Asia Pacific Federation of Chemical Engineering

Asia Pacific Federation of Chemical Engineering
Name	Asia Pacific Federation of Chemical Engineering
Formation	1979
Type	Professional federation
Region served	Asia-Pacific
Membership	National societies
Leader title	President

Contents

Asia Pacific Federation of Chemical Engineering The Asia Pacific Federation of Chemical Engineering is a regional professional federation linking national chemical engineering societies across the Asia-Pacific region. It fosters collaboration among organizations such as the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Institution of Chemical Engineers, Chemical Society of Japan, Korean Chemical Society, and Chinese Chemical Society while engaging with international bodies like the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, UNIDO, World Health Organization, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

History

Founded in the late 20th century, the federation emerged amid postwar reconstruction and regional scientific integration involving entities such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and national academies including the Academia Sinica and the Indian National Science Academy. Early meetings brought together delegations from organizations like the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Engineering Council (UK), National Research Council (Canada), Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science. The federation’s development paralleled events such as the Third World Forum and accords influenced by the Stockholm Conference and Rio Earth Summit on sustainable industrial practice.

The federation is governed by an executive committee and a council including representatives from societies such as the Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan, Institution of Engineers (India), Federation of Asian Chemical Societies, Taiwan Chemical Society, and the Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers. The governance framework references bylaws modeled on practices from the International Federation of Chemical Engineering and incorporates committees analogous to those in the European Federation of Chemical Engineering and ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology. Leadership roles have been held by figures affiliated with institutions like Tsinghua University, Indian Institutes of Technology, University of Tokyo, Seoul National University, and Monash University.

Member societies include national and territorial organizations such as the Chemical Society of Japan, Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers, Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, Chinese Institute of Chemical Engineers, Australian Chemical Institute, New Zealand Institute of Chemistry, Thai Institute of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Malaysian Institute of Chemistry, Indonesian Chemical Society, and the Singapore Institute of Engineers. Associate and affiliate members have included groups linked to universities like Peking University, National University of Singapore, University of Melbourne, Nanyang Technological University, and research institutions like the CSIRO and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.

The federation organizes technical working groups and task forces on topics championed by organizations such as the International Organization for Standardization, OECD, International Labour Organization, International Energy Agency, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Programs span technology transfer collaborations with the Asia Development Bank, capacity-building initiatives modeled after UNDP projects, and joint research platforms engaging institutes like the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology and Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. Topics include process safety influenced by standards from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, sustainable process design echoing themes from the Green Chemistry Institute, and industrial decarbonization aligned with goals from the Paris Agreement.

The federation convenes regional congresses and symposia in coordination with host societies such as the Chemical Society Located in Japan, Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, often attracting participation from delegates of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, European Federation of Chemical Engineering, Royal Society of Chemistry, and national research councils like the National Science Foundation (US). Events frequently feature plenaries by scholars from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Imperial College London, ETH Zurich, and The University of Tokyo, and panels with industry partners including Shell, BASF, Dow Chemical Company, Sinopec, and PetroChina.

The federation recognizes lifetime achievement and young investigator awards paralleling honors from the Nobel Foundation, Royal Society, National Academy of Engineering, Indian National Science Academy, and regional prizes administered by societies like the Chemical Society of Japan and Korean Chemical Society. Awards highlight contributions to process safety, catalysis, separations, and sustainable engineering, with recipients often affiliated with Tsinghua University, IIT Madras, Seoul National University, University of New South Wales, and The University of Hong Kong.

Educational initiatives include curriculum development projects inspired by accreditation frameworks from the Washington Accord and professional development programs similar to those by the Engineers Australia, Institution of Chemical Engineers, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and university continuing education units at Nanyang Technological University and The University of Sydney. Training collaborations have linked vocational institutes like Technical and Further Education centers, governmental ministries such as Ministry of Science and Technology (China), and multilateral agencies including the Asian Development Bank and United Nations Industrial Development Organization to enhance skills in process design, safety management, and environmental compliance.

Category:Chemical engineering organizations