6. International Reach and Influence

To extend and strengthen our achievements and esteem around the globe, in the interests of our members and the profession.

Extending mutual recognition internationally

• With the support of our various learned society groups, Engineers Australia has over 40 agreements with overseas science and engineering bodies.
• Engineers Australia negotiated agreements of mutual recognition with Engineers Ireland and the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, and signed agreements with the Institution of Structural Engineers (UK), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Chinese Association of Science and Technology.

Providing services and support for our overseas members

• Our international members are serviced by chapters in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom, which in turn, are supported in their activities by National Office. The National President and Chief Executive attended meetings and conferences to interact with our overseas members and to promote Australian engineering.
• The Engineers Australia interest groups in the United States and Thailand are active and the International Committee approved a new interest group for the Middle East.
• Overall, the number of overseas members has been in decline and providing relevant services for them presents a challenge.
• During the year, Council considered strategies to better support and sustain our overseas membership, including increasing financial support.
• Chapter nominees attended and observed the National Congress meeting in November 2008.

International accords

• The Australian Engineering Accreditation Centre continues its influential role within the education accords of the International Engineering Alliance (IEA), and an Engineers Australia delegation attended the IEA meetings in Kyoto in June of 2009. The Associate Director Accreditation chairs the Working Group on Distance Education and will chair a new working group responsible for setting standards for website listing of accredited programs set up by signatories to the Accords and cross linked to the IEA website. The Chair of the Engineers Australia Accreditation Board will continue his role as Deputy Chair of the Sydney Accord.
• During the year, the Associate Director Accreditation chaired Washington Accord monitoring teams re-evaluating the accreditation systems operated by IPENZ and Engineers Canada. The Accreditation Centre has led the development of collaborative processes for the accreditation of transnational programs offered outside the jurisdiction of accord signatories. These processes are now formalised under the IEA Rules and Procedures and are being applied as accreditation is applied to Australian university programs offered in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
• The Accreditation Centre continues to fulfil its obligations providing mentoring services to developing jurisdictions. Delegations from the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society and the Sri Lanka Institution of Engineers joined Australian accreditation visits as observers during the year as these jurisdictions further develop accreditation management systems. A mentoring report was prepared for the China Association of Science and Technology following a previous observation visit to Harbin Institute of Technology.
• Over past years the Associate Director chaired an international mentoring team assisting development of the accreditation system operated by the Engineering Accreditation Council under the Board of Engineers, Malaysia (BEM). This work culminated in the BEM receiving full signatory status of the Washington Accord at the June 2009 meeting of signatories in Kyoto Japan.
• The Engineers Australia accreditation system will be reviewed by a monitoring team observing accreditation visits to The University of Sydney and RMIT University in August 2009. The monitoring team will involve representatives of IPENZ, Engineers Ireland and IEET Chinese Taipei. Preparations for this important review have been completed in readiness for the monitoring visit.

Participating in international forums

• Engineers Australia, through its international representatives, has participated in conferences held by the World Federation of Engineering Organisations. Barry Grear continued his Presidency of the World Federation of Engineering Organisation, the first Australian to achieve that position. Other Engineers Australia office bearers have leadership and representative roles on WFEO Standing Committees.
• Engineers Australia also met and interacted with kindred organisation from ASEAN countries and participated in the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific.
• We received a delegation from our neighbours in Papua New Guinea, which has led to us providing assistance with accreditation of their engineering program.
• Participation in the International Engineering Alliance meetings in Kyoto, June 2009, was reported to Engineers Australia’s International Committee and to its Accreditation Board, and to the National Engineering Registration Board. Key outcomes included:
  • Malaysia (BEM) became a Signatory to the Washington Accord
  • Canada and HKIE were approved for Weshington Accord status for six years
  • India and Chinese Taipei became Full Members of the Engineers Mobility Forum (EMF)
  • Canada, Ireland and Malaysia (IEM) were reviewed successfully for the EMF IntPE
  • Canada, Malaysia and Philippines authorisation to operate an APEC Engineer Register extended for six years
  • Japanese Government agreed in principle to extend our bilateral agreement through an exchange of letters, and Korea (KPEA) will negotiate an MRA in conjunction with FTA.
• Our National Committee for Women in Engineering joined the International Network for Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES). The Committee is hosting the International Conference for Women Engineers and Scientists in Adelaide in 2011 – the first time such a conference will be held in Australia. Pre-registrations are steady and a platinum sponsor has been obtained.
• Our learned society groups maintain strong engagement with their international counterparts on matters of contemporary interest in the development of the profession. Examples include:
  • preparations by the Civil College to host CECAR 5 in Sydney in 2010, to incorporate the 2010 Structural Conference;
  • liaison with the New Zealand Coastal society on the Coasts and Ports conference scheduled later in 2009;
  • NCAM participation in the 22nd International Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics in Adelaide in December 2008; and
  • Members of NCACI made a presentation to host the IFAC World Congress 2017.

Providing migration skills assessment service

• Our Migration Skills Assessment Unit received a record 7,835 applications from persons with engineering qualifications wishing to enter Australia – 10% more than the previous record. Reduced migration targets announced by Government in March and May 2009 do not appear to be affecting the application rate. India, Iran, UK, China and South Africa continue to be the major overseas source countries for applications, apart from overseas students undertaking Bachelor study in Australia. Pakistan is now emerging as a significant source country also.

• Efforts are being made to keep up with demand, and Government has been completely satisfied with our performance. With greatly increased demand, longer response times have been inevitable, with specific actions to manage more urgent cases.
• The Migration Skills Assessment Unit is working successfully with Engineering Education Australia in support of the Federal Government’s authorized ‘Professional Year’ program, introduced in October 2008, for skilled graduate-temporary visa migrants.

< Back | Top | Next >