Boeing

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], in conjunction with the ABET, Inc., sponsored three workshops during the past week to assist Vietnamese universities with accreditation requirements for engineering education.

The final workshop was held today at Hanoi University of Technology, following additional sessions at the University of Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh University of Technology.

The sessions highlight the objectives and process of accreditation, which will allow curriculum planning that will enhance engineering and high-technology programs in Vietnam. Workshop attendees actively participate in the exercises to design or modify an existing curriculum, examine the student advising system, evaluate laboratory requirements and institute programs to help faculty members improve their expertise and teaching methods.

Vietnam traditionally has a strong focus on high-quality education, and accreditation is important in assuring that abilities of Vietnamese university graduates are accepted and that they are able to compete in global engineering and high-technology markets.

The workshops are led by Patricia Daniels, PhD, associate dean of Science and Engineering and professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seattle University, and Mani Soma, PhD, associate vice provost for Research and professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington.

ABET, Inc., is the recognized U.S. accreditation agency for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. Accreditation ensures the quality of the postsecondary education students receive.

Boeing is a strong supporter of education to benefit people in all walks of life and has been active in Vietnam with a recent series of information technology seminars, as well as the promotion of relationships between U.S. and Vietnamese universities.

Accreditation is a continuous quality-improvement process, and the Boeing/ABET workshops provide the initial step toward a structured approach to engineering education in Vietnam. After the workshop, participants should be able to examine their schools' engineering programs in depth, consult with industry and government partners in educational objectives, revise curricula, and begin a coordinated plan to improve the quality of engineering education offered to the students.

Additionally, Boeing will continue to work with ABET and Vietnamese universities to create action plans and to determine topics and schedules for future workshops.

"The move to a universally accepted accreditation process will provide a significant benefit to Vietnamese students and universities," said Patrick Antony, corporate director, Enterprise University Relations for Boeing, and the company's representative to ABET. "For Vietnamese engineers and companies to compete globally, the world must be able to see that international standards of education are being applied."

Boeing, as the world's largest aerospace company, has a long tradition of industry leadership and technology development. The company is a leader in large-scale systems integration, requiring significant talent and innovation in engineering and high-technology-related activities. This industry leadership puts Boeing in the unique position to provide assistance in the development of Vietnam's high-technology capabilities.