The China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) held a virtual signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) for engineers with the Institution of Engineers of Singapore (IES) on June 30, 2022.

CAST holds a virtual signing ceremony of the MoU and the MRA for engineers with the IES on June 30, 2022.

The IES represents Singapore in the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO) and the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) in promoting goodwill and fellowship among all engineers. The IES represents Singapore, the first country within the ASEAN region which obtained full signatory status in the Washington Accord, to vet education systems under the WA mutual recognition framework.

The signing of the bilateral MRA for engineers demonstrates the capability evaluation system of Chinese engineers has been recognized by member of multilateral organizations and agreement, which will play a positive role in boosting CAST’s application for joining relevant multilateral agreements.

Zhang Yuzhuo, secretary of the leading Party members group, vice president in charge of daily work, chief executive secretary of the Secretariat of CAST, and president of the Chinese Society of Engineers (CSE), and Dalson Chung, president of the IES, addressed the signing ceremony at main venue in Beijing and Singapore respectively.

Low Yen Ling, minister of State for Trade and Industry (MTI) , suｎ.Haiyan, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of China to Singapore, Gong Ke, former president of WFEO, He Huawu, vice president and joint secretary general of the CSE, Tan Seng Chuan, honorary president of the IES, director of the outreach committee and director of the committee for chartered engineers of the IES, attended the ceremony and delivered speeches respectively.

Wang Shuguo, president of the China Engineering Education Accreditation Association (CEEAA), and president of Xi'an Jiaotong University, attended the signing ceremony at the sub venue of Xi'an.

The signing ceremony was presided over by Luo Hui, member of the leading Party members group of CAST and director of the Department of International Cooperation of CAST, and vice president and joint secretary general of the CSE.

In his welcome address, Zhang Yuzhuo noted that the signing of the agreements witnesses China’s sci-tech circles’ cooperation with international peers, and is expected to bring forth fruitful achievements.

Zhang put forward 3 suggestions for the two sides to deepen practical cooperation in the field of engineering capacity-building:

-- Jointly promote the transformation of sci-tech achievements into engineering productivity, and explore effective mechanisms to benefit people’s goodness and serve sustainable development;

-- Cooperate to explore mechanisms to cultivate engineers, technicians and technologists, and shape a new pattern in which talents lead the development trend;

-- Conduct more and deep exchanges and cooperation among the colleagues of the engineering community of the world and share ideas to inject new momentum into world's innovative cooperation.

In his welcome address, Dalson Chung said that the IES shared same ideas and goals with CAST, and the IES is willing to join hands with CAST to promote the development of science, technology and engineering to improve the competence of engineering professionals, serve people’s well-being and economic and social development.

The signing of the MRA for engineers is a positive measure to promote the mobility of engineers between China and Singapore, and is a new start to promote bilateral cooperation, added Chung.

Chung hoped the two sides to conduct more practical cooperation and serve the advance of human society.

Zhang Yuzhuo, secretary of the leading Party members group, vice president in charge of daily work, chief executive secretary of the Secretariat of CAST, and president of the CSE addresses the signing ceremony of the MoU and the MRA for engineers with the IES at main venue in Beijing on June 30, 2022.

Low Yen Ling, suｎ.Haiyan, Gong Ke, He Huawu, Tan Seng Chuan and other distinguished guests congratulated the signing ceremony.

They said that the signing of the agreement is a leapfrog for CAST and the IES to conduct more innovative cooperation, demonstrating a new level of engineering capacity building of the two sides and adding new connotation of peer works in accordance with the times.

They hoped the two sides to uphold the principles of openness, mutual trust and win-win cooperation to promote the mobility of engineers to make contributions to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Zhang Yuzhuo and Dalson Chung signed the MoU on behalf of each side. According to the MoU, the two sides will expand cooperation in science, technology, engineering and other fields.

Zheng Kai, executive deputy secretary general of the CSE, and Tan Seng Chuan, director of the committee for chartered engineers of the IES, signed the MRA for engineers on behalf of each side.

According to the MRA, the two sides reached consensus on substantial equivalence of the standards, procedures and quality control measures of the engineering capacity evaluation system.

Relevant principals of the Education Quality Evaluation Agency of the Ministry of Education, the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Department of International Cooperation of CAST, CAST Center for Professional Training and Services, the CSE, the CEEAA and the IES attended the signing ceremony online.