On meeting the challenges of globalization: The Global Filipino Engineers Philip G. de Guzman Michael Angelo B. Promentilla
Presentation Outline Background on globalization and its impact in Philippine and international settings International agreements and mobility of engineers Globalization of engineering education and practice in coping with globalization demands Key players and framework for globalization of engineering education and practice in the Philippines
Globalization: the World is FLAT A process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through a global network of communication, transportation, and trade Forces of globalization International trade agreements (Source: Wikipedia) Expansion of knowledge and shifts toward a knowledge-based economy Explosion of information and communication technology International mobility of human capital
Global Filipino Also referred to as Overseas Filipino, a person of Philippine origin who lives outside of the Philippines: People of Filipino ancestry who are citizens or residents of a different country Filipino citizens abroad on a more temporary status
Total Overseas Filipinos Estimated to be 8.75-11.0M in 182 countries (~10% of entire population) Regions with significant population: United States * 2,802,586 Germany 54,336 Saudi Arabia 1,066,401 France 47,075 UAE 529,114 Bahrain 44,703 Canada 462,935 Spain 41,780 Australia 270,347 Israel 36,880 Malaysia 244,967 Austria 30,000 United Kingdom 203,035 Greece 29,344 Japan 202,557 Lebanon 25,818 Qatar 195,558 Macau 23,348 Singapore 156,466 New Zealand 23,023 Kuwait 139,802 Guam 22,567 Hong Kong 130,537 Norway 20,035 Italy 120,192 Netherlands 19,163 South Korea 80,715 Sweden 18,435 Taiwan 74,010 Ireland 16,832 * Estimated to be 4M by US State Dept (2007)
OFW Distribution by Occupation Apr Sep 2001-2007 (in Thousands) * From 2005, no data on exact distribution per major occupation. Thus, the figures are inclusive of all occupations whereby an engineer could hold a position.
Remittances (Billions USD) Labor Exports in Globalization Context Overseas remittance (among the world s highest) major factor in Philippine economy 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2005* 2006 2007 2008 2009 Year *4th behind India, China and Mexico; 13.5% of GDP (highest among four)
Effects of Globalization Opportunities Employment, international experience Empowerment Financial support to family Business outsourcing Threats Illegal recruitment Human rights issues Brain drain
Is international mobility of engineers becoming a trend? In practice, an idea for a structure, project or product may be conceived by an engineer in one country designed in one or more countries constructed or produced with components from many countries operated and maintained where used disposed of with international support. (Source: Ir Dr Gue See Sew, International Mobility of Engineers)
Implications of this trend on competitiveness of Filipino engineers and industry Opportunities to work on international projects Philippine-based companies, foreign or Filipinoowned, could improve productivity and competitiveness with such qualified engineers Attractive to foreign investors with the presence of a pool of internationally-qualified engineers Potential for offshoring and/or outsourcing of engineering services to the Philippines
Towards the globalization of engineering education and practice Internationalization of Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) Competency-based assessment of qualifications Outcome-based engineering education Agreements to define international standards in engineering education
Towards the globalization of engineering education and practice Mobility of engineering professionals and jobs Cross-border practice and supply of services Mutual recognition agreements (MRA) on academic preparation/qualification and regulatory/statutory/licensure requirements International Engineering Registers / Agreements (IEA)
Examples of International Engineering Registers Register Operated by Year North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Engineer Euro Engineer ASEAN Engineer APEC Engineer International Professional Engineers (IntPE) Federacion Europeenne d Associations Nationales d Ingenieurs (FEANI) ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO) Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Engineer Coordinating Committee 1995 1992 1998 2000 Engineers Mobility Forum (EMF) 1997
ASEAN Engineers Register Country # Members Brunei 0 Cambodia 129 Indonesia 173 Laos 12 Malaysia 594 Myanmar 114 Philippines 92 Singapore 12 Thailand 30 Vietnam 108 TOTAL 1,264 (Source: http://aer.afeo.org/)
Membership to Other IE Agreements COUNTRY APEC ENGINEER EMF IntPE WASHINGTON ACCORD Australia / New Zealand / Canada 2000 1997 1989 Bangladesh (P) Germany (P) Hong Kong China 2000 1997 1995 India 2009 (P) Indonesia 2001 Japan 2000 1999 2005 Korea 2000 2000 2007 Malaysia 2000 1999 2009 Pakistan (P) Philippines 2003 Russia (P) (P) Singapore 2005 2007 2006 Sri Lanka 2007 (P) Chinese Taipei 2005 2009 2007 Thailand 2003 Turkey (P) United Kingdom 1997 1989 USA 2001 1997 1989
Membership to EMF IntPE Membership to Washington Accord is one of the requirement for admission to IntPE Register CRITERIA FOR THE EMF: Academic achievement substantially equivalent to that of a graduate holding an engineering degree accredited under the terms of the Washington Accord
The Washington Accord Signed in 1989, mutual agreement between bodies responsible for accrediting professional engineering degree programs in each of signatory countries. Recognizes substantial equivalency of programs and recommends that graduates of accredited programs in any of the signatory countries be recognized by the other countries. Covers professional engineering undergraduate degrees, and the academic requirements which are part of licensing/regulation requirements. (Source: http://www.washingtonaccord.org/)
Towards Membership to Washington Accord (WA) Membership in the Washington Accord is important in order for our individual engineers to be eligible to be members of the international registers of engineers. They cannot be outside looking in without a place at the dinner table ~ Dr. Reynaldo Vea Chair, Science, Math and Engineering (SME) Panel, COMSTE
Towards Membership to Washington Accord (WA): Key Players Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Education (COMSTE) The Philippine Technological Council (PTC) - Certification and Accreditation Board for Engineering Education Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA) Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
PTC - PACUCOA COMSTE hosted MOA signing between PTC and PACUCOA on March 2, 2010 to set up an accreditation system to be eligible for membership to WA. Accreditation system to be: National in scope Unified in approach Outcome-based Continuous quality improvement-promoting Independent of schools Run by professional engineering societies
Engineering-Wide Desired Program Outcomes Abilities to: apply knowledge of mathematics, physical, life, information, and engineering sciences appropriate to the field of practice. design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data. design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within identified constraints. work effectively in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams. recognize, formulate, and solve engineering problems. recognize professional, social, and ethical responsibility. effectively communicate orally and in writing using the English language. understand effects of engineering solutions in a comprehensive context. engage in life-long learning and an understanding of the need to keep current of the developments in the specific field of practice. use the techniques, skills, and engineering tools necessary for engineering and business practice.
PRC: on improving the quality of professional engineers Enhancement of the continuing professional education (CPE) Enforcement of government regulations on the working environment for professionals Focus on the development of specialization among professionals
CHED: on improving the quality of higher education in the Philippines Improvement of faculty qualifications through massive faculty development programs Expansion of research and improvement of graduate education Improvement in the role of CHED in information dissemination
Towards Internationalization of Engineering Education Education is a lifelong process As for schools and teachers, the school of the future must be different from the school of the past, and even from the school of today. Technology will transform the school of tomorrow just as radically as technology will transform the business corporation of tomorrow. ~ Former Pres. Fidel V. Ramos
Internationalization in Engineering Education Staff and student mobility Faculty exchange and development Research and collaboration Internationalizing curricula: building international perspectives International networks Transnational distant education, twinning and articulation programs International quality assurance systems
Conclusions Globalization has profound impact on Philippines and Filipino engineers The need to globalize engineering education and practice through international agreements Are the concerned Philippine institutions and stakeholders on the right track? With the initiative and preliminary action yes. While it promises to be a long and enduring process, the rewards would be global.
Thank you for listening! Main References: R. Vea, Globalization of Engineering Education and Practice, Conference on Science, Math and Engineering Education, COMSTE, 2008. T. Tullao Jr. ed. Education and Globalization, Philippine Institute for Development Studies, 2003. R. Adel, Mis-education of Filipino Engineers, 2009 http://www.ieagreements.com/ Human capital accumulation is a necessary condition for sustained rapid growth (World Bank, the East Asian Miracle, 1993)