Message from Chairman PEC Engr. Dr. Muhammad Akram Sheikh

ENGINEER PEC September 2007guidelines by accepting British 3 Yrs BE Engineering details on PEC are available on its website [3]. EngineeringProgram.qualifications awarded by the following foreign universitiesand institutions are acceptable to PEC as recognizedIt is in fact hard to assess who actually knows practice of engineering qualifications.engineering at intellectual and professional level. PECneeds to define clear instrumental definitions measuring American Universities/Institutions:the desired entry level practice qualification. Now the PEC Accredited by the Accreditation Board of engineering &has a digital library and access to 70-80% science and Technology. (ABET). New York, USA [4].some 20-30% engineering journals that are a good sign ofdevelopment. PEC activities such as start of this Engineer U.K. Universities/Institutions:pec magazine, paper prizes, newsletters and seminar Accredited engineering degree programs in the list issuedseries shows its live involvement and warm wishes to be by Engg Council of UK in 1993 and their subsequentfunctional and progressive. A few years ago the PEC had updated versions [5].neither any professional refreshing course plans for oldengineers. However, it is a point of concern for all European Universities/Institutions:engineers including PEC why it has filed to register itself to Accredited engineering degree programs as per indexany international engineering board or forum that can published by the European Federation of Nationalupdate its accrediting and recognizing policies. I certainly Engineering Association (FEANI) Paris, France in the yearbeg pardon of the PEC if any of my suggestions is not in the 1992 and their subsequent updated versions [6].interest of PEC or its members or Pakistan at the end of theday. Our neighbor country is exporting such manpower to Canadian Universities/Institutions:Middle East and earning lot of foreign revenue and we in Accredited engineering degree programs in the list issuedthe form of PEC are sticking to so called dead English rules by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB)and trying to push the elephant in the mouse hole. I can to in the year 1995 and their subsequent updated versions [7]PEC examples of several foreign universities degrees thatare accredited by PEC and the students have same level of Australian Engineering Universities/Institutions:wisdom as our QAU BSC electronics graduates. Either Accredited engineering degree programs as per Australianelectronics degree holders may be granted accreditation engineering courses recognized by the Institutions ofas engineering scientists (B-Tech) or engineers. Legal Engineers, Australia in the year 1994 and their subsequentstatus of B-Techs and BE may be ascribed under a uniform updated versions [8].consensus of PEC and HEC experts.Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) did not mention of its2. Pakistan Engineering Councilown compliance to above four bodies and many otherinternational professional bodies such as BCS, UK [9],Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) is a statutory body CEE, Europe [10], ECA, Europe [11], ENIC, Europe [12],constituted under the PEC Act No.V of 1976 enacted by the ENQA, Europe [13], IPENZ, New Zealand [14], USCIEP,Parliament. Some of its statutory functions relate to USA [15], ECSA, South Africa [16], HKIE, Hong Kong [17],recognition of engineering qualifications for the purpose of and most importantly the Washington Accord [18], Dublinregistration of professional engineers and consulting Accord [19] and Sydney Accord [20], and lately EMF [21]engineers and promotion of engineering education, regarding the accreditation and recognition or vice versa.safeguarding the interests of its members and fostering of Even the LC of any Pakistani bank is acceptable globallyhigh professional standards in the country. PEC interacts but the PEC certificate is not considered as a validwith the Government, both at the Federal and Provincial document by ABET (USA), FEANI (France), CEABlevel by participation in Commissions, Committees and (Canada) and IEA (Australia). PEC should explain to theAdvisory Bodies and acts as a think tank to Government of member engineers and engineering degree awardingPakistan. The PEC is a fully representative body of the institutes, why the PEC has not registered itself or soughtengineering community in the country and works membership of any transnational engineering degreetransparently. PEC forms an effective bridge between recognizing and engineering program accrediting bodyGovernment, industry and education. Over the past such as ABET (USA) and FEANI (Europe) in last fivequarter century PEC has grown into a mature professional decades. The PEC is pleased to say that she acceptsregulatory body with an unblemished record. It is not too degrees accredited by such and such without any vicedifficult to conceive the scenario in the country, had there versa acceptance. It is all useless if they do not acceptbeen no PEC on the landscape. Not only the international yours accredited engineering degree in return.recognition of our engineering degrees would have been At this moment most of the foreign bodies do look at theperilously set aside, our own market would have been degree granting university and not on the PEC certificate.flooded with under and sub-qualified engineers. ABET, FEANI and CEAB ask for clearing their own sixMaintenance of a register of persons qualified to practice month’s professional engineer’s test. I personally honor toas professional engineers and consulting engineers. More the establishment of the PEC and its role but literally how a49