Offering Up 10 Years of Inspiration for Engineers Around the World

September 18, 2019

What happens when more than 100,000 engineers and technical professionals come together to commemorate the first gathering of members 135 years ago? You get more than 1,000 events worldwide under the IEEE Day theme of “Leveraging Technology for a Better Tomorrow.” Members and prospective members connect, learn from each other, share technical ideas, and honor the roles they have played in advancing technology for local communities.

For the upcoming 10th IEEE Day on Tuesday, 1 October, we asked IEEE member Yahia Sinno, who chairs IEEE Day 2019, and works as a software engineer at WABCO in Hannover, Germany, to tell us about the significance of this anniversary and why it has served to inspire so many technology professionals.

Q: In your view what does IEEE Day mean to engineers? Why is it important to the technical community?

A: IEEE Day is a chance to celebrate IEEE and your technical achievements with your IEEE family. It shows that together we can really leverage technology for a better tomorrow. IEEE Day brings IEEE members together to network and to share their ideas to initiate new collaborations and to inspire others to follow their technical dreams.

Q: What does it mean to you to see the 10th IEEE Day come to pass?

A: We are very proud to reach the 10-year milestone this year. IEEE Day started with 80 events, and last year, we reached 1,050+ events! It is amazing to see how much we have grown over the last 10 years. Thanks to our 400+ motivated ambassadors, we are able to reach more sections and motivate them to organize local celebrations. With such accomplishments, IEEE Day offers proof that, together, IEEE members can turn ideas into successful global projects that radiate positivity and hope around the world.

Q: What plans are in place for the 10th anniversary? How can people take part in the celebration?

A: We are working hard to provide a variety of offerings this year to celebrate the 10th anniversary. You can find an event near you and catch up on the latest by visiting our website and our social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) for details. Among the vast offerings, we are excited to bring again photo and video contests with prizes of up to US$1,000! You can celebrate IEEE Day with us by organizing a local event, pinning it to our events’ map, and then joining the photo and video contests. You can find the IEEE Day-in-a-Box tutorial that provides a step-by-step guide to organizing an IEEE Day event, as well as a list of ideas for you to help inspire you.

Q: What inspired you to become involved as chair?

A: I first joined IEEE Day organizers back in 2013. As a Section ambassador, I got the chance to work with IEEE members from across my Section for the first time. I organized a Sectionwide event that included technical talks, a Teacher In-Service Program (TISP) workshop, as well as a networking session. I saw how IEEE Day brought members from different organizational units together to share their technical knowledge and network, and it sparked in me the motivation to get more involved in this project. Over the years, I took different positions and got a chance to add my input to make IEEE Day even more successful. This year, I am honored to lead a wonderful team of volunteers with the support of an amazing staff team to make this 10-year celebration record-breaking! I hope you are every bit as excited as I am.