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Publications

The IEEE Board of Directors and Division III Director

Sherman Shen

Xuemin (Sherman) Shen

Past President

2024

Khaled B. Letaief

Khaled B. Letaief

Parliamentarian

Every two years, IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) members elect their Division III Director-Elect to serve on the IEEE Board of Directors. IEEE Division Directors represent members who belong to one or more IEEE societies. Though the IEEE Division Director role is specifically not to represent particular societies or their members, the ComSoc Board of Governors and the Division III (Communications Technology) Director share a mutual interest in achieving IEEE goals. Thus, the ComSoc bylaws additionally define the Division III Director as a member of the IEEE ComSoc Board of Governors. This month, I am pleased to share the President’s Page with Dr. Khaled Letaief, who is our Division III Director 2022–2023 and has served as the IEEE ComSoc President during 2018–2019.

Khaled Letaief is an internationally recognized leader in wireless communications and networks with research interest in artificial intelligence, edge computing, and 6G systems. He is a Member of the United States National Academy of Engineering, Fellow of IEEE, Fellow of Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, Member of India National Academy of Sciences, and Member of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences. He is also recognized by Thomson Reuters as an ISI Highly Cited Researcher and was listed among the 2020 top 30 of AI 2000 Internet of Things Most Influential Scholars. He is currently a Chair Professor and the New Bright Professor of Engineering at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he held key positions, including Acting Provost and Dean of Engineering. He is particularly well recognized for his dedicated service to professional societies and IEEE where he has served in many leadership positions. These include Member of the IEEE Board of Directors, IEEE Communications Society Vice-President for Conferences, Chair of IEEE Committee on Wireless Communications, elected member of IEEE Product Services and Publications Board, and IEEE Communications Society Vice-President for Technical Activities.

IEEE Major Organizational Structure

IEEE is a large professional organization that serves engineers, scientists, and other professionals from around the world. The organization has a large organizational structure that includes multiple boards, committees, and other units. The major components of this structure is as follows.

IEEE Board of Directors

The IEEE Board of Directors is the governing body of the organization. It is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the IEEE, overseeing its operations, and ensuring that it meets its mission and goals. The Board is composed of elected members who represent different regions, technical societies, and organizational units within the IEEE. One of the main functions of the IEEE Board of Directors is to provide leadership and guidance to the organization. The Board works closely with different units and committees to develop and implement strategies that align with the organization’s goals and objectives. It also oversees IEEE’s budget and operations, ensuring that resources are used efficiently and effectively. Another important function of the IEEE Board of Directors is to represent the interests of the IEEE members. The Board serves as a voice for the organization and its members, advocating for policies and initiatives that support the advancement of technology and the profession. It also works to ensure that the IEEE remains relevant and responsive to the changing needs of its members and the world at large. The IEEE Board of Directors is also responsible for ensuring that the organization upholds its values and standards. The Board oversees IEEE’s governance and ethical practices, ensuring that the organization operates with integrity and transparency. It also works to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization and the profession as a whole.

Major IEEE Boards and Organization Units

In addition to the IEEE Board of Directors, there are major organization units and boards that play a vital role in IEEE. These include

  • IEEE Technical Activities Board (TAB): TAB is responsible for overseeing the technical activities of the organization. It provides strategic direction and guidance to IEEE technical activities and ensures that they align with IEEE’s mission, vision, and strategic objectives. It oversees the development and dissemination of technical content, standards, conferences, and educational resources in the fields of interest to IEEE. It also manages the IEEE Technical Societies and Committees, as well as provides resources and support to IEEE members who are involved in technical activities.
  • IEEE Publication Services and Products Board (PSPB): PSPB oversees IEEE’s publications, including its journals, magazines, and conference proceedings. It is responsible for establishing and enforcing policies and procedures related to IEEE’s publications and products, ensuring their quality and relevance. The board oversees the publishing process from manuscript submission and peer review to final publication and dissemination of the content.
  • IEEE Educational Activities Board (EAB): EAB is responsible for promoting and developing educational activities within the organization. This includes developing educational resources, organizing conferences and workshops, and supporting educational initiatives at the local and regional levels.
  • IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA): It is a leading global standards organization that develops and publishes standards for a wide range of industries and technologies. The IEEE-SA is a standards-setting body within the IEEE which develops standards through a consensus-based process that involves input from industry, academia, government, and other stakeholders. These standards help to ensure interoperability, compatibility, and reliability of technologies across different systems and platforms. IEEE-SA’s standards cover a broad range of topics, including communications, computing, energy, biomedical and healthcare, information technology, and many others.
  • IEEE-USA Board (IEEE-USA): This is the governing body of IEEE-USA, a unit of the IEEE that represents the interests of IEEE’s U.S. members in matters related to engineering, technology, and public policy. The IEEE-USA Board is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the organization, establishing policies, and overseeing its operations. In particular, it works to promote the interests of IEEE’s U.S. members in a variety of ways, including advocating for policies that support engineering and technology, providing career development resources and networking opportunities, and promoting STEM education and public awareness of the contributions of engineers and technologists to society.

IEEE Division III Director

The IEEE Board of Directors comprises many volunteers that include Regional Directors and Division Directors. The Regional Directors individually represent one of the IEEE global regions such as the Asia Pacific Region (Region 10) and Latin America (Region 9). On the other hand, the Division Directors represent technical areas. Specifically, the IEEE Societies are clustered within ten technical Divisions (I–X), each represented on the IEEE Board of Directors by a Division Delegate/Director who serves a two-year term. As the largest society within the IEEE, the IEEE Computer Society has two Division Directors, namely, Division V and Division VIII. As one of the largest societies within IEEE, ComSoc also has its own division, namely, Division III. The Division III Director is a voting member of the IEEE Board of Directors and is elected by ComSoc voting members. Nonetheless, the Division III Director needs to act on behalf of the interest of IEEE, as well as play a key role in advancing the state of the art in ComSoc’s fields of interest, through the development and dissemination of technical standards, the promotion of research and development, and the advancement of education and professional practice.

IEEE Recent Activities and Opportunities

As the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity, IEEE has been providing a wide range of services and programs to its members, including access to technical resources, networking opportunities, professional development and training, and advocacy on issues related to engineering and technology. The IEEE has also been playing a leading role in developing technical standards and promoting the responsible use of technology for the betterment of society. Given its wide spectrum of activities, IEEE is well-positioned to capitalize on emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, 5G, Industry 4.0, and the Internet of Things (IoT) in order to maintain its position as a thought leader and attract new members, as well as promote innovation and progress. To do so, IEEE has recently been putting lots of efforts to create new opportunities by leveraging partnerships with industry leaders to develop new technologies and solutions. It has also committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the fields of engineering and technology, particularly in terms of gender and geographical region. A key and critical activity within this year is sustainability and particularly climate change. Indeed, IEEE has put forward multiple activities to develop technologies and solutions that can help address these issues. This includes developing renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, reducing e-waste, and so on.

To achieve these goals, 2023 IEEE President Saifur Rahman has created a number of IEEE Ad Hoc Committees. These include:

  • IEEE Ad Hoc Committee on Coordinating IEEE’s Response to Climate Change (chaired by Tariq Durrani).
  • IEEE Ad Hoc Committee on Coordinating IEEE’s Response to Multimedia Based Digital Reality Technologies (chaired by Stefan Mozar).
  • IEEE Ad Hoc Committee on Innovating Funding Models (chaired by Kathleen Kramer).

These ad hoc committees are now working hard to come-up with strategies and recommendations which would help IEEE achieve its goals and mission of fostering technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. Thank you.