Professional certification and academic certification together do complement each other. To have both certifications together with experience in both fields is super.

Professional certificates are nice compliment to an academic degree but definitely not a replacement.

I argue that the value of each is entirely dependent on the *motivational context*.

There is no doubt that the world of learning - and in particular, of learning in the higher education band - has changed rapidly.

There is an overlapping of boundary distinctions between pure academic research and society/industry/psychology problems. The solutions to these practical problems are not always easily determined by academic theory.

Thus, it follows that 'gap' learning or other methods of exploration would be a natural response.

All-in-all, the offering and utilization of varied learning solutions are dependent on problem motivation and situational context.

Personally, I believe strongly that the challenge of Higher Education institutions in the 21st century would be to ultimately maintain the value and integrity of higher learning, whilst still being flexible and empathetic enough to collaborate with other methodologies in response to the changing problems of the modern world.

Professional qualification generally directs the candidate towards obtaining membership of the regulatory authority of the profession (like Medical Councils, Bar Councils, Institute of Accountants etc.) which opens the opportunity to the candidate to practice in the field of related profession.

Whereas, academic certification is focused more on obtaining deep knowledge. The opportunity available to the candidate is more flexible but not definite as in professional certification.

Micro-credential is useful but cannot replace professional or academic certification because it can only be helpful in sharpening the skills or broadening the knowledge horizon in both professional and academic certification respectively.

Jamais a qualificação universitária será substituída. Poderá com qualificações ser incrementada e aprofundar os inúmeros conhecimentos obtidos por ela.

• No pueden reemplazar a los los títulos y a los grados académicos, porque son las bases del del estudio y tiene más créditos, sin embargo los demás son más específicos o de especialización, se puede considerar como capacitaciones o actualizaciones en un área de conocimiento.

The comment of Achyut Nepal is straight to the point.

I also totally agree with Katia Cristina Mitsumori , Juan Carlos Apaza Paucara , Olga Rauhut Kompaniets and Prof-Dr-Ahmed Al-Baidhani أ. د. احمد البيضاني

But the perspective proposed by Natasha van Rooyen deserves another discussion:

not only "motivational (personal) context" but also, the "context where the student is (society, or community)". Some countries preferred to foster a massive graduation but... many times, when we have quantity, sometimes we have a gap in terms of quality.

In this case a poor high education needs to be reinforced by micro-credentials and professional certifications.

What do you think, guys?

Son complementos a los títulos y grados académicos; las acreditaciones de pos grado son actualizaciones o capacitaciones sobre los cambios, avances en una área específica que son necesarios, para permanecer en la vida académica, pero de ninguna manera reemplaza a los primeros,...