ECSA Kicks Off IEA Accreditation Visit at DUT’s Engineering and Built Environment Faculty

The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) kicked off the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) accreditation visit at the Durban University of Technology’s (DUT) Engineering and Built Environment Faculty at the Pietermaritzburg campus on Sunday, 09 September 2018. The IEA accreditation visit sought to determine whether the qualifications offered at the university are aligned to international standards.

How the visit was conducted

The assessment was carried out through interviews with students and employees, site visits on campus, and a review of documents within the faculty, in order to assess whether the content offered is eligible to be recognised internationally. Speaking on behalf of DUT, Professor Theo Andrew, Executive Dean of the Engineering and Built Environment Faculty, said, we are here to support the council and would expect the council to do a critical review of the programmes offered at DUT in order ensure continuous improvement.

Officiating the process

The visit was officiated by Dr Keith Jacobs, Vice President of ECSA and Executive Committee Chair of the International Engineering Technicians agreement, one of the IEA agreements established for an international benchmark competence standard for individuals practising as fully qualified engineering technicians. In his opening address to assessors and reviewers from Taiwan, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, Dr Jacobs said the visit is conducted not only to satisfy international standards but also for the betterment of the engineering sector in South Africa. Professor Andrew added that the faculty and university are committed to societal development and believe that engineering is about social justice.

Part of a global benchmarking system

The visits are conducted every five years by ECSA as a member of the IEA, which comprises members from 36 jurisdictions within 27 countries across seven international agreements governing the recognition of engineering educational qualifications and professional competence. Through the Educational Accords and Competence Agreements, IEA members establish and enforce internationally benchmarked standards for engineering education and expected competence for engineering practice. The visits were conducted throughout the week at various universities across the country, with a preliminary report to follow and the final verdict to be made in 2019.

Original Press Release

About ECSA

The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) is the statutory body established under the Engineering Profession Act, 46 of 2000, mandated to regulate the engineering profession in South Africa. ECSA is responsible for the accreditation of engineering programmes, the registration of engineering practitioners, and upholding professional and ethical standards across the profession.

Issued by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).

ECSA Media Contact

Sybil Dlamini, Manager: Marketing and Communication
Email: sybil@ecsa.co.za | Tel: 073 623 8275
Website: www.ecsa.co.za

This article is based on an official ECSA press release. Read the original statement.