IEEE Region 8 Director's report

The report from Region 8's Director, Baldomir Zajc, was condensed to fit on page 1 of Region 8 News September 2006. Below is the original, full-length version of the article.

In January was RAB Strategic Planning Retreat taking place at Piscataway where Directors and Directors-Elect were participating and discussing the IEEE future and having also Orientation Meeting. Very useful event!

There were RAB and BoD meetings on Februry in Scottsdale, Arizona and on June in Minneapolis Minnesota. Let me say first what my endevouring were.

Region 8 proposed changes of IEEE Bylaws

In Region 8 we have nearly everywhere one Section per State (now 50). Since State Law and regulations are different in each country only local people can accommodate IEEE activity to that.

There are still many States (still over 50) where an IEEE Section does not exist but there are some members willing to have a Subsection (until there will be IEEE activity developed and enough members for a Section). But Subsection had to belong to a Section which does not exist in the country. It can not be Section from other country because of defined territory for each Section.

Such problem would solve a common "Summation" Section (Sigma for instance) guiding all such Subsections in Region. Such need is in R8, 9 and 10.

The proposal was discussed and modified at RAB and TAB Section Support Committee so that a special Summation Section will not be developed but Subsections, Chapters,… in an empty territory without Section will be allowed and belong to the region committee office. The idea was accepted then on RAB February meeting and at June BoD meeting, So Tanzania Subsection was born according according to the new policy.

II. Since only Region 8 was having Director-Elect just for one year, we proposed also the change in IEEE Bylaws for R8 Director-Elect for 2 years as in all others IEEE Regions. It was accepted at BOD meeting

New Sections

The last new IEEE Sections in 200 were approved for Morroco, Qatar, Lithuania and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I visited the volunteers in the new IEEE Bosnia and Herzegovina Section in Sarajevo at the end of December. Discussion was going on how to start Section's activity as fast as possible. It was snowing outside; we were talking at warm place. I enjoyed the big enthusiastic student population at desks in laboratories.

IEEE Oman Section was approved at February RAB meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona.

At the beginning of February R8 OPCOM visited Oman IEEE members just before creation of their Section and had R8 OPCOM meeting to prepare the organization and Agenda for IEEE Region 8 Committee. meeting on April 8 - 9 and to foreseen some details of its policy. It was held in Vilnius in Lithuania where IEEE was just created.

IEEE Estonia Section was approved at June RAB meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Since a week before the petition signed by IEEE members was sent I proposed to pull it out and put on agenda of the running meeting. Our aim to cover Baltic countries is now pretty in advance: We have Lithuania and Estonia Section but Latvia is also in progress at least for Subsection according new accepted Bylaws.

Let me say also once again that Tanzania Subsection was also accepted after longer procedure of changing our regulations

IEEE Region 8 Conferences

We have 3 IEEE Region 8 Conferences: Eurocon, Melecon and Africon.

Beside a high quality paper in Technical program we invest for promotion of IEEE still several additional programs: tutorials, educational and membership workshops,… for our members and potential members.

On November 21-24, 2005 we enjoyed IEEE R8 EUROCON -2005 conference in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro.

There were out of 507 papers accepted 413 from 54 countries, also 8 special sessions with additional 48 papers, 4 plenary lectures and R8 Student paper contest. R8 is investing in R8 conferences to promote IEEE to members and potential members and I think successfully this way.

The IEEE Region 8 Melecon - 2006 was on May 16-19 in Benalmadena, near Malaga, Spain

With 296 papers, 10 Special Sessions, 3 Invited conferences addressed to nanotechnologies, 3G and 4Gmobile communications and photovoltaic solar energy.

The IEEE Region 8 Africon 2007 will be on September 2007in Namibia.

And next Eurocon 2007 will be in Warsaw, Poland on September 9 - 12.

October R8 Committee meetings

We are preparing IEEE Region 8 Committee meeting on October 14-15 2006 in Belgrade, Serbia. Having two meetings per year all activity is more uniformly spread through the year. Although the volunteers very busy all the time it is visible still more endeavoring around these two meetings.

And IEEE is volunteer driven organization, more than 30 000 members are involved to state the policy for next coming officers and the staff to realize it.

Education Chapter Meeting in Belgrade

In R8 we have 18 or even more (every day a new one)

We should define the activity and any proposals welcome.

There will be the Ed. Chapt Meeting in Belgrade during and after R8 Comm.

Meeting on Oct. 15 and 16

I had several addresses in May and June:

To pareticipants of IEEE R8 MELECON 2006 in Benalmadena, Spain on May 16;
To participants of MIPRO Tech co-sponsored conf in Opatija, Croatia on May 24;
To participants of ETRAN, Tech. co-sponsored conf (50 years anniversary) in Belgrade, Serbia on June 6;
To participants of IEEE Com Soc Region EAME : Region Chapter Chair Congress in Istanbul,Turkey on June 12;
and sent several addresses by e-mail to be presented at workshops.

R8 Director - Baldomir Zajc