The role and performance of the engineering and scientific institutions in the UK have been undergoing gradual change in response to external, State and global influences. Consequently, the institutions are having to adapt and in the process of doing so the traditional balance between learned society and qualifying association activities is now in a state of flux. The relevance of professional registration is being questioned by employers and practitioners alike and the institutions are now having to operate in a greater collaborative context than hitherto. This paper reviews developments which have been taking place since the early 1970’s and, by using responses from a survey of engineering and scientific institutions, identifies significant current problems and some challenges which lie ahead and which have yet to be confronted if the institutions are to continue to make a constructive contribution to society.

The recognition and regulation of professional qualifications has sometimes been handled by state bureaucracies and sometimes by professionals themselves. However, professional services are now being provided within global operations and professionals are practising beyond the nation-state in which they were trained. There is a developing need for the international recognition of professional qualifications. It is becoming increasingly important that individuals, and the organizations which employ them, can feel confident that their qualifications are recognized and that professional licences are protected in international markets. This paper reviews the various approaches to the international recognition of professional qualifications and attempts an evaluation with respect to engineering, technology and the sciences. It continues with an examination of the challenges currently facing the international professional federations in these respects.