:::: Engineering Institution of Cambodia ::::

Minutes of Forum on
“The Role of Engineers in the Era of Market Economy and Knowledge Society”

In the morning of June 24, 2003, the forum on the topic “The Role of Engineers in the Era of Market Economy and Knowledge Society” at Inter-Continental Hotel, Phnom Penh was organized by the cooperation of The Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC); The Engineering Institution of Cambodia (EIC) and UNESCO.

There were 33 participants attending in the forum. Among participants, there were prominent remarkable personalities as follow:
• Lok Chumteav Ho Naun, Vice Chairman of Governing Council of EIC and Representative of HE Senior Minister Sok An, Chairman of Governing Council of EIC
• Prof. Meas Sokhom, President and Senior Members of EIC
• Okhna Sorn Sokna and Oknha Khieng Hann, Representative of Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC)
• Mrs. Tan Theany, Secretary General of Cambodia National Commission for UNESCO
• Dr. Ahmed Nafis, Consultant of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Informatics Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, Jakarta.
• Dr. Supote S. Prasertsri, Head of Education Program, UNESCO Office in P. Penh
• The representative of Philippines, Lao and Indonesia in Cambodia
• Ir. Choo Kok Beng, Head of ASEAN Engineers Register Commission
• Ir. Tan Swee Kee, Director of ITiDi, IKRAM Malaysia.

- Lok Chumteav Ho Naun, Member of National Assembly, Vice Chairman of Governing Council of EIC and Representative of HE Senior Minister Sok An, Minister for the Office of the Council of Ministers and Chairman of Governing Council of EIC, had declared strongly supports on the training program proposed by the Executive Committee of EIC.
- Prof. Meas Sokhom, President of EIC mentioned the background, objectives and Mission of EIC, and also the existing positions, possibilities and requirements of Cambodian engineers in the era of free market economy. The Executive Committee of EIC raised framework program such as continuous training program on engineering supervisions and technologies, that was crucial program in order to continuous training for engineers to get the appropriate capabilities of current requirement. Prof. Meas Sokhom also showed in detail about causes, facilities and requirements of Cambodian engineers in the forum. (Reference Forum, CCC-EIC-UNESCO 24-06-03)
- Oknha Sorn Sokna, Vice Chairman of Cambodia Chamber of Commerce who is representative private sectors explained about the National engineer’s functions in building national economy. Indeed, the national business has the intention to employ national human resources in various services, productions. Unfortunately, the current requirement of business obliges local business to employ expatriated engineer with high salary.
Lok Oknha concluded that new global standards were really the obstacles for our engineers. In order to improve our engineers’ capability, the continuous training program was crucial and urgent tasks. If the qualification would not be improved, the engineering human resources of 7000 engineers be inactive and overload the social burden. The Engineering Institution of Cambodia rationally proposed the principle of the training. On behalf of national private sectors, Sorn Sokna expresses his extensive support and his intention to share in this activity. (Reference Forum CCC-EIC-UNESCO 24-06-03)
- Ir. Tan Swee Kee, Director of IKRAM Training and Infrastructure Development Institute (ITiDi), Malaysia had given significant experiences relevant to the pace of development and engineer’s requirement of in the development. Especially, in the new stage, continuous professional training for engineers is an urgent task for everywhere and in Malaysia as well. The continuous training program always changes with social environment and evolvement of technologies, it is necessary to develop a procedure was called “Continuous Professional Development (CPD)”. Ir. Tan Swee Kee stated his impression to the detail explanations of Prof. Meas Sokhom, President of EIC and suggested several frameworks training plan such as engineering supervisions, management, specializations and control, which have to develop the Cambodia engineers. (Reference Forum CCC-EIC-UNESCO 24-06-03)
- Ir. Choo Kok Beng, Head of ASEAN Engineers Register Commission mentioned about “Mobility of Engineers in the ASEAN Context” and he have initial idea for having the procedures of ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) and ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS), include making up of the engineers and benefits of networked integration, influence the development efficiency especially, poor country such as Cambodia. (Reference Forum CCC-EIC-UNESCO 24-06-03)

- Dr. Supote S. Prasertsri, Head of Education Program, UNESCO Office in P. Penh had shown the essential of EIC, potential source of funding and assistances, CMDGs (1990-2015) and the Six Dakar Goals on Education for all. He emphasized that EIC is reliable institution by relying on abilities of supervisions management in consistent with national development program and international network.
The plan, which proposed by EIC, is the current requirement for Cambodia. To achieve this goal it would funds from various potential sources
• Local: Chamber of Commerce, Entrepreneurs, Government via Public and Private Engineering Project.
• Bilateral Agencies: JICA, AUSAID, USAID, SIDA, CIDA, NORAID, FRANCE, BELGIUM…etc.
• Development Banks: ADB, WB.
• Multilateral Agencies: EU, ASEAN
• Non-Governmental Organizations: Local and International NGOs.
• United Nations Agencies via CG Meeting…etc.
(Reference Forum CCC-EIC-UNESCO 24-06-03)

- Dr. Ahmed Nafis, Consultant of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Informatics Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, raised the emergent needs of EIC, which is mainly focus on the upgrade of human resources. He also identifies the potential sources of fund available for EIC to provide services to members by maintaining well qualification of engineering skills. He added the EIC’s strategies aim to provide national engineers with better sciences, techniques and engineering qualification. This is a key of the development of Cambodia. This task will be mainly handled by EIC. (Reference Forum CCC-EIC-UNESCO 24-06-03)

- Mrs. Tan Theany, Secretary General of Cambodia National Commission for UNESCO, had understood completely about the essential of EIC and Madame recommended that EIC’s activities would be included in the Cambodian Country Participatory Program (PP) from next year.

The forum had reviewed on the Year 2003 Plan of EIC, especially, the continuous training program that is urgently to carryout. The immediate start of the training would provide the opportunity to national engineers to participate in the economy of free competitive.

After the exchange of experiences among participant s, the forum appeals as follows:

- EIC have to make its own great challenges to lobby various relevant sectors to provide the support and assistances.
- Royal Government to support the framework tasks, proposed by EIC
- National and International private sectors should participate in the framework tasks
- National and International Agencies in Cambodia should supporting provide extensive support to EIC
- UNESCO Office Phnom Penh and Office Asia Pacific are the advisors and facilitator to seek for fund from potential source to support this plan.

The forum on “The Role of Engineers in the Era of Market Economy and Knowledge Society” was ended at 12:40 hrs. It was assumed that the next forum to be held at early August 2003.