When we think of free trade and the WTO, it is easy to become overly focused on goods. Yet, the biggest growth areas in international trade involve services.

The facilitation of trade in services and opening up markets to competition in this sector is thus on the agenda of bilateral Free Trade Agreements, international organizations such as APEC, and multi-lateral treaties. One example is the Asia-Pacific Regional Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications in Higher Education 2011 (Tokyo Convention).

This Convention sets out basic principles for recognition of higher education qualifications across the region, including increased information and transparency. Ratification by five member states is needed for the convention to enter into force; however, so far only Australia, China and New Zealand have done so.

Promoting trade in services can certainly be further facilitated by arrangements whereby countries recognise foreign degrees from universities and other educational institutions. These agreements also address issues such as balancing the flow of students among countries.

On a broader scale, they also promote flexibility in human resources by facilitating the ability to work across national borders.

Exemplifying this trend is the recent agreement between China and 19 EU countries involving mutual recognition of higher education degrees. These agreements are especially important to China given the large number of Chinese students studying abroad and the rapidly growing number of students from the rest of the world seeking to study in China.

These agreements are further augmented by similar moves among EU members themselves. This includes the Recognition of Professional Qualifications (Second General System) Regulations 2002 and others by individual states. These directives cover all 28 member states of the European Union plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

They relate to any form of work that would typically have previously been restricted in a member state to people gaining a professional qualification from it. They require that jobs should be open to nationals of the EU (and the other three states) who have gained a similar professional qualification from an educational institution in any EU member.

There is also the Transitional Measures Directive (Directive 99/42/EC), which covers trades for people such as hairdressers and construction workers.

Europe and countries such as Australia have also developed a Qualifications Framework as a guide to help align and translate equivalencies across different types of educational qualifications and levels.

In a global market, it is also important to have policy guided by good data. Thus, mention should be made of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED). This a statistical framework for organizing information maintained by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is a member of the international family of economic and social classifications of the United Nations.

Economically, culturally, and politically, it is important that we put the "universal" in university qualifications and move in the direction of cross border recognition of qualifications. The developments mentioned above are significant steps that will greatly assist in promoting student and worker mobility and thus global trade in services for the benefit of all.

Eugene Clark is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.h5a3.com/opinion/eugeneclark.htm

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