At the Engineering Professors’ Council (EPC), we know that the frameworks shaping our profession—professional registration, regulation, and standards—play a profound role in how engineers practice, research, and innovate. Yet many of these systems were designed for a different time. In the face of climate crisis and societal breakdown, they can sometimes constrain rather than enable the bold, creative responses the world urgently needs.
That is why the EPC is actively supporting the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Change Labs Policy and Standards Task & Finish group. This group is exploring how policy and standards can be reimagined to unlock systems change, lift current limits on engineering practice and education, and better align the profession with the challenges of our age.
A central part of this work is understanding the landscape through a short survey of academics, practitioners, and students. Your input is essential as we really want to highlight the academic lens. By sharing how you perceive existing policies and standards—and how they shape your teaching, research, and professional practice—you will help identify where reform is most needed, and what could make the biggest difference.
Alongside this survey, the group is planning a myth-busting campaign to challenge common misconceptions and will feed into the 2026 standards review to ensure that future frameworks genuinely support sustainability, innovation, and equity.
We encourage all EPC members and their students to take part in this important work, so please do forward to colleagues and students. We want to hear from everyone, whether you find the standards a help or a hindrance. The group is particularly interested in hearing from those with reviewer or accreditor experience.
Completing the survey is a first, practical step towards influencing the future of engineering education and practice—ensuring our profession is not only fit for purpose, but also fit for the future.
It takes 5-15 minutes to complete, and after doing so you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a copy of Oliver Broadbent’s new book, The Pattern Book for Regenerative Design. All responses will be anonymised and names are only collected for the prize draw.
Take the survey here before 29th September.
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