AN ASSOCIATION OF HIGHLY TECHNICAL PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS

WASHINGTON ACCORD: Established in 1989, an international accreditation agreement for professional engineering academic degrees between bodies responsible for accreditation in its signatory countries. Agreement recognizes that there is substantial equivalency of programs accredited by signatories. Graduates of accredited programs in any of the signatory countries are recognized by the other signatory countries as having met the academic requirements for entry to the practice of engineering Recognition of accredited programs is not retroactive but takes only from the date of admission of the country to signatory status. Professional Engineers are able to perform functions because of their: knowledge, skills, attitude (KSA) Competence is developed by: education, training, experience (ETE) Washington Accord recognizes that accreditation of engineering academic programs is a key foundation for the practice of engineering at the professional level in each of the countries or territories covered by the Accord. A signatory in Washington Accord is entitled to fully participate in the accord, enjoys the same rights and obligations as all other signatories. The body must be: Independent of the academic institutions delivering accredited or recognized programs within their jurisdiction An authority, agency or institution representative of the engineering profession that has legal or recognized authority to accredit programs SCOPE Covers undergraduate engineering degrees Not directly responsible for the licensing / registration of Professional Engineers, but covers the academic requirements that are part of the licensing processes in signatory countries.

 SIGNATORIES: Australia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Hongkong China, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, new Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, Russia, UK, US, Bangladesh, Germany, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka AGREEMENT STATES: Accreditation criteria, policies, and procedures of the signatories have been verified comparable Accreditation decisions made by one signatory are acceptable to the other signatories Recognition applies only to accreditations conducted within the signatorys national or territorial boundaries. WASHINGTON ACCORD SUBSTANTIAL EQUIVALENCE Applied to educational programmes means that two programmes, while not meeting a single set of criteria, are both acceptable as preparing their respective graduates to enter formative development toward registration EQUIVALENCY & LICENSING A licensed engineer from any of the signatory countries may or may not be automatically recognized as licensed in another country. Before one can get a license in another country that requires a separate exam, one has to have a recognized degree. Prerequisite for a member country to get licensed in another country WASHINGTON ACCORD BENCHMARKING Signatories will identify and encourage the implementation of best practice for the academic preparation of engineers by mutual monitoring, regular communication and sharing of information (accreditation criteria, systems, procedures, manuals, publications, list of accredited programs), and invitations to observe accreditation visits, and invitation s to observe meetings of any boards

 WASHINGTON ACCORD PROVISIONAL STATUS Application for signatory status will precede by a prescribed period of provisional status Applicants for provisional status must be nominated by two signatories Acceptance as provisional by a 2/3 majority of signatories Admission requires that the body has an accreditation system Substantial equivalence is not required for provisional status: the provisional may need to develop criteria, policies, and procedures Mentoring continues during provisional status WASHINGTON ACCORD BECOMING A SIGNATORY Normal minimum period as provisional is two years A provisional that is ready to apply for signatory status requests a verification visit Application must be supported by two signatories Visit takes place Visit must demonstrate substantial equivalence of: Accreditation standard to the Graduate Attributes Policies and processes to be substantially equivalent Visit report is considered at a general meeting Admission of a new signatory requires unanimous approval WASHINGTON ACCORD: DUTY OF SIGNATORIES Attend General Meetings of the Washington Accord Receive a review visit every six years Provide Evaluators for: Reviews of other signatories

 Verification visits to provisionals applying to be signatory Mentor new applicants and provisionals Make list of accredited programmes available Publish a clear statement of programmes that it recognises When registering body is separate, make every effort to ensure that registering body recognises signatories programmes. ACCORDS COVERING TERTIARY QUALIFICATIONS IN ENGINEERING THE WASHINGTON ACCORD: The Washington Accord was signed in 1989. It is an agreement between the bodies responsible for accrediting professional engineering degree programs in each of the signatory countries. It recognizes the substantial equivalency of programs accredited by those bodies, and recommends that graduates of accredited programs in any of the signatory countries be recognized by the other countries as having met the academic requirements for entry to the practice of engineering. The Washington Accord covers professional engineering undergraduate degrees. Engineering technology and postgraduate-level programs are not covered by the Accord. THE SYDNEY ACCORD, It is an agreement between the bodies responsible for accrediting professional engineering degree programs in each of the signatory countries. It recognizes the substantial equivalency of programs accredited by those bodies, and recommends that graduates of accredited programs in any of the signatory countries be recognized by the other countries as having met the academic requirements for entry to the practice of engineering. The Sydney Accord covers Engineering technology THE DUBLIN ACCORD, It is an agreement between the bodies responsible for accrediting professional engineering degree programs in each of the signatory countries. It recognizes the substantial equivalency of programs accredited by those bodies, and recommends that graduates of accredited programs in any of the signatory countries be recognized by the other countries as having met the academic requirements for entry to the practice of engineering. The Sydney Accord covers Engineering technology.

 SEOUL ACCORD: signed in 2008, it recognizes computing professionals. EUR-ACE ACCORD: formed in 2006, is the equivalent of the Washington Accord in Europe that accepts non-European accreditation bodies as members.

REGISTERS under International Engineering Alliance (IEA) Under International Engineering Alliance (IEA): Washington, Sydney, Dublin & Seoul Accord Registers IntPE International Professional Engineers EMF Engineers Mobility Forum ETMF-Engineering Technologists Mobility Forum APEC Engineer Register ANGARA, COMSTE Chairman statement (COMSTE - Congressional Commission on Science, Technology, and Engineering) Without membership in this exclusive group, Philippine engineers are at a disadvantage as their education is not considered at par with international standards. Membership in the Washington Accord would ensure that engineering students will be open to new fields brought by technological advances in engineering such as renewable energy, mechatronics, robotics, biomedical. The Philippines is an active participant in all Engineers Registers Goal: full participant in IEA Signatory to all accords Establish an accreditation system for engineering, computing, engineering technology, engineering technicians that will make Philippines eligible for membership in all accords.

 The Philippines is an active participant in all Engineers Registers ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN: PTC Philippine Technological Council, the umbrella organization of engineering professional societies and PACUCOA signed a MOA that defines a system. PTC shall be the signatory to the Washington Accord and to certify that PACUCOA has been made under the terms of the Washington Accord. PACUCAO to adopt outcomes-based criteria and do the accreditation. Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA), is a private accrediting agency which gives formal recognition to an educational institution by attesting that its academic program maintains excellent standards in its educational operations, in the context of its aims and objectives. Supported by DOST, CHED, PRC, UNESCO Philippines Commission, DFA & COMSTE for the secured funding of processing membership FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS under Washington Accord: How can I find out if my program is recognized under the Washington Accord The list of programs currently recognized under the Washington Accord can be searched by signatory country How do the Washington Accord signatories recognizes degrees earned prior to signing of the Accord Signatories accepts degrees earned from the date of acceptance of a signatory into the Accord. For degrees earned prior to the date of acceptance, each signatories assesses the degrees on an individual basis for specific policies. I hold an engineering degree from a non-Washington Accord signatory country, is my degree recognized by other Washington Accord Signatory?

 The Washington Accord Agreement applies only to accreditations conducted by the signatories within their respective national or territorial boundaries. The signatories are not bound to recognize programs accredited or recognized as substantially equivalent by other signatories outside their national boundaries. Do I get automatic licensure recognition in any signatory country of the Washington Accord after completing an engineering program/degree in a signatory country? The licensing or registration of professional engineers is not covered directly or in full by the Washington Accord. However, the academic requirements which are part of licensing /regulation requirements are covered by the Accord. The licensure process differs among signatory countries. You must contact the individual signatory country to which you are applying for licensure in order to learn of national and regional licensure regulation and specific requirements for holders of overseas degrees. CONCLUSION: The Washington Accord is an independent agreement for: Mutual recognition of accredited engineering programmes Benchmarking standards for engineering education The WA Graduate Attributes represent the generally agreed reference for accredited programmes Benchmarking accreditation policies and processes The WA has grown from a small group of signatories to a well-structured and soughtafter organisation

REFERENCES: American University International Law Review http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/auilra Washington Accord Initiative, Engr. Federico A. Monsada, Engr. Ranulfo C. Feliciano, UP 2011

The Washington Accord Past, Present, Future, IEET Accreditaion Training, Hu Hanrahan 2011

ANALYSIS: Engineering is a powerful and transformative force in this world. For the international mobility of students of Engineering discipline the course curricula and the standard of education have to be such that they are capable of competing with each other and can prove the justification of their global recognition and mobility. The engineering community must continue to assert its global leadership and take advantage of its recognition in emerging markets to succeed in meeting the present and future challenges of our world. Through their dedication to creating and innovation of new ideas, engineers are at the forefront of shaping this world towards peace, prosperity and tranquility and thus help people enjoy happier and healthier lives in the new millennium. Engineering is a very popular field of study among students wishing to pursue higher education. There are many institutes from various countries offering engineering degrees and wanting to attract international students. There is a large disparity in the cost of studying in different countries. Costs vary greatly in terms of fees charged as well as living expenses. There is a popular belief that if the degree is from a institution that is in great demand in a highly developed country that there is greater recognition for a such degree. This is to great extent is a misconception. For example, having decided to pursue engineering as the chosen profession for the future as a career a student has to select where he/she wants to qualify from. When this decision is being made one of the significant factors to take note of is the international recognition for the degree. Is it necessary to spend as much as fifteen million rupees or more when a degree that has equal recognition can be obtained for one fifth the cost or less. This is where a knowledge of the Washington Accord can of help. In 1989 an international agreement for cross recognition of engineering qualifications was signed between Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK and USA. The accord recognizes Accreditation of engineering academic programs is a key foundation for the practice of engineering at the professional level in each of the countries or territories covered by the Accord. In other words this agreement resulted in

recognizing qualifications accredited by the engineering body of the signatory country by the engineering bodies of all the other signatory countries. Over the years more countries have been added to the signatory list and currently in addition to the original signatories the following countries have been added as signatories Hong Kong, South Africa, Japan, Singapore, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) South Korea, Malaysia and Turkey. Sri Lanka is still only a provisional signatory.

The question - What kind of engineers are desirable? has been thrown to the Industry people in USA on many occasions. In general, the Industrys response has remained same. They want young bright persons with strong foundation in the fundamentals. They are not interested in very high level specialized courses like computer integrated manufacturing systems, mechatronics, robotics, etc. They are interested in young persons, young bright minds or young students who are trained in the fundamentals and in the basic foundation courses like Newtonian Mechanics, Solid Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electricity & Magnetism, Semiconductor Physics, Material Science, etc. The Industry wants the engineering graduates to have very strong foundation in these areas. They can always pick up the knowledge in specific areas while in service but strong fundamentals and analytical ability to handle technical problems are the prime qualities needed for a good engineer. And I believe that the Industry in the US is not only correct but also clever. Many among you may agree with me that if somebody is strong in the basic sciences, the engineering sciences and mathematics he/she can conquer any place. Also apart from the strong foundation in the basic fundamentals of engineering science subjects, one should have some exposure to technical arts subjects like graphics, computation, fabrication, etc. Some exposure to these subjects is also essential for translating abstract ideas into down to earth products. So, our academic programmes should be oriented towards providing strong foundation on basic and engineering sciences and quick exposures to the technical topics mentioned earlier. I think, we have to consider whether the academic programmes or academic curricula of various technological universities are in this direction or they are wasting too much time on so called specialized subjects. Developments in the area of numerical analysis and mathematics also played important roles in Computer Science. On the other hand, Mechanical Engineering also expanded and inputs from Chemistry gave rise to Chemical Engineering. Increasing importance of aviation industry and space technology resulted in the emergence of Aerospace Engineering as a separate branch of engineering. Metallurgy and Mining have continued as two distinct branches of engineering for a very long time. From the very beginning, we had Mining and Metallurgy as important technological activities for the advancement of human civilization. Therefore, it is clearly seen that these developments were made possible by the input from the Basic Sciences. And now life

Science is coming as a major contributor and a new field Biotechnology has emerged as an important member of the whole family. So, it is expected that in the 21st century we will find engineering to depend more on basic sciences . It should also not be forgotten that new technology has always emerged through the application of science and without solid foundation on basic sciences the technologists and engineers of a country can hardly hope to take a leading role in the world. It is a matter of great concern to note that in India in the vast majority of technical institutions the basic science subjects are neglected. In most such institutions the departments offering basic science and mathematics courses are considered as service departments. Nothing can be more detrimental to the future of engineering and technology! If we are interested in producing excellent engineers acceptable everywhere in the world, we have to make them very strong in Basic Sciences like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and then the Engineering Science subjects like Mechanics, Electricity & Magnetism, Electronics, Semiconductor Science, Material Science and Life Science. May be, this kind of curriculum can be thought of for our future engineering graduates, at least in the institutions of quality. A simplified curriculum, based on a strong common core, with some essential professional courses can satisfy the need. An engineer with such a strong foundation, who comes out from a college at the age of 23, can become a specialist in no time while working in the field. The next problem is to generate a very large pool of reasonably good teachers for these basic courses. This is the real crux of the matter; how do we produce a large number of good teachers? Now- a- days it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract the most brilliant students to teaching. A very exceptional few who opt for academic career join the institutes of higher learning like IITs. So, the main challenge is to produce reasonably good teachers out of the average persons who come to teaching profession in average colleges. Almost a vast majority of our engineering institutions are privately owned and they are not always of good academic standard. These institutions are manned by the teachers who come from lowest rung of the graduates produced. In many places it is found that a student, not getting any job after graduation, joins as a teacher at 5000 rupees salary in a same college. As a result it becomes difficult to distinguish between teachers and students in such colleges! However, the scene cannot be altered overnight and it is necessary to find out ways and means for making these teachers somewhat acceptable and better. In this exercise, institutions can play a very important role and pull back the country from the edge of the precipice it has reached. For a good teacher, two qualities are essential. I am not talking about the gifted people who are born teachers. But I am talking about an average student, who has come to teaching profession. One requirement is a reasonable understanding of the basic subjects which he/she teaches, and the other requirement is the capability to convey the knowledge to the students i.e. the ability in instruction. The pedagogical aspects of teaching can be imparted in reasonable time by specialized training. In the past this used to be a slow process through long experience in teaching. So, I think, that after these teachers are given a good exposure in the domain knowledge some pedagogical training in teaching

can make them reasonably acceptable teachers. Undoubtedly the students coming out of the vast number of ordinary engineering colleges will improve in quality when the teachers go through such a process of retraining. Therefore, the problem of tens of thousands of teaching positions lying vacant (or being ineffective because of the incapable people who occupy these positions) can be solved to some extent. It is needless to mention that use of educational technology can enhance the effectiveness of the whole programme. Once these things happen, perhaps we can think of Washington Accord. Otherwise any attempt to implement that may lead to disastrous consequences. It is also important to take some policy decision about the rehabilitation of the displaced students from a derecognized institution. These are all what came to my mind from my experience in teaching for 47 years. RECOMMENDATION: (i) (ii) (iii) preparedness for accreditation though a prior improvement of existing scenario, a very strict and acceptable accreditation system a plan to take care of the outcome of what happens when accreditation is done and some institutions fail to match the expectations must be addressed for a smooth transition to an era under the Washington Accord.