The Joint Conference of the Federation of Engineering Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP), WFEO and the Federation of African Engineering Organizations (FAEO) on Engineering Education Accreditation System and Capacity Buildings was successfully held on 7 November 2020, simultaneously online and offline at the Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), Xi’an, China.
Prof. Gong Ke, President of WFEO, Huang Wei, President of FEIAP, and Martin Manuhwa, President of FAEO, attended and addressed the online meeting respectively. Engineering education experts from Malaysia, Singapore, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and other countries have shared their views and experience in engineering education with more than 100 participants via online webinars.
Gong Ke, in his speech, pointed out that improving the quality of engineering education is significant for the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. He also conveyed a message of solidarity on behalf of WFEO to welcome the cooperation between FEIAP and FAEO and said that WFEO is the platform providing opportunities and supports to member organizations to help each other to improve the quality of engineering education and enhance engineering capability buildings.
Huang Wei extended appreciation to WFEO and FAEO for their long-standing support to FEIAP’s work, and reviewed the course of establishment of cooperative relationship between FEIAP and FAEO. He stressed the importance of educating engineering talents and reinforcing international research cooperation in disciplines of basic and frontier science.
Martin Manuhwa also thanked WFEO and FEIAP for their efforts on cooperation with Africa, and expressed Africa’s willingness to participate actively in the “Belt and Road Initiative”. He quoted an African saying, “if you want to go fast, walk alone; and if you want to go far, walk together” to convey that FAEO member organizations will work closely with WFEO and FEIAP to implement the agreements reached by all parties, and to ensure engineering education in Africa, Belt & Road region and Asia-Pacific region will be coordinately and steadily improved.
With the theme “Engineering Education Accreditation System and Capacity Buildings in Belt & Road Region, Africa, Asia and the Pacific”, the event was organized in two sessions.
In the first session, with respect to the FEIAP engineering education guidelines and accreditation system, six speakers gave introductions to the accreditation of engineering qualifications, African engineering education accreditation system and capacity building for engineers, and explained the role of accreditation and education in driving economic development.
The speakers included:
- Professor Chuah Hean Teik, Chairman of FEIAP standing Committee on Engineering Education;
- Mr. Martin Manuhwa, President of FAEO;
- Professor Chew Yong Tian, former President of Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES);
- Professor Charlie Than, President of Myanmar Engineering Council (MEngC);
- Mr. Federico A. Monsada, President of Philippine Technological Council (PTC);
- and Ms. Carlien Bou-Chedid, President of Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE).
They shared with all participants their experience in the establishment of engineering education accreditation system in Philippines and Africa, and underscored the crucial role that women engineers play in shaping the future of Africa by engineering.
The second session of the web conference focused on Capacity Building and free mobility of engineering personnel. Dr. Tan Yean Chin, FEIAP Secretary General, introduced the Africa, Asia and the Pacific Accord (AAP Accord). And Mr. Papias Kazawadi, Chair of Anti-Corruption Technical Standing Committee & Governance and Ethics Board, FAEO, shared the experiences of cooperation between Africa and foreign contractors and consultants from Asia-Pacific region. Besides, a presentation from Mr. Lee Boon Chong, Chairman of IEM standing Committee on Examinations and Qualifications, introduced to participants the assessment of professional engineering competence.
WFEO, FEIAP and FAEO together agreed to take this meeting as an opportunity to continuously promote cooperation in the field of engineering education and contribute to advancing sustainable development goals.
For more information:
FEIAP-WFEO-FAEO Jointly Host Conference on Engineering Education poster
NOV
2020