INGENIEUR
BEM NEWS
WASHINGTON ACCORD STATUS EXTENDED
Malaysia’s engineering education
meets international benchmark
as the country’s signatory to the
Washington Accord has been
extended for another six years from
June 2016.
The Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM)
continuously ensures that our engineering
professionals are on a par with their global
counterparts. Malaysia, through the Engineering
Accreditation Council (EAC), BEM, has been a full
signatory to the Washington Accord (WA) since
June 18, 2009.
As a full signatory to the WA, all engineering
degree qualifications accredited by BEM have
been recognised by 17 other signatories to the WA
as academically qualified to practice engineering
at the entry level in their countries subject
to meeting the local licensing requirements.
Australia, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong,
India, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand,
Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey,
United Kingdom, United States and China are the
signatory countries.
Also, as a full signatory member of the WA,
BEM is subject to intermittent reviews which are
aimed at establishing whether the Malaysian
Bachelor of Engineering degree qualifications
meet international benchmark standards. Such
a review was conducted in September 2015,
where a team of international experts from other
signatory countries observed EAC’s accreditation
processes at the University Malaya and the
Monash University Malaysia Campus.
The Board of Engineers Malaysia is pleased
to announce that Malaysia’s signatory status to
the Washington Accord has been approved for
a further period of six years from June 2016.
This decision was taken at the meetings of the
International Engineering Alliance (IEA) held in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on June 2, 2016. This
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achievement is a significant milestone for the
engineering profession as Malaysia is poised to
become a global education hub.
Applications for Sydney Accord and
Dublin Accord
It is to be noted that the Washington Accord is not
the end of the continuous quality improvement
effort. Malaysia through EAC and BEM has
commenced application for similar signatory
status for the remaining agreements under the
IEA. These agreements are the Sydney Accord
(for engineering technology education), Dublin
Accord (for Engineering Technicians education),
International Agreement for Engineering
Technologists and Agreement for International
Engineering Technicians.
It is our fervent hope that engineering
technology education and engineering technicians
education in Malaysia are on a par with global
standards.
BACKGROUND
In the international arena, there are moves
towards global standards for accreditation
of engineering degrees and recognition of
professional engineering status. It has been
encouraged by the stated intention of members
of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the
Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation (APEC) Forum.
This was done with the intention to progressively
eliminate barriers to trade in professional services
between the countries they represent.
In Malaysia, the Board of Engineers Malaysia
(BEM) registers graduates and professional
engineers, engineering technologists and
inspectors or works (engineering technicians)
under the Registration of Engineers Act 1967. The
prerequisite for registration as a graduate engineer
is upon successful completion of an accredited