The 36th Conference of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (CAFEO 36) recently took place from 12 to 14 November 2018 at the Resorts World Sentosa Singapore. The event gathered more than 1,000 engineering professionals from close to 30 countries to exchange ideas, best practices and solutions to drive economic growth in ASEAN and its individual countries.

Hosted by The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) as the Chairman of the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organisations (AFEO) for 2018, in association with Singapore’s Land Transport Authority, CAFEO 36 brought together eminent speakers from ASEAN to share their knowledge and experience with AFEO engineers.

In support of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, IES focused CAFEO 36 on ‘Engineering Rail Connectivity’ and ‘Fostering Excellence in Engineering Education’ as its key themes. These were delivered through the Singapore Rail Technology Conference (SRTC) and ASEAN Engineering Deans Summit (AEDS) respectively.

Organised by IES and SMRT Corporation, the SRTC conference promoted the exchange of knowledge gathered from local and international rail development, management and maintenance case studies, with a special focus on practical solutions.

The AEDS summit, organised by IES and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), facilitated discussions on outcomes-based engineering education and accreditation and new pedagogies, to contribute to the transformation of ASEAN’s engineering education landscape.

Above: The event gathered more than 1,000 engineering professionals from nearly 30 countries (Image: The Institution of Engineers, Singapore)

At CAFEO 36, AFEO also presented the ASEAN Engineering Register Certificates to about 500 engineers from across eight ASEAN countries. Based on a mutual recognition framework set up by AFEO, the certification provides endorsement on recipients’ professional qualifications to enable them to practice in ASEAN outside of their home countries.

IES said it will also be working on the introduction of the Chartered Technicians and Technologists certification programme, which aims to recognise the contributions of Singapore’s polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduates towards the engineering profession, the society and the country.

“Besides enhancing their career progression pathway, the certification will also create a more holistic engineering eco-system that harnesses complementary skillsets of engineers and technicians to deliver end-to-end solutions. IES hopes that such professional recognition of engineering professionals in Singapore will contribute to AFEO’s goal of facilitating mobility of engineers and technicians within ASEAN,” said Prof. Yeoh Lean Weng, chairman of AFEO and president of IES.

In addition, the signing of the Singapore Declaration took place on 14 November by AFEO members to show commitment in promoting railway and transportation connectivity, urban sustainable solutions, the Vision Zero movement to promote injury-free workplaces, sharing of project knowledge and start-up incubator development as well as excellence in engineering education. 

Website: www.cafeo36.com

Note: More detailed information on the event will be published in the Jan/Feb 2019 issue of Southeast Asia Construction.