Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011 - rees2009

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) Página 435 de 957
Since 2004, the RAEE has actively participated in the elaboration of the common European
system for accrediting engineering programmes set within the EUR-ACE (EURopean-
ACcredited Engineer) framework supported by the European Commission. In 2006, the
European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education (ENAEE) was founded, and
the RAEE became a founding member. For the time being the RAEE is authorised to award
the EUR-ACE Label to accredited First and Second Cycle Degree engineering programmes
in Russian HEIs. In 2007, the RAEE got a status of provisional member in the Washington
Accord (Chuchalin et al, 2009).
In 2009, the RAEE modified the criteria for accreditation of engineering programmes
taking into account the new Federal Educational Standards and considering the
membership in international organisations (Washington Accord and ENAEE) (Chuchalin et
al, 2010). The RAEE activities have been approved and supported both by the Russian
Ministry of Education and Science and by professional organizations, such as Chamber of
Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, Union of Employers and Businessmen,
etc.
Given priority to significance of engineering profession, role of professional community in
engineering programmes evaluation and international engineering agreements, the RAEE
initiated the revision of the existed system of professional accreditation in order to make it
consistent with those of the world leading engineering organisations. These changes
resulted in elaboration of the new set of the working documentation (the outcomes-based
criteria and accreditation procedure, self-study manuals, expert guidelines) compatible
with that existing in the Washington Accord signatories and ENAEE members – the world
leading organisations in accreditation of programmes in engineering and technology. The
revision was encouraged by the leading Russian universities that actively participated in
elaboration of the new approaches in quality assurance.
For the time being the RAEE accreditation criteria are grouped as follows:
1. Programme objectives
2. Programme content
3. Students and study process
4. Faculty
5. Professional qualification
Proceedings of Research in Engineering Education Symposium 2011
Madrid, 4 th - 7 th October 2011
6. Facilities
7. Information infrastructures
8. Finance and management
9. Graduate
The RAEE significantly modified Criterion 5 (Professional qualification) for accreditation
of FCD and SCD engineering programmes. The new RAEE Criterion 5 for two-cycle
engineering programmes professional accreditation is based on the fact that in up-to-date
postindustrial society engineering activity acquires increasingly integrated, complex and
innovative character. Engineer equipped with methodological knowledge, unlimited
information resource (the Internet) and cutting-edge computer systems is able to solve
research, project, design and other complex technological problems. Complex engineering
activity is compound and multicomponent. It embraces wide range of various
technological issues. Project decisions are based on fundamental principles with usage of