Belt and Road Forum on Engineering Capacity Building concludes with landmark agreements
The Belt and Road Forum on Engineering Capacity Building 2025 kicked off in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, on June 11, gathering leaders from international and national engineering organizations, professional bodies and enterprises.
Hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), with support from Chinese Society of Engineers, Tianjin University and Sichuan authorities, the forum brought together over 160 delegates representing 26 countries and 6 international bodies, including World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) President-elect Seng Chuan TAN and Myanmar Engineering Council Chairman Aung Kyaw Myat.
CAST President Wan Gang delivered a keynote address outlining priorities for engineering cooperation under the Belt and Road framework. He emphasized three main strategic pathways: accelerating engineering innovation for industrial transformation, promoting mutual recognition of engineer qualifications to facilitate talent mobility, and advancing the establishment of the International Federation of Engineering Societies for the Belt and Road to enhance engineering governance.
His vision was echoed by WFEO's Seng Chuan TAN, who advocated for deeper collaboration on sustainable engineering solutions, while Myanmar's Aung Kyaw Myat drew upon seismic disaster experiences to highlight the importance of cross-border resilience-building in engineering capacity.
A defining outcome was the adoption of the Consensus on Engineering Capacity Building for the Belt and Road, spearheaded by Chai Liyuan, Tianjin University President and CAE Academician. Launched by 34 institutions across 17 countries and regions spanning Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, this landmark agreement commits signatories to develop shared engineering curricula and study resources, harmonize accreditation and assessment standards, establish continuous professional development platforms, align technical specifications, strengthen engineering ethics frameworks, and foster cross-border technology transfer. Crucially, the Consensus respects regional cultural diversity while aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals through its dual focus on capacity building and technological innovation.
Simultaneously, the Chinese Society of Engineers solidified practical cooperation by signing an engineers' mutual recognition agreement with the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC). This protocol enables reciprocal acceptance of engineer competency assessment standards, procedures, and quality assurance system between the two nations, streamlining professional exchanges for Belt and Road infrastructure projects.
During the parallel forums, global experts explored pressing challenges through thematic discussions, examining strategies for the digital transformation of engineering education and calling for inclusive competency frameworks that bridge international standards, while also integrating topics such as sustainable urban planning solutions and adaptive skilling strategies to effectively address the evolving demands of the engineering field.
This multilateral platform not only showcased shared commitments to standardization and ethics but also marked a pivotal step toward nurturing engineering talent pools capable of supporting green transitions and resilient development across participating economies. The outcomes signal strengthened pathways for transforming theoretical consensus into actionable blueprints for global engineering cooperation.
Source: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202506/1336173.shtml