The IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) recently held a Fellowship Program for regulators at the IEEE Nuclear Power Engineering Committee (NPEC) meeting from 21–24 January 2018. As part of IEEE SA’s capacity-building activities, this program invites regulators from developing and emerging economies to attend IEEE standards development meetings to engage with technologists and experience standards development meetings first-hand. It provides a venue that supports dialogue and information-sharing between regulators and technology experts. This program is part of the overall IEEE Standards Fellowship Program (ISFP).
Participants in this year’s program were Dr. Mohd Ashhar bin Hj Khalid, Director-General, Malaysian Nuclear Agency and Avinash Singh, Functional Coordinator: Operational Safety: Standards, Authorisations, Reviews and Assessments at the National Nuclear Regulator of South Africa.
“The IEEE SA Fellowship Program for regulators demonstrates the collaborative and supportive spirit of IEEE by connecting IEEE technical communities with regulators from developing and emerging economies,” said Jodi Haasz, international affairs senior manager for the IEEE SA. “Regulators learn how standards are developed and the program provides IEEE with a better understanding of concerns and priorities from developing and emerging economies.”
“Being part of the IEEE SA Fellowship Program was a tremendous learning experience for me. It gave me a chance to really get to know how standards are developed and maintained,” said Singh. “It also allowed me to get in touch with some of the experts in the relevant fields from around the world, who contribute to the standards.”
“The IEEE SA Fellowship Program at IEEE NPEC enlightened me about the noble work done by IEEE for the benefit of humanity,” said Khalid. “The program allowed me to learn how standards are drafted and approved for industry adoption and certification. Although standards are drafted by members representing diverse organizations, integrity and neutrality are strictly observed. I will bring this experience home to make industries and laboratories aware that product certification using reputable standards has numerous advantages.”
For more information about the IEEE SA Fellowship Program, please contact Jodi Haasz, International Affairs Senior Manager.