Impact of the Application of International Quality Processes on Engineering Education at Universities in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Globally, the delivery of engineering degree programs and accreditation processes for benchmarking the quality of engineering education have been improved with introduction of the Washington Accord. This paper highlights the overview of engineering education conducted by the national universities in Sri Lanka and the impacts of the application of international quality processes on their delivery. Currently, three national universities offer highly competitive engineering education in Sri Lanka—the University of Peradeniya, the University of Moratuwa, and the University of Ruhuna. The University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) have been working together with these universities to assure the relevance and the quality of engineering education. After the Washington Accord, several notable actions have been employed to ensure quality engineering education, including the institutional and subject reviews carried out between 2005 and 2009 by UGC, the introduction of an improved accreditation process in 2006, and the initiatives towards international recognition by IESL in 2007. As a result, IESL currently holds provisional status in the Washington Accord and has become a member of the Engineering Mobility Forum.