The Seoul Accord is an international accreditation agreement for professional computing and information technology academic degrees, between the bodies responsible for accreditation in its signatory countries. Established in 2008, the signatories as of 2016 are Australia, Canada, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. Provisional signatories include Ireland, New Zealand, Mexico, Philippines , Sri Lanka and Malaysia. [1] In 2021, Mexico officially became a signatory. In 2024, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Indonesian, Malaysia add in one of signatories, while Sri Lanka, Peru, Philippines are provisional status. On the other hand, New Zealand quit at same year. [2]
This agreement mutually recognizes tertiary level computing and IT qualifications between the signatory agencies. Graduates of accredited programs in any of the signatory countries are recognized by the other signatory countries as having met the academic requirements as IT professionals.
The Seoul Accord covers tertiary undergraduate computing degrees. Engineering and Engineering Technology programs are not covered by the Seoul accord, although some Software engineering programs have dual accreditation with the Washington Accord.
Flag | Member State | Member Institution | Year of Admission |
---|---|---|---|
Australia | Australian Computer Society (ACS) | 2008 | |
Canada | Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) | 2008 | |
Hong Kong | Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) | 2008 | |
Indonesia | Indonesian Accreditation Board for Education (IABEE) | 2024 | |
Ireland | Engineers Ireland (EI) | 2024 | |
Japan | Japan Accreditation Board for Engineering Education (JABEE) | 2008 | |
Malaysia | Malaysia Board of Technologists (MBOT) | 2024 | |
Mexico | Consejo Nacional de Acreditación en Informática y Computación, A. C. (CONAIC) | 2021 | |
Saudi Arabia | Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) - National Center of Academic Accreditation and Evaluation (NCAAA) | 2024 | |
South Korea | Accreditation Board for Engineering Education of Korea (ABEEK) | 2008 | |
Taiwan | Institute of Engineering Education Taiwan (IEET) | 2009 | |
United Kingdom | British Computer Society (BCS) | 2008 | |
United States | ABET | 2008 |
Flag | Member State | Member Institution | Provisional Status Recognised |
---|---|---|---|
Peru | Instituto de Calidad y Acreditacion de Programas de Computacion, Ingenieriay Tecnologia (ICACIT) | 2022 [3] | |
Philippines | PCS Information and Computing Accreditation Board (PICAB) | 2015 [4] | |
Sri Lanka | Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL) | 2018 [5] |
The Colombo Plan is a regional intergovernmental organization that began operations on 1 July 1951. The organization was conceived at an international conference, The Commonwealth Conference on Foreign Affairs held in Colombo, Ceylon in January 1950, and was attended by the finance ministers of Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Ceylon, Pakistan and New Zealand, and the prime ministers of Ceylon and India. Membership has expanded significantly over the years to the current 28 governments.
Regulation and licensure in engineering is established by various jurisdictions of the world to encourage life, public welfare, safety, well-being, then environment and other interests of the general public and to define the licensure process through which an engineer becomes licensed to practice engineering and to provide professional services and products to the public.
An engineering technologist is a professional trained in certain aspects of development and implementation of a respective area of technology. An education in engineering technology concentrates more on application and less on theory than does an engineering education. Engineering technologists often assist engineers; but after years of experience, they can also become engineers. Like engineers, areas where engineering technologists can work include product design, fabrication, and testing. Engineering technologists sometimes rise to senior management positions in industry or become entrepreneurs.
The Institution of Engineers of Ireland or the IEI, is an engineering society primarily representing members based in Ireland. The institution is Ireland’s recognised organisation for accreditation of professional engineering qualifications under the Washington Accord, Sydney Accord, and Dublin Accord.
Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology is a private university located in Malabe and Colombo, Sri Lanka. It specialises in various fields like technology and management.
Engineering New Zealand Te Ao Rangahau is a not-for-profit professional body that promotes the integrity and interests of members, the profession, and the industry. It seeks to "bring engineering to life" and has more than 22,000 members.
The Sydney Accord is an international mutual recognition agreement for qualifications in the fields of engineering technology.
The Washington Accord is an international accreditation agreement for undergraduate professional engineering academic degrees and postgraduate professional engineering academic degrees between the bodies responsible for accreditation in its signatory countries. The full signatories as of January 2024 are Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Peru, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Engineers Canada is the national organization of the 12 provincial and territorial associations that regulate the practice of engineering in Canada. Engineers Canada serves these associations, which are its sole members, by delivering national programs for standards of engineering education, professional qualifications and professional practice.
The Dublin Accord is an agreement for the international recognition of Engineering Technician qualifications.
The Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) is one of the country’s premier engineering institutions which also offers programs in computing, architecture, business, education, and the arts. T.I.P. also offers senior high school and graduate studies in selected engineering and computing disciplines.
A professional degree, formerly known in the US as a first professional degree, is a degree that prepares someone to work in a particular profession, practice, or industry sector often meeting the academic requirements for licensure or accreditation. Professional degrees may be either graduate or undergraduate entry, depending on the profession concerned and the country, and may be classified as bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees. For a variety of reasons, professional degrees may bear the name of a different level of qualification from their classification in qualifications, e.g., some UK professional degrees are named bachelor's but are at master's level, while some Australian and Canadian professional degrees have the name "doctor" but are classified as master's or bachelor's degrees.
The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) is the statutory body for engineering profession in South Africa. Its functions are to accredit the engineering programs and to register the engineering professionals in specified categories throughout the country.
The Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL) is a multidisciplinary professional engineering institution in Sri Lanka.
The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers is a professional body of engineers in Hong Kong. It was founded in 1947 as the Engineering Society of Hong Kong and was incorporated by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong as The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers in 1975. The institution aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and ideas, train the members in new technology and practices, and to raise the standing and visibility of engineers. It has a membership of more than 30,000 under 21 different engineering disciplines.
The Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, commonly referred to as IEB, is the national professional organisation of engineers in Bangladesh. It is registered under the Societies Registration Act (1860) of the country. Within the country, it has 18 centers and 31 sub-centers. It has 10 'overseas chapter' in different countries of the world, namely: Australia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and the United States. It formed the Board of Accreditation for Engineering and Technical Education (BAETE) which holds the accreditation of engineering faculties in Bangladesh.
The enlargement of the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations is the process of expanding the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) through the accession of new member states. This process began with ASEAN's five original members, who founded the association through the signing of the Bangkok Declaration in 1967. Since then, the ASEAN's membership has grown to ten with the accession of Cambodia in 1999.
The Pakistan Engineering Council is a professional body for accreditation of engineering education and regulation of engineering profession in Pakistan. It was established on 10 January 1976 by the Parliament under the PEC Act, 1976. The council also registers engineers and professional engineers and grants license to consulting and constructing/operating engineering firms working in Pakistan.