- Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Centre for Engineering Education (CEE) continues to strengthen its role as a regional reference centre through the Outcome-Based Engineering Education (OBEE) National Training Series under the Philippines’ NEED Program.
- In partnership with Batangas State University’s CIEE, the program has trained over 200 deans and chairs from higher education institutions, aligning engineering programs with international accreditation and quality assurance standards.
- Led by Dr. Nurzal Effiyana Ghazali and Prof. Ir. Dr. Shahrin Mohammad, the initiative showcases Malaysia’s leadership in engineering education, advancing sustainable, globally recognized practices across ASEAN.
Centre for Engineering Education (CEE), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) continues to reinforce its role as regional reference centre in engineering education through the effective implementation of Outcome-Based Engineering Education (OBEE) National Training Series in collaboration with CIEE under the National Engineering Education Development (NEED) Program in the Philippines.
OBEE training is part of the six components of the NEED Program initiated by Batangas State University, The National Engineering University (The NEU), in its Center for Innovation in Engineering Education (CIEE). The program seeks to enhance the capacity of engineering deans and program chairs throughout the Philippines to implement strong Outcome-Based Education (OBE) systems in accordance with international accreditation standards and quality assurance practices.
So far, three batches of the OBEE National Training Series have been effectively carried out. The first batch was conducted at Manila Prince Hotel, Manila City, from 9 to 11 December 2024, and it was the beginning of the national program to improve the quality of engineering education in the Philippines. The second batch was then conducted at Kingsford Hotel, Metro Manila, on 2 to 5 June 2025, with over 40 public higher education institutions in the Luzon area.
The third batch, held in September 2025, further solidified the program's results, reaching an even broader community of engineering educators and administrators dedicated to ongoing quality improvement within their institutions. A total of over 200 deans and program chairs have been trained.
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Over these three batches, the Director of UTM CEE Dr. Nurzal Effiyana Ghazali and Professor of Engineering Education Prof. Ir. Dr. Shahrin Mohammad from UTM have been one of the trainers and the resource experts, teaching modules jointly developed with Batangas State University's CIEE. Their participation has played a significant role in tying OBEE practices in the Philippines to international standards under the Washington Accord, advancing Malaysia's and UTM's prominence as engineering education reform leaders in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
This collaboration illustrates how CEE's frameworks and expertise have served as the standard for quality engineering education training, both nationally in Malaysia and globally.
The OBEE program is a classic example of how strategic partnership between UTM CEE and CIEE, Batangas State University supports regional education change. Through the integration of international accreditation values, the training prepares participants to implement institutional OBEE plans and enhance engineering education structures throughout the Philippines.
Dr. Nurzal Effiyana Ghazali says, "This partnership shows how collaborative learning and co-construction of training modules could generate regional impact. The OBEE framework designed collaboratively by CEE and CIEE is a model for capacity-building in engineering education towards sustainability".
The success of this continuous collaboration reflects UTM's increasing impact on promoting engineering education excellence in ASEAN, placing the Centre for Engineering Education as a go-to reference centre for research, training, and innovation in Engineering Education.
