What is the Diploma Supplement (“Blue Diploma”) for?

The Diploma Supplement makes academic qualifications and educational programs taken in countries participating in the Bologna Process and within the European Higher Education Area more easily comparable for students between countries. It provides a detailed description of the academic studies completed and indicates the competencies acquired to complete the relevant educational program.

The Diploma Supplement also strengthens the recognition of academic qualifications by both higher education institutions and international employers and can facilitate graduates' employment abroad and access to higher education opportunities beyond their degree.

On the other hand, for higher education institutions, it provides greater recognition of the academic qualifications and educational programs they provide and strengthens the institutions' visibility both to other higher education institutions and to employers. The Diploma Supplement also provides a common framework for the recognition of academic qualifications, contributing to preserving the institutional autonomy of higher education institutions and reducing the administrative burden faced by many institutions.