The disjuncture of learning and recognition:credential assessment from the standpoint ofChinese immigrant engineers in Canada

Abstract

To better recognise foreign qualifications, many OECD countries have promoted liberalfairness epitomised by universal standards and institutional efficiency. This paperdeparts from such a managerial orientation towards recognition. Building onrecognitive justice, it proposes an alternative anchoring point for recognition practices:the standpoint or everyday experiences of immigrants. This approach is illustrated witha qualitative study of the credential recognition practices of the engineering professionin Canada. From the standpoint of Chinese immigrants, the study identifies adisjuncture between credential recognition practices and immigrants’ career stagepost-migration. Taking this disjuncture as problematic, it further pinpoints recognitionissues such as redundancy and arbitrariness, a narrow focus on undergraduateeducation, and a deficit view of training from other countries. While some of theseissues may be addressed by improving administrative procedures, others demand aparticipatory space allowing immigrants to become partners of assessment, rather thanmerely its objects.

Keywords

• Recognitive justice
• foreign credential recognition practices
• standpoint
• Chinese immigrant engineers