On the education front , BEM places great emphasis in ensuring the right standards and competence of local universities when offering engineering courses . In this context , BEM has set up the Engineering Accreditation Council ( EAC ) for 16 years now , since its inception in 2000 . BEM through the EAC conducts accreditation of engineering degree programmes offered by institutions of higher learning within Malaysia . Accreditation is done by evaluators , from both academia and industry / practice . The evaluators visit the institutions to assess the curriculum , facilities and the quality management system and interview management , academic and support staff , students and industry stakeholders .
The BEM accreditation process is necessarily rigorous and benchmarked against international best practice , which since 2009 has allowed Malaysia to be a full signatory of the Washington Accord . To date 294 engineering programmes from 39 local universities and four foreign university branch campuses in Malaysia have been accredited .
With the Washington Accord status , Malaysian engineering programmes are now recognised as substantially equivalent to the best in the world . It also means that these universities can market their products better outside Malaysia . The Washington Accord label is a symbol of quality in engineering education , but more importantly it has become an effective driver for continuous quality improvement , for engineering schools to excel in their delivery of engineering education .
Taking cognisance of the demand from the industry and the rapid changes in technology development , the Malaysian Government has produced an Education Blueprint 2015 – 2025 . This Blueprint emphasises , among others , an industry-centric education approach whereby industry champions will be invited to participate in selected university education modules .
In the same vein , Malaysia is also promoting a strong pool of professionals in the Technical , Vocational , Education and Training ( TVET ) sector to support these industries . With the important role of TVET in supporting industrial growth and innovation , BEM will work towards its education meeting the appropriate standards set by IEA , that is for engineering technologists and technicians . It is thus our intention to apply to become signatories of both the Sydney and Dublin Accords .
This effort , we believe , will assist in positioning Malaysia as the nation of choice in the setting up of high tech industries in the region . Malaysia is strategically located in the middle among ASEAN nations , and along the much promoted Maritime Silk Road . Hence we are expected to attract more Foreign Direct Investment ( FDI ) from the surrounding region , particularly China . There are already several such industries that have set foot in Malaysia . For example , we are currently the third largest photovoltaic ( PV ) manufacturing hub in the world after China and Taiwan , with an annual production capacity of 9,043MW and employing 13,000 people .
The recently launched US $ 2 billion Regional Centre for China Railway Engineering Corporation ( CREC ) in Bandar Malaysia Kuala Lumpur will cater for all South East Asian countries . CREC is one of the largest railway construction companies in the world . Huawei Technologies has also chosen Malaysia as the regional hub for South East Asia . The list goes on and this merely demonstrates the confidence of multinational companies in Malaysia ’ s ideal investment environment , including adequacy of the local talent pool to support the industry and ease of doing business , for which Malaysia is ranked very highly .
Once again , Selamat Datang to Malaysia . The secretariat will endeavour to make your stay as comfortable as possible . If you need any assistance , the secretariat will be most happy to assist in any way we can to make your stay in Malaysia a memorable one .
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