Public Hearings "Formation and Development of Certification (Recognition) of Engineering Qualifications in Russia"

16 April 2010, from 10.00 to 14.00, in the RF Chamber of Commerce and Industry (6, Ilyinka st., Moscow)

Organizers:

• Association for Engineering Education of Russia (AEER)
• Association of Technical Universities (ATU)
• International Union of Scientific and Engineering Public Associations (USEA)
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (RF CCI)
• National Research University of Resource-Effective Technologies "Tomsk Polytechnic University"

Public hearings purpose:

• draw the attention of the scientific and educational community, employers to the problem of certification of engineering qualifications in Russia in the transition from the training of engineering graduates in specialities to the training of bachelors and masters in areas of engineering and technology;
• make recommendations to legislative and executive power structures to create a new system of certification of engineering qualifications in Russia, which would be consistent with similar systems in the developed countries and contribute to significant increase in the level of Russian engineers.

The representatives of the RF Public Chamber, the Council of the Federation, the State Duma, the Ministry of Education and Science, RF CCI, USEA, AEER, ATU, rectors and vice-rectors of universities implementing engineering educational programs, scientific and educational community participated in the public hearings.

Discussed questions:

• The problem of recognition and certification of engineering qualifications within the Bologna Process (speaker – Y.P. Pokholkov, AEER President);
• The experience of the Russian Union of Scientific and Engineering Public Associations in specialists certification (speaker – V.M. Sitcev, USEA First Vice-President);
• The project of Russian system of certification of engineering qualifications (speaker – P.S. Chubik, Rector of National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, AEER Vice-President, member of the RF Public Chamber);
• The directions of activities of the Association of Technical Universities on improvement of engineering cadres training for hi-tech complex of Russia (speaker – V.K. Baltyan, Executive Director-Academic Secretary of the ATU Council);
• Changes in the legislation to create the system of engineering qualifications certification in Russia (speaker – N.R. Baranova, Commission on Youth Affairs and Tourism of the Council of the Federation);
• The pilot project of certification and registration of APEC Engineers in Russia (speaker – A.I. Chuchalin, Vice-Rector of National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University);
• Conducting the Congress "Professional Russia-2010" on 23 July 2010 (speaker – E.V. Drygina, Head of RPO "Center for Social and Economic Strategies").

The hearings participants noted:

• currency of the problems discussed during the public hearings to solve the tasks of engineering qualifications recognition;
• increasing the role of industry in formation of graduates competences in the development of structure and content of educational programs;
• need to create a system of certification of engineering qualifications, a national register of professional engineers, adopt a law on professional engineering activity that would regulate the procedure of engineering qualifications recognition.

THE PUBLIC HEARINGS PARTICIPANTS ADOPTED THE RECOMMENDATIONS:

For the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation:

1. Hold a meeting of the board of the RF Ministry of Education and Science on the certification of engineering qualifications and professional engineering activity in Russia.
2. Come up with a legislative initiative to the State Duma on drafting of the RF law on certification of engineering qualifications and professional engineering activity in Russia.

For the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the Committee on Education and Science of the State Duma of the Russian Federation:

1. Form an ad hoc expert group to develop the concept of the Federal Law on Professional Engineering Activity including representatives of AEER, ATU, USEA, RF CCI, RUIE, education and methodic associations on specializations of Russian technical education, as well as the RF Ministry of Education and Science.

For the Council of the Federation of the Russian Federation, the State Duma of the Russian Federation:

1. Consider expedient to hold parliamentary hearings on problems of engineering education in Russia.

For the International Union of Scientific and Engineering Associations:

1. Head the work on creation of the system of public and professional certification of engineering qualifications in Russia.

For the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs with the involvement of interested organizations:

1. Define the requirement for professional engineers in Russia.

For the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the Association for Engineering Education of Russia, the Association of Technical Universities:

1. Take active part in development and implementation of the system of engineering qualifications certification in Russia.

For university rectors:

1. Involve employers, professional and academic community in the process of formation of requirements to graduates competences in relevant areas.
2. Submit educational programs in engineering and technology to domestic and international accreditation agencies for public and professional accreditation.

Full text of the Recommendations (in Russian) (doc)

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