Seoul Accord
(Computing and IT Programs)
Overview: Under the initiative and leadership of six Founding Signatories-ABEEK (Republic of Korea), ABET Inc. (USA), ACS (Australia), BCS (United Kingdom), CIPS (Canada) and JABEE (Japan)-the Seoul Accord was launched on December 6th, 2008 with the aim of establishing mutual recognition of equivalent professional preparation for graduates of educational programs in the Computing and IT-related disciplines accredited by the member agencies that will lead to enhanced mobility of professionals. Over the years, other accrediting bodies have joined at the full or provisional signatory level, as the Seoul Accord is open to all equivalent accreditation agencies and/or institutions worldwide.
Current Full Signatories:
- ABET, Inc. (US) (2008)
- Accreditation Board for Engineering Education in Korea (ABEEK) (2008)
- Australian Computer Society (ACS) (2008)
- BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT (UK) (2008)
- Canadian Information Processing Society (CIPS) (2008)
- Consejo Nacional de Acreditación en Informática y Computación (CONAIC) (2021)
- Education and Training Evaluation Commission Saudi Arabia (ETEC) (2024)
- Engineers Ireland (EI) (2024)
- Indonesian Accreditation Board for Engineering Education (IABEE) (2021)
- Institute of Engineering Education Taiwan (IEET) (2009)
- Japan Accreditation Board for Engineers Education (JABEE) (2008)
- Malaysia Board of Technologist (MBOT) (2024)
- The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) (2009)
Current Provisional Signatories:
- Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL) (2018)
- Instituto de Calidad y Acreditacion de Programas de Computacion, Ingenieria y Tecnologia (ICACIT) (Peru) (2022)
- The PCS Information & Computing Accreditation Board (PICAB) (2015)
Mission, Goals, and Achievements:
The Seoul Accord is a multi-lateral mutual-recognition agreement among agencies responsible for accreditation or recognition of tertiary-level computing and IT-related qualifications. Membership (called being a signatory) is voluntary, but the signatories are committed to development and recognition of good practice in Computing and IT-related education. The number of signatories is expected to grow, and the activities of the Accord signatories are intended to assist growing globalization of mutual recognition of Computing and IT-related qualifications. Guiding Principles:
- The Accord is based on mutual respect for the autonomy of its signatories.
- There will be transparency to the accreditation systems of the signatories and to the educational systems to which the accreditation systems are oriented.
- The signatories will be autonomous and free from governmental or other external influence on the accreditation processes.
- The Accord should avoid any perception that it is arbitrary and capricious in its practices and policies, including admitting members and applying rules of membership.
- The Accord should work to become recognized as the international authority on quality assurance for education in the computing and IT-related professions.
- The Accord will promote and develop best practices for the improvement of education in computing and IT-related disciplines.
- The Accord should continually review its policies and procedures to ensure that they are relevant and reliable indicators of the future of computing and IT-related technologies.
- The members of the Accord will be accreditation agencies, not countries.
