IEEE: Building a Community at a Global Scale

July 2, 2024

One of the things I love about IEEE is that our members dream big. You’ll find researchers pushing the boundaries of emerging technologies, innovators who have made world-changing discoveries, entrepreneurs and even science fiction writers.

What unifies us is the drive to advance technology to benefit humanity — from improving the efficiency of agriculture to increasing transparency in artificial intelligence models to addressing climate change.

IEEE is an organization with a worldwide impact. We need to invest in its longevity.

IEEE must tackle two challenges to continue being an effective change agent globally. First, we must continue building IEEE as a diverse and global organization. Solving major global challenges requires new ways of thinking that a diverse technical population can provide. Second, the organization must foster a lasting connection with young professionals to ensure it continues to lead meaningfully for decades to come.

Many initiatives are already in place, but one is extremely important. Over the past few years, we’ve worked to get a simple message out to young professionals: you are welcome, we need you and this is your professional home. If you have colleagues and friends who qualify for IEEE membership, invite them to participate and mentor them so that they might become IEEE’s next generation of leaders. IEEE’s network spans those who work in industry, academia or government around the world. I’m confident that participation in our events pays big dividends by enabling lasting and valuable connections, beyond listening to the topics discussed there.

For young professionals, IEEE has much to offer: a community of like-minded professionals working on intellectually stimulating challenges. And though IEEE is known as a technology-focused organization, many young professionals value their membership because it helps them develop the soft skills that are key to advancement in professional life. IEEE young professionals have gained these skills by writing articles, editing journals, participating in committees and helping to organize or presenting at conferences — all transferable skills that are valuable in professional environments.

Promoting IEEE has benefits for current members as well. Promoting IEEE allows our members to shape the future of technology. By embracing and engaging with younger people, IEEE will create leaders and contributors who can keep it active and focused on humanity’s developing needs and the means to satisfy them. We should honor our history but use it as an inspiration to pursue our future—younger members are that future.