The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (EBE) has received an international stamp of approval following the accreditation of their degree programmes.

The Engineering Council of South Africa's (ECSA) five-yearly accreditation process means that the faculty's degrees continue to enjoy international approval through South Africa's membership of the Washington Accord - an international alliance that mutually recognises each countries' degree endorsements. Countries belonging to the accord include the UK, USA, Japan and Germany.

"Over a period of nine months our heads of departments and programme convenors put in a huge amount of work to prepare the documentation for this five-yearly exercise," explained EBE dean, Professor Cyril O'Connor. "ECSA remarked that their visit to the faculty and the quality of our documentation were of a high standard. This reflects very well on all those concerned."

Programmes with full accreditation until the end of 2010 are chemical, civil, mechatronics, and electro-mechanical engineering.

Electrical, mechanical, and electrical and computer engineering were given accreditation until 2008 because of relatively minor deficiencies, such as an outcome needing to be incorporated in a core course and not as an elective as at present.

"When deficiencies are minor, the only requirement is that a letter be sent to ECSA confirming that the matter has been addressed before the due date. Once these are seen to, accreditation will be extended to 2010," O'Connor noted.

The accreditation exercise was observed by senior members of the engineering institutes of Taiwan and Korea at the invitation of ECSA.