Engineering: issues, challenges and opportunities for development ...

ENGINEERING: ISSUES CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENTThe Africa Engineers ProtocolThe Africa Engineers Protocol of Understanding and Cooperationwas developed by the AEF to cover the essentialcomponents of what is seen as ‘sustainable engineering’,which is a prerequisite for sustainability. The AEF protocolcontains the following items:■■■■■■■Develop and uphold the AEF concepts aboutsustainable development.Communicate at a technical level amongst allengineering professionals, resident within and outsideAfrica.Develop and implement alliance and integrationmodels for AEF interaction and networking with othercontinental and international engineering and otherbuilt environment organizations.Promote and accept internationally accepted norms interms of conduct, integrity, ethics, engineering standardsand care for our people and our environment.Develop and maintain acceptable and appropriateframeworks to accredit and recognize educationalqualifications and professional standards to facilitatereciprocity and equity.Encourage and facilitate ongoing learning andprofessional development for engineeringprofessionals.Set up and maintain an African electronic database fortechnical information linked to the websites of the AEFsignatories and other partners of strategic importanceand relevance.■■■■■Disseminate relevant published technical papers,articles and editorials.Exchange and provide access to technical journals andmagazines for reference purposes.Arrange professional and technical networkingopportunities and events within the influence sphereof participating organizations in cooperation with theother participants in AEF, and make use of the potentialcontribution and assistance of the African diasporaengineers.Set up, maintain and manage an events databaseconcerning annual programmes of events, includingthose relating to continuous professional development,for the purpose of forward planning and coordination.Communicate, accept and implement best practicein terms of desirable and appropriate local andinternationally recognized engineering standards,processes, procedures, methods or systems in relationto the delivery processes and the life cycle of productsand assets.■standards, Facilitate the harmonization ofdocumentation,methods and procedures as appropriate.■■Promote the use of procurement as an instrument fordevelopment and capacity-building.Promote and facilitate entry to and equality for alldemographic and gender groups in the engineeringprofession.■at all levels of decision-making in government and theprivate sector.Facilitate and promote networking amongst Africantertiary educational institutions involved in engineeringrelated education.■ Facilitate and promote appropriate education andtraining for engineering professionals dealing with thechallenges of rural development.■Facilitate and offer public awareness programmesin order to enhance the visibility and recognition ofthe role of the engineering profession in African civilsociety.■ Promote and support pertinent science and technologypolicy including the extension of research anddevelopment initiatives by governments in Africa.■■■Develop and offer capacity-building programmes inorder to develop a pool of knowledgeable decisionmakers,clients and users of engineering infrastructureand services.Invite and facilitate government and private sectorparticipation in engineering practice and relatedmatters.Develop, promote, facilitate and lobby for theacceptance of best practice policies relating to foreigninvestment and donor involvement and influence inAfrica.■ Promote appropriate curricula at schools to prepare andenable learners to enter into the field of engineering.■Exchange information and sharing of experiencesregarding engineering practice.■Provide a platform for influential African engineeringprofessionals who can influence best policy practices■Develop and provide outreach and career guidanceprogrammes for all school learners.4.3.12 International Federationof Engineering EducationSocieties (IFEES)Hans J. Hoyer with Lueny Morell, ClaudioBorri, Sarah Rajala, Seeram Ramakrishna,Xavier Fouger, Bruno Laporte, José CarlosQuadrado, Maria Larrondo Petrie andDuncan FraserIntroductionEngineering and technology play a key role in globalization asboth developed and developing countries design and implementeffective and efficient strategies that advance theireconomies and social development. Science and engineeringeducation needs to be continuously evolving in order to assistall countries to reduce poverty, boost socio- economic developmentand make the right decisions for sustainable and environmentallycompatible development.A global approach is needed to effectively innovate in engineeringeducation. The world needs to establish effectiveengineering education processes of high quality to assure aglobal supply of well-prepared engineering graduates; engineerswho can act locally but think globally. It is imperativethat technical know-how be supplemented with professionalskills to develop a generation of ‘adaptive engineering leaders’capable of addressing the multiple challenges of an everchangingworld – these are the engineering professionals thata globalized world needs.The role of engineering education in growing knowledgebasedeconomiesKnowledge and innovation have always played a key role indevelopment. Fifty years ago, competitiveness and growth152