The two-tier system of education, as an integral part of the higher education in a number of developed countries such as the USA, UK, Japan and many others, rely heavily on the two-level system of quality assurance in engineering education. While the first step implies the accreditation of engineering programs at universities, the second one deals with certification and registration of professional engineers by independent, non-governmental public professional organisations (such as ABET in the USA, ECUK in Great Britain, JABEE in Japan, etc.) which use a number of relevant procedures and criteria.
The criteria for certification and registration of professional engineers are as follows:
- completed an accredited or recognised engineering program, or assessed recognised equivalent; and
- been assessed within their own economy as eligible for independent practice; and
- gained a minimum of seven years practical experience since graduation; and
- spent at least two years in responsible charge of significant engineering work; and
- maintained their continuing professional development at a satisfactory level; and
- bound by the codes of professional conduct established and enforced by their home jurisdiction and by any other jurisdiction within which they practice.
One of the leading centres for international recognition of professional engineers is the APEC Engineer Register, established with the purpose of development of economy, trade and investments in the Asian-Pacific region. The participants of the APEC Engineer Register are the countries having their national systems of engineers’ professional certification, among them the USA, Canada, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and many others. Despite being an APEC member, Russia has not succeeded in establishing the legally approved national system of certification and registration of professional engineers so far.
The Russian Association for Engineering Education (RAEE) has accumulated impressive experience for establishing the internationally recognised national system of certification and registration of professional engineers and initiated its implementation in close partnership with the RF Union of Research and Engineering Associations, RF Association of Technical Universities, RF Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Academy of Engineering Sciences approved by the RAS, RF Ministry of Education, Rosobrazovanie, Rosobrnadzor and the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
In 2008, the RAEE, acting as the Washington Accord associated member, received an official proposal to join the APEC Engineer Register and officially applied for its membership at the International Engineering Congress organised by the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) in Kyoto, 2009. The application with all necessary normative documents prepared in compliance with the requirements of The APEC Engineer Manual 2009, was sent to the IEA Secretariat at the end of 2009. The package of normative and organisational documents prepared by the group of RAEE experts contain provisions for establishment and operation of the RF system of certification and registration of professional engineers in the Russian APEC Engineer Register and the international Engineer Register. These documents serve the foundation for Russia’s joining the APEC Engineer Register, which is regarded as the significant step towards creation of the internationally recognised national system of certification and registration of professional engineers enshrined in the law.
Russia’s membership in the APEC Engineer Register, assisted by state and public organisations, will make it possible to:
- preserve the engineering degree and to strengthen its position in the two-tier system of higher professional education;
- develop Russian engineering education in accordance with international trends and quality criteria;
- provide training of specialists in engineering and technology at the internationally recognised top level;
- create advanced industry and introduce technical innovations in Russia by consolidated efforts of professional engineers;
- increase global competiveness of Russia’s economy by means of development of the national engineering cohort.
Petr S. Chubik,
Deputy President of the Russian Association for Engineering Education,
Member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation,
Rector of the National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University,
Doctor of Technical Sciences,
Professor
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