There should be no conflict in the roles of universities and the engineers board
What you need to know:
- The Universities Act 2012 provides for the development of university education, the establishment, accreditation, and governance of universities, the establishment of the Commission for University Education, the Universities Funding Board, and the Kenya University and Colleges Central Placement Service Board, and the repeal of certain laws.
- The Engineers Registration Act 2011 provides for the training, registration, and licensing of engineers, the regulation and development of the practice of engineers, and related purposes.
Vision 2030 recognises that we need to increase the number of engineers in Kenya if we are to implement the projects that will make the initiative a reality.
It has been reported that some universities have had to close because of student unrest due to disagreement between the universities and the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK).
To realise Vision 2030, we need more engineers. We need more innovation. We need more innovative engineers. What, therefore, is the problem? Why are the universities and the engineers board not agreeing?
Who has the right to determine what universities teach, what is taught, how it is taught, to whom it is taught, and who qualifies to be awarded a university degree? Who has the right to determine the name of a university degree? What is the role of a statutory professional body such as EBK?
What is the role of the Commission for University Education? Given the current challenges between the universities and EBK, what is the best way forward? To answer the above questions and point the way forward, we need to examine the roles of the universities and the Engineers Board of Kenya.
REPEAL LAWS
The Universities Act 2012 provides for the development of university education, the establishment, accreditation, and governance of universities, the establishment of the Commission for University Education, the Universities Funding Board, and the Kenya University and Colleges Central Placement Service Board, and the repeal of certain laws.
The Act recognises that a university shall have the right and responsibility to preserve and promote the traditional principles of academic freedom in the conduct of its internal and external affairs.
Academic freedom is a prominent feature of the English university concept. It is the freedom to appoint faculty, set standards, and admit students. It means that a university may choose to offer an undergraduate degree programme called Bachelor of Engineering and another one offer a similar programme called Bachelor of Science in Engineering.
It is prudent for a university to consult widely with industry and other stakeholders with respect to curriculum development, but the final decision on what to teach, who is to be taught, who teaches, and how to teach, must rest with the university.
The Engineers Registration Act 2011 provides for the training, registration, and licensing of engineers, the regulation and development of the practice of engineers, and related purposes.
It creates the Engineers Board of Kenya, which is responsible for the registration of engineers and firms, regulation of engineering professional services, setting of standards, and the development and general practice of engineering.
CONSULTATION AND COOPERATION
The EBK and the universities are public institutions. The Constitution of Kenya requires that they conduct their mutual relations on the basis of consultation and cooperation.
Engineering professions arise due to historical necessity. Civil engineering arose at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Before this, engineers were mainly engaged in the military. From the original civil engineering, we now have branches of engineering which virtually cover all the letters of the alphabet — aeronautical, architectural, biological, biotechnical, ceramic, chemical, environmental, fire, pharmaceutical and zoological engineering, among others.
The universities, the EBK, and the Commission for University Education need to dialogue. This dialogue must be informed by the fact that our universities must be centres of engineering innovation.
EBK may wish to borrow from the registration process of the Council of Legal Education of Kenya which, through the Law School, offers courses to graduates who wish to be admitted to the Bar.
The EBK may also borrow from the American system of engineering registration, where graduates are required to take and pass a short examination to attain the status of engineer in training, then after a period of practise under the guidance of professional engineers, take and pass a longer “open book” examination before they acquire the status of professional engineer (registered engineer in our case).
In the process of finding a solution, the interests of students, graduates, parents, the industry, and the general public must be paramount.
Prof Gumbe is an academic and registered consulting engineer. ([email protected])
