Almost all of the Board members were able to attend and celebrate achievements, discuss priorities and plans for the remainder of 2023 and beyond, and share recommendations on how HTB can have a strong inaugural year. I would like to thank each one of them that participated in the meeting and say how grateful I am to have such a dedicated and experienced team to work together this year. Now we look forward to making the best ideas presented during the meeting a reality for all SIGHT members and IEEE members interested in getting involved in humanitarian technology activities at IEEE.

Those of you who are interested in joining HTB as a member next year have the opportunity to apply now. The IEEE Nominations and Appointments Committee is accepting submissions for the 2024 IEEE HTB member positions until 15 June. Anyone may submit a nomination; nominators do not need to be IEEE members, but nominees must meet certain qualifications. Review the Guidelines for Nominating Candidates and Position Descriptions, then fill out the Nomination Form. I highly encourage everyone interested to apply soon.  

Coming up in June, I look forward to gathering with many IEEE leaders at the Board of Directors meeting series to share the achievements and progress that HTB is making. It is also a wonderful opportunity to discuss new ideas, potential collaborations, and how HTB can support humanitarian technology activities across the institute.

In closing, I recently received the decision from the IEEE Nominations and Appointments Committee that I will be serving another one-year term of office as the IEEE HTB Chair in 2024. I feel humbled by this gesture of trust and commit myself to executing my assigned duties to continue fulfilling the HTB mission and advancing humanity globally. Thank you to each and every one of you who are getting involved with us and using your technological skills to do that in your local communities.

The programs will result in capacity-building opportunities to raise awareness and train members, collaborative calls for project proposals, and/or educational resources that support skill development in sustainable and humanitarian technologies.

One such example is HTB’s ongoing collaboration with IEEE Region 8. We recently met with Region 8 leaders to explore several avenues of partnership and discuss the opportunities that will be presented in the coming months. HTB will continue to meet with leaders from all IEEE Regions to deliver customized, impactful HTB programs in their areas.

In other news, in the first call for proposals, HTB/SIGHT received over 20 project proposals focused on technical solutions for persons with disabilities or community organizations that primarily serve persons with disabilities. These will be evaluated to determine if they are strong candidates to add to the HTB/SIGHT Taenzer Program, established to advance technologies for persons with disabilities in low-resource countries through our existing grassroots sustainable development project approach. HTB Partnerships will also offer an educational webinar series on this topic in the coming months to benefit our members.

Throughout the year, HTB has engaged with Regions, Societies, and other IEEE programs conducting humanitarian technology activities to explore the best options that will address their needs and support them with processes, infrastructure, and tools. We hope such an approach will empower them to maximize the impact they are delivering while reducing overall risk, especially in regards to calls for proposals and project funding. We have had great discussions with IEEE MOVE, IEEE Smart Village, and EPICS in IEEE and look forward to continued fruitful collaboration in the coming months. Last month, IEEE HTB also presented its program offerings to the IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) committee and shared recommendations to encourage involvement of WIE members in humanitarian technology projects. 

HTB had a great and productive in-person meeting in Boston this month, where Board members explored scaling up collaboration efforts across and beyond IEEE. We look forward to increasing the value proposition for IEEE members globally through IEEE HTB partnership programs and delivering an impactful year.

Kind Regards,

Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan 

2023 IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board Immediate Past Chair

IEEE GHTC 2023 shares practical technology-enabled solutions supporting achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) by addressing the needs of underserved communities in resource-constrained environments around the world. This year’s conference will be hosted at Villanova University (Pennsylvania, USA) from 12 - 15 October. Stakeholders may submit oral presentation or poster proposals, short papers (early-stage results), and full papers (mature results) that share sustainable development, ICT4D and humanitarian technology related insights, experiences, best practices and lessons learned from a research, policy, practitioner and/or community perspective before the deadline of 31 May.

EPICS in IEEE is accepting proposals for service learning projects where students and IEEE members partner with a community organization to solve a local challenge through engineering and technology. The next deadline is 1 June and proposals for Environment, Access and Abilities, Human Services, and Education and Outreach projects will be accepted. To help your team with developing a budget for your project proposal, EPICS in IEEE has released a training video that will guide you through the necessary steps, highlighting details important to the EPICS in IEEE committee.

The HTB Ad Hoc Committee on SIGHT Best Practices is cooperating with a number of IEEE organizational units and SIGHT Groups to organize a series of lectures on best practices relevant to engagement with local communities. All are invited to register and participate, and attendees may request a certificate of participation after each webinar. 

Past Lectures (link to recordings via the SIGHT website)

• “Co-designing Ethical Interventions in Resource Constrained Environments” with Ms. Miriam Cunningham
• “Avoiding a Graveyard of Solar Panels: How to make Solar Electric Systems Sustainable” with Dr. Pritpal Singh 
• “Good Practices From Robotics For Equality And Democracy Project Tunisia” with Dr. Nizar Rokbani

Upcoming Lectures

• 14 June - ”Empowering Women for Sustainable Climate Resilience” with Mr. Parkash Lohana
• 06 July - "The Impact of Energy Efficiency on Low Resource Environments” with Dr. Hanan M. Albuflasa

IEEE Smart Village’s (ISV) mission is to sustainably improve livelihoods through enterprise, education and the productive use of sustainable energy and technology. Volunteers who seek challenges in management, IEEE technologies, and cross-disciplinary leadership may sign up to serve with ISV. Or, you can sign up to receive the ISV monthly newsletters. You can also learn more about ISV’s work at its upcoming webinar for World Youth Skills Day on 15 July - “Skilling Up Youths for the Digital Economy.” The webinar will showcase ISV’s global impact in equipping young people with skills in technical and vocational training for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship.

Whether you belong to a funded project team implementing a humanitarian technology project, are preparing a project proposal, or are a member of a SIGHT Group investigating opportunities within its community, you can find online educational materials on the IEEE Learning Network. IEEE has recently launched a special new additional 50% off eLearning discount for up to three courses available to our valued IEEE members. You can unlock access to a wide range of online courses from professional development to technical courses on the latest cutting edge technologies. Whether you're looking to enhance your skills or explore new topics, our IEEE eLearning has got you covered. So don't wait and start learning today!

The new IEEE SPS Scholarship Program is receiving applications from students and graduate students who have expressed interest and commitment to pursuing signal processing education and career experiences. Visit their website for details and apply by 30 June!

• Higher I A Sciences & Technologies (ISSAT Sousse) SB SIGHT - Tunisia, Region 8
• Silver Oak University SB SIGHT - India, Gujarat Section, Region 10
• Federal University of Ceara SB SIGHT - Brazil, Region 9 

Become a SIGHT Member - Add SIGHT to your IEEE Membership; it’s free and open to non-members as well. Benefits include the monthly newsletter, first notice of funding opportunities, and increased connectivity with the committees, staff, and volunteer network.

Join a SIGHT Group  - SIGHT Groups around the globe partner with communities and local organizations to work together on sustainable development projects - find your closest group! If a SIGHT Group does not exist in your area, see the SIGHT Toolkit for how to form a new one. 

Donate to IEEE SIGHT -  Your donation of any amount to the IEEE SIGHT fund of the IEEE Foundation helps form the IEEE sustainable development leaders of the future and incubate projects that support IEEE’s mission of advancing technology for the benefit of humanity in communities around the globe.

Many humanitarian technology programs at IEEE rely on donations to deliver impact. See how you can support them through the IEEE Foundation, the philanthropic partner of IEEE.

Important Dates & Upcoming Events

• 14 June - SIGHT Best Practices webinar, ”Empowering Women for Sustainable Climate Resilience” with Dr. Parkash Lohana
• 06 July - SIGHT Best Practices webinar, "The Impact of Energy Efficiency on Low Resource Environments” with Dr. Hanan M. Albuflasa
• 11 - 13 August - HTB and SIGHT will have representation at IEEE Sections Congress

Visit the HTB/SIGHT calendar for more humanitarian technology events and activities.