The Influence of international boards validation upon the architecture curriculum in the Arab region

<p>Well recognized accreditation and validation bodies ensure that architecturegraduates will be technically competent who are capable of defining multiplecareer paths within a changing societal context. These accrediting bodies requirean accredited program to produce graduates who are able to solve architecturaldesign problems, including the integration of technical systems, environmentalsystems, and health and safety requirements; and comprehend architects' rolesand responsibilities in society.The criteria at which the accrediting bodies work and their influence onArchitecture schools, the students and syllabus in Arab region are discussed. TheRIBA and the CAA are the key professional bodies that perform accreditationbeyond their original national borders. In this paper the RIBA validation systemwill be discussed in order to find out to what extent such validation process canaffect the teaching and curriculum structure within architectural schools. Thepaper presents the validation process carried out at the Architectural Engineeringand Environmental Design Department, Arab Academy for Science andTechnology (AAST). The AAST architectural department is the first architectureschool to be accredited by the RIBA accreditation board in the Arab region.</p>