The institutional research conducted by Diligence Consulting is informed by primary legal sources, international governance frameworks, academic publications and institutional readings. This documentary library presents the foundations on which the House develops its doctrine and conducts institutional determinations on French private higher education recognition and transnational educational governance.
Last updatedJune 2026
Currently documented15 primary legal sources and institutional references . 1 peer reviewed publication . 11 doctrinal readings on French private higher education recognition
IPrimary Sources
Texts of law and international conventions framing French private higher education recognition.
Code de l’éducation
Articles L.731-1 to L.731-14 (private higher education) . Articles L.444-1 to L.444-11 (distance learning) . Article L.732-1 (EESPIG) . Légifrance
Code du travail
Articles L.6313-1 et seq. (continuing professional training) . Articles L.6351-1 et seq. (declared training providers) . Légifrance
Loi du 1er juillet 1901 relative au contrat d’association
Founding statute for non-profit associations under French law . Légifrance
Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region (Lisbon, 1997)
Council of Europe . UNESCO . ETS No. 165 . Council of Europe
Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education
UNESCO, 2019 . UNESCO
Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications
Official Journal of the European Union L 255/22 . EUR-Lex
IIFoundational References
Institutional frameworks and reports on higher education quality assurance.
HCERES . Reference framework for the evaluation and accreditation of higher education and research institutions
Haut Conseil de l’évaluation de la recherche et de l’enseignement supérieur . hceres.fr
ENIC-NARIC . Guidelines on cross-border quality assurance in the EHEA
European area of recognition manual for higher education institutions . enic-naric.net
EQAR . Statutes and procedures for applications
European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education . eqar.eu
ESG . Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area
Bologna Process . European University Association . ENQA
INQAAHE . Guidelines of Good Practice in Quality Assurance
International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education . inqaahe.org
OECD . Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-border Higher Education
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development . oecd.org
Bologna Process . Ministerial Communiqués
European Higher Education Area, ministerial conferences . ehea.info
France Compétences . Référentiels de certification professionnelle
National authority for professional certification and training quality . francecompetences.fr
Council of Europe . Code of Good Practice in the Provision of Transnational Education
Adopted on 22 October 2025 . Council of Europe
IIIAcademic Publications on French Private Higher Education Recognition
Publications documenting legal, regulatory and institutional questions that contribute to the development of the House’s doctrine.
2025
Transborder and Transnational Higher Education Accreditation . The Legal Framework for Recognition and Equivalency of French Private Universities “Hors Contrat” with International Quality Assurance
The article examines the legal frameworks governing transborder higher education accreditation, focusing on French private universities operating “hors contrat” that do not award diplômes nationaux but hold international quality assurance accreditation. Through UNESCO guidelines, the Lisbon Recognition Convention and ENIC-NARIC mechanisms, the authors argue that a coherent legal structure exists whereby legally constituted French private universities with rigorous international accreditation should receive recognition comparable to state diploma-granting institutions. The research demonstrates that the principle of “substantial differences” under the Lisbon Convention establishes a legal pathway for recognising qualifications from French “hors contrat” institutions based on educational quality rather than state diploma status.
This peer reviewed publication cites Diligence Consulting as a documentary reference regarding the 2025 reform of French private higher education recognition and the evolution of institutional recognition in France.
IVDoctrinal Readings
Institutional readings developed and published by the House on French private higher education recognition.
Readings Q3 2026 . to be published from July to October 2026
Forthcoming . six institutional readings on multi-site growth, institutional time, irreversibility, declaration value, exposure architecture and governance continuity.
Institutional determinations are grounded in documentary practice, regulatory analysis and the continuous reading of educational systems.