On December 1, Mike Klassen successfully defended his PhD thesis titled “Curriculum Governance in the Professions: A Comparative and Sociological Analysis of Engineering Accreditation.” His thesis examines the political and organization dynamics of professional accreditation in comparative context, encompassing Australia, the UK, Singapore, and South Africa.
Drawing from interviews with leaders of professional and accreditation bodies, experts, and academic administrators in the four countries, he explains how power differences are crucial in analyzing accreditation at various levels. At a global level, the thesis shows that the Washington Accord has evolved into an explicit regime that shapes policy decisions of its signatories, as well as other countries that consider applying to join.
Creso Sá 