ENAEE Newsletter – June 2026, Edition 10
12th June 2026
Event topic: “Diversity in Engineering Education and Accreditation”
From 14 to 16 June 2026, the second ENAEE – European Accreditation Agencies’ Summit took place at the University of Salerno in Fisciano, near the city of Salerno.
The event started with a welcoming cocktail and buffet dinner hosted by the Deans of the Engineering Departments of the University at the Lloyd’s Baia hotel, which is beautifully situated on a high cliff surrounded with a stunning panoramic view of the sea.
The summit was hosted by the University of Salerno where the attendees were warmly welcomed by Professor Vincenzo Tucci and Giovanni Betta, President of QUACING.
The summit was attended by participants from across the globe: ABEEK (South Korea) – ABET (USA) – Acredita CI (Chile) – AEER (Russia) – ANECA, madri+d and IIE (Spain) – ARACIS (Romania) – ASIIN (Germany), CAAAE (Kazakhstan) – CTI (France) – Engineering Council (UK) – Engineers Ireland (Ireland), IEET (Taiwan), MÜDEK (Türkiye), QUACING (Italy), ZSVTS (Slovakia).
On the first day of the summit, keynote speaker Joelyn De Lima opened the event with a presentation titled “Foundations and Global Perspectives of Diversity in Engineering Education”. This was followed by a panel discussion on “Integrating DEI into Accreditation Standards”. The morning session concluded with a group photograph and the signing of the EUR ACE® Accord by newly accredited agencies. The afternoon sessions focused on two themes: “Integration of DEI in engineering programmes” and “Accreditation Body Perspectives on DEI”. Participants engaged in discussions and shared insights on strategies, challenges and best practices for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion within engineering education and accreditation processes.
In the evening, the participants travelled to the historic ruins of Paestum, where they enjoyed a splendid dinner at Restaurant Nettuno, overlooking the magnificent ancient Greek temples of Hera, Neptune and Athena. The evening also featured a special highlight: ENAEE’s presentation of awards to two accreditation agencies in recognition of their contributions and achievements: the first agency award was received by AEER (Russia) represented by its President, Yuri Pokholkov, and the second award was received by MÜDEK (Türkiye) represented by its President, Yavuz Erçil. These awards recognised the agencies’ exceptional efforts in promoting the prestigious EUR-ACE® label among accredited engineering programmes. It also highlights the importance of upholding and advancing high standards in engineering education across Europe.
On the second day of the summit, the keynote address was delivered by Bülent Ozguler, who spoke on “The Importance of Diversity in the Evolution of Accreditation Standards and their Impact on Engineering Education”. The keynote was followed by a panel discussion in which participants from various countries shared their perspectives on accreditation systems and their influence on international recognition, student mobility, and professional opportunities.
The summit concluded with an open discussion session, providing attendees with the opportunity to exchange views on emerging trends in accreditation, the integration of technology into engineering education, the growing emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and sustainability, as well as the evolving needs of the engineering profession.
The keynotes’ discussions and insights generated during the summit will serve as a valuable foundation for ENAEE to further develop our EAFSG.
