Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has been declared “full signatory” of the Washington Accord (WA), a highest prestigious international forum of International Engineering Alliance, in its General Assembly Meeting held in the US on 21st June 2017.

The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) was representing the country to attain full signatory status of WA since 2011.Washington Accord is a highly rigorous global standard on engineering education and accreditation system which grants substantial equivalence of degrees to facilitate global mobility and international recognition to equate the same at par with top leading signatory countries of the world. The process of accreditation of an applicant country is to be checked for its quality of engineering education and competency of engineers. The whole process is subject to peer reviewed by designated reviewers of at least three to five signatory countries. It is their set criteria and standards to observe for implementation of Outcome-based Education & Assessment system in the jurisdiction of an applicant economy. Pakistan gone through all these reviews at satisfactory levels. Final review by 3 signatories namely New Zealand, UK, and South Korea was taken place in last year. Confidential Review report was on agenda of the WA- meeting held in June 2017 of WA/ IEA at Anchorage, the US. Where PEC defended the case for Pakistan in different meetings of WA/IEA and finally declared as full signatory unanimously. The decision was taken by the signatories in a close session.

It is pertinent to note that admission into WA is so rigorous that only 18 countries have got this status in last 25 years. Pakistan enters into signatory status as 19th country of the world and 3rd Islamic country after Malaysia & Turkey. Certainly it has been a great achievement and honor for the nation, particularly the engineering profession and universities accredited by PEC under WA status . Engineers registered with PEC under this category of HEIs will be considered at par as world class competent professionals and will not be evaluated for any educational assessment of their qualification including migration etc. and will be eligible for professional jobs outside in developed countries. Also Engineering Consultant Companies desired or currently working abroad may hire local Engineers registered with PEC and vice versa. This achievement has not been possible without the support of task force comprising of senior professionals. Prof Dr Naiz Ahmad has supervised the whole initiative with a pivotal role played by Engineer Dr Nasir Mahmood Khan, Head Accreditation Division of PEC is commendable to drive it consistently.

The hard work done by the taskforce to upgrade all the standards and accreditation processes coupled with preparedness of HEIs for the periodic reviews by WA signatories. It had made this journey to accomplish the highest milestone of PEC global recognition by Washington Accord. The chairman PEC congratulate the whole engineering community, governing body, PEC management, the Convener Engineering Accreditation Committee and his team particularly the passionate contribution and hard work of Accreditation Division lead by Dr Nasir khan over the last few years.

He added that PEC is carrying out various such initiatives to play its leading role within and outside the country to keep the national flag high and to earn highest professional repute while regulating engineering profession in the country. He further added that this award will provide not only confidence to students, HEIs, but also develop trust among foreign engineering companies to work jointly in Pakistan.

Again it will give far reaching impact of creation of jobs within the country with international groups. He declared this event as a landmark in the history of engineering profession in Pakistan. He hoped that coming generation will feel proud on it and PEC’s recognition inside the country and abroad will be seen as a highest forum of accrediting a quality engineering programs with a paradigm shift of introducing outcome based education and assessment system in HEIs. The same standards are now being adopted by other profession and accrediting organisation working under Higher Education Commission.

Published in Daily Times, June 25th, 2017.