On 25 July 2024, Ms. Supamas Isarabhakdi, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), presided over the opening ceremony of the International Conference 2024 under the theme: “Upfront Engineering Education and Professional Mobility 2024: Quality Education and Professional Development towards Global Engineering Mobility and Sustainable Future” The event was held at Ballroom 1, InterContinental Bangkok Hotel.
The conference aimed to promote collaboration in enhancing the quality of engineering education programs and the engineering profession in Thailand to meet international standards. It also sought to advocate for the recognition and global alignment of the Thai Accreditation Board of Engineering Education (TABEE). To advance the engineering profession to a global level, the conference featured keynote presentations and expert panel discussions with international speakers on two key topics:
1. Engineering Education under the global accords of the Washington Accord and Sydney Accord, with sessions on:Engineering Education and Sustainable DevelopmentCross-disciplinary Engineering Education Innovation: Sustainable Development Towards the SDGs
2. Professional Practice under the APEC Engineer Agreement, with sessions on: Mobilization of Professional Engineers under the APEC Engineer Agreement: Problems and Opportunities; the Breakthrough Decarbonizing the Built Environment toward a Net-Zero Future
This international forum served as a significant platform for the Council of Engineers, Thailand, to showcase the country’s capabilities and readiness in engineering education and professional practice. It also encouraged Thai engineers to engage in knowledge exchange and foster connections with key international figures in the academic and professional engineering community.
Keynote speakers and panelists included the following experts and professionals:
- Professor LOCK Kai Sang,
Washington Accord Chairman - Dr. Mandy Liu,
Sydney Accord Chairman - Air Commodore Anker Brodersen,
APEC Engineer Agreement Chairman - Er. Seng Chuan Tan,
President-Elected World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) - Professor KIM Wooseung,
President of ABEEK - Professor KIM Wooseung,
President of ABEEK - Datuk’ Ir. Mohd Adnan Bin Mohd Nor,
Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) - Er. Lim Peng Hong,
President of Professional Engineers Board (PEB) - Professor Liang-Jenq Leu,
CEO of Institute of Engineering, Education Taiwan (IEET) - Professor Xuedong Yan,
Distinguished Senior Expert of CEEAA (China Engineering Education Accreditation Association), President of Southwest Jiaotong University
Moving forward, the Council of Engineers, Thailand, will continue to organize international conferences that benefit its members and contribute to the advancement of the engineering profession nationwide at appropriate intervals.
On this occasion, Ms. Supamas Isarabhakdi, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, reaffirmed her commitment to restructuring Thailand’s education system to meet future global challenges. She emphasized that engineering program accreditation is a vital mechanism for enhancing academic quality and equipping the workforce with globally relevant competencies. The Ministry and the Council of Engineers, Thailand, are jointly committed to advancing the TABEE accreditation system to align with the Washington Accord. In this regard, both organizations signed a Memorandum of Academic Cooperation on 1 March 2024 to strengthen the quality and international standards of engineering education in Thailand.
In her closing remarks, the Minister encouraged all participants to take this opportunity to engage in knowledge exchange, learn from international practices, and contribute to strengthening Thailand’s accreditation system in line with global benchmarks—preparing Thai engineers for a sustainable future.
The 8th Council of Engineers Committee, led by Asst. Prof. Dr. Thanes Weerasiri, President of the Council of Engineers, along with its subcommittees and relevant working groups, is fully committed and ready to support the successful realization of this collaboration in the near future.
