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We’re pleased to report that ePIC 2024, held November 6-8 in Paris, was a landmark gathering for advancing global recognition practices, technologies, and policies, taking innovation in recognition to a whole new level with the signature of “The Paris Declaration on the Equality of Recognitions.”
This vibrant assembly of educators, technologists, researchers, government officials, business and civic leaders attracted 155 participants from 25 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Greenland, South Africa, the United States and many others, highlighting the conference’s global reach.
Over the course of 78 sessions, participants explored transformative ideas and practical implementations in open recognition, covering themes such as digital credentials, workplace recognition, the critical role of public authorities in fostering equitable recognition initiatives and the articulation between informal, semi-formal and formal recognition.
The welcome sponsorship support for the conference by the French Ministry of Labour and Employment, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF), Instructure and others underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration in shaping recognition systems for a more inclusive and equitable future.
Core Themes and Highlights
The conference was structured around eight dynamic panel discussions bringing diverse voices together to address key challenges and opportunities, including:
- The Paris Declaration on the Equality of Recognitions challenged participants to reflect on the need for informal, semi-formal, and formal recognition; to explore their synergies and to find the necessary ways to articulate between them.
- Digital Credential Technologies and Interoperability focused on scaling digital credential initiatives and standards, to create an open infrastructure for recognition. Phil Long provided a welcome update on the T3 Network’s Linked Claims initiative, which had been introduced to the ePIC community at the 2023 conference.
- Places of Learning and Recognition opened up the role of cities, regions, “Third Places” and family homes to foster recognition through lifewide, community-driven initiatives.
- Accelerating Digital Credentials Through Public Authorities and Employers highlighted the important roles for governments and industries in implementing scalable credential systems with contributions from the French Ministry of Labour, a sector skills council (AFDAS) and employers.
- Recognition for Career Transitions explored the development of and lifelong learning frameworks for digital credential portability and career mobility, with participation from the UK’s Digital Badging Commission, a French awarding body (IPERIA) and the USCCF .
- A session on Lifelong Learning Accounts and Skills Savings Accounts, led by Taylor Hansen from USCCF with the participation of a European Commission policy officer, provided a great opportunity to compare the innovative proposals for the United States with the experience of similar funding models and infrastructures to promote lifelong learning in other jurisdictions around the world.
- Recognition at the Workplace investigated recognition practices within organizations and the importance of socialization and collective dialogue for worker engagement, development and retention.
These discussions, which are actively continuing in several quarters, demonstrate how cross-sector collaboration can create recognition systems that are adaptable, equitable, and future-ready.
The Paris Declaration on the Equality of Recognitions
The conference marked a milestone with the signing of the Paris Declaration, which emphasized the need to articulate the spectrum of informal, semi-formal, and formal recognition practices. This landmark document highlights the potential for recognition systems to foster trust, equity, and mobility across sectors. Among the first signatories, the Groningen Declaration Network (GDN), 1Edtech and AACRAO demonstrated their commitment to advancing interoperable, globally trusted open recognition practices.
Places of Recognition
A standout theme at the conference was Learning Cities and “Lieux de la Reconnaissance” (Places of Recognition), which envisions physical and digital community spaces as hubs for community-driven recognition, empowering individuals to validate their skills and contributions beyond traditional frameworks. These spaces blend digital tools like badges with localized practices to foster social cohesion, lifelong learning, and active citizenship. Complementing this, initiatives such as the “Université du Domicile” demonstrated how home-based learning can be formally recognized as part of lifelong education.
Recognition in Action: Olympic Games
The recognition program for the Olympic Games, which issued over 40,000 badges, exemplified the power of large-scale credentialing initiatives. These badges validated diverse skills and contributions, showcasing how recognition can drive engagement and inspire widespread participation.
Public and Workplace Recognition
Public authorities and employers were identified as critical drivers of recognition. Panels explored how digital credentials could be scaled through government policies and workplace initiatives, emphasising collaborations between employers, education and training to articulate the different approaches to skills recognition. The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) showcased how small units of learning and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can bridge educational gaps, enhancing equity and access.
Decolonising Recognition
One important series of conversations addressed the biases and limitations inherent in “traditional” recognition systems embedding the “traditions” of the coloniser. Presentations from Canada, Australia and New Zealand emphasized the need to integrate Indigenous knowledge systems in culturally responsive practices to ensure that recognition frameworks respect and empower diverse communities. Workshops from Australia and New Zealand also explored how Indigenous accreditation models could create more inclusive and equitable ecosystems, shifting the focus from standardization to valuing diverse learning pathways and worldviews.
Building a Collaborative Future
ePIC 2024 set the stage for future developments in open recognition. Proposals for regional “ePICx” spin-offs in Australia and French Canada, along with partnerships such as the Badge Summit in the U.S., demonstrate our conference’s global ambition. The launch of a working group on Open Recognition at AFNOR, the French ISO body, also signals growing momentum for “standardising” recognition practices, technologies and policies to improve interoperability and articulation, while preserving their openness and inclusivity.
Conclusion
The UCCF’s active participation and sponsorship for ePIC 2024 reflects a shared vision for advancing equitable recognition systems worldwide. The conference reinforced the importance of open recognition as a catalyst for social cohesion, lifelong learning, and workforce mobility. As global partnerships deepen and initiatives like the Paris Declaration gain traction, the future of recognition is being shaped collaboratively to empower individuals and communities across all sectors.
The Open Recognition Alliance, the organization that hosts the ePIC conference, is keen to work with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation the T3 Innovation Network and others to explore these ideas further and we look forward to collaborating on future events, projects and initiatives.
View the video Proceedings to learn more about ePIC. To learn more about Open Recognition, please reach out to us at openrecognition.org.
