An agreement on links and co-operation between the Association of European Civil Engineering Faculties and the Association of Higher Civil Engineering Institutions of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States was signed during The First AECEF General Assembly, held in Prague in September 1995.

Professor Vladimir J.Karelin, President of the Association of Higher Civil Engineering Institutions of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Rector of the Moscow State University of Civil Engineering introduced the Association, its structure and goals to the participants of the First AECEF General Assembly:

As it was planned beforehand, an Agreement between the Association of European Civil Engineering Faculties (AECEF) and Association of Higher Civil Engineering Institutes of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (AHECE) is going to be signed during the General Assembly of AECEF.

The draft of this document was considered and adopted by the AECEF Board Meeting in G÷teborg in May this year [1995] and by AHECE Board of Administration in Novosibirsk in June [1995].

AHECE supervises 8 Civil Engineering specialities:

The main directions of AHECE activities are determined by its By-law. Among them are the following :

• to combine efforts of AHECE members to the practical solution of all actual organisational, academic, scientific, economic and social problems related to the development of Civil Engineering education, science and technology;

• to study and popularise the progressive methods in the field of professional education, research work and management;

• to propose the necessary changes in the list of active Civil Engineering specialities and profilizations;

• to develop present-day methods of academic, methodological, scientific and publishing activities of Civil Engineering Universities, Institutes and Faculties;

• to control the quality level of teaching on the basis of professional standards with the help of different tests, exams and special accreditation procedures.

The frame work of AHECE is given in Fig.1

Fig. 1
ASSOCIATION OF HIGHER CIVIL ENGINEERING INSTITUTIONS
AHECE MEMBERS (Educational Establishments) of:
	Russian Federation	- 97
	CIS	- 34
	Other Organizations	- 15

AHECE members from CIS countries are representing Civil Engineering Higher educational establishments of the Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakstan, Uzbekistan, Kirgizstan, Tagikhistan, Turkmenia, Azerbadjan and Armenia.

The AHECE realises its activity in different ways and forms :

• carries out complex long-term programmes in educational, scientific, social and other problems;
• holds conferences, symposia and special meetings devoted to actual problems of Civil Engineering education;
• arranges contests and competitions of studentså works, including diploma works;
• gives its consent to the opening or closing of any Civil Engineering speciality at any Higher Educational establishment;
• makes preliminary examination of competitors for academic degrees;
• publishes textbooks and other special literature.

It will take a long time to tell you all about the AHECE activities, that is why I shall finish with mentioning the very important document, which has been recently prepared by AHECE and approved by Russian Federation National Committee for Higher Education.

This document is called State Educational Standard of Higher Professional Education in Civil Engineering.

The Standards gives the possibility to control and maintain the necessary quality of professional education through all Civil Engineering Institutes and Faculties in Russian Federation.

At present such Standards are adopted to all Higher education specialities and different levels of education.

All methodological documents (study plans, curricula, subject programmes, etc.) are developed on the basis of these Standards.

Right now in the Russian Federation in the field of Civil Engineering there are many Higher educational establishments of different kinds : Universities, Academies, Institutes and Colleges providing students with possibility to get any qualification and academic or scientific degree they wish : Bachelor of Technical Science, Diploma Engineer or Master of Technical Science.

The AHECE members maintain broad international ties in the areas of academic and research works with many Universities, Institutes, Colleges, Faculties and professional firms from large number of countries all over the world.

But at the same time we shall be very pleased to expand our relations with foreign colleagues by signing right here and right now the Agreement between AECEF and AHECE. We are open to collaboration and shall do our best to make it as effective as it is possible.

A G R E E M E N T

between the Association of European Civil Engineering Faculties
and the Association of Higher Civil Engineering Institutions
of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States

The Association of European Civil Engineering Faculties, hereafter called the "AECEF", as one party and the Association of Higher Civil Engineering Institutions of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, hereafter called "AHECE", as the other party, represented by their authorised delegates :

• being guided by the UNESCO principles of further strengthening peace and security by means of extending mutual co-operation of countries in the field of education, science and culture,

• who recognise that a wide variety of existing world cultures and university education systems represents a unique source to be cherished, expanded and enriched,

• who being aware of the rapid development and internationalisation of university education,

• who recognise the necessity of further studies and improvement of experience in the fields of pedagogical, methodological, scientific, and organisational efforts of educational institutions, as well as the legal and administrative norms regulating their activities.

Therefore, to expand contacts between university administrators, professors, teachers, research workers, doctoral students, and students of civil engineering colleges associated with the AECEF and AHECE, the representatives have signed this agreement to which the AECEF and the AHECE :

1. Will contribute to the promotion and further development of direct contacts on co-operation between the civil engineering bodies associated with the AECEF and the AHECE, as well as the establishment of new relations.

2. Will periodically provide a mutual exchange of information on the system of civil engineering university education in the associated countries by means of the exchange of educational and methodological documents and other materials.

3. Will assist member universities with the exchange of visiting teachers and specialists to give lectures and read papers on research and development, as well as contribute to discussion on educational and methodological problems.

4. Will exchange information on currently published pedagogical and scientific literature.

5. Will promote information on the organisation of international symposia, conferences, exhibitions, etc., to attract participants among university professors and teachers, research workers, doctoral and undergraduate students of the universities associated with the AECEF and AHECE.

6. Will assist with the exchange of students at all levels of study.

7. Will, at an appropriate time, promote visits of their Board delegations in order to discuss questions of mutual interest.

8. Will assist in the establishment of contacts with corresponding professional organisations in other countries by providing adequate information.

This agreement has been written in two authentic copies in the English and Russian languages and signed on 26th September 1995.

On behalf of the Association of Higher Civil Engineering Institutions of countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States	On behalf of the Association of European Civil Engineering Faculties
Professor V.J.KARELIN President AHECE	Professor Jiri WITZANY President AECEF

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