IEEE R8 Volunteer Training Series Workshop – 18-19 July – Tunisia: Call for Participation

Dear IEEE Chapter Chairs,

We are pleased to invite you to the upcoming IEEE Region 8 Volunteer Training Series ‘VTS’ workshop, taking place on 18 – 19 July 2025 in Verdi Tunis Beach Resort, Gammarth – Tunis, Tunisia.

This workshop brings together current and future IEEE leaders from across Region 8 to collaborate, share best practices, learn skills and grow as effective leaders in our global community. This training is designed for newly elected Membership Development Officers, Chapter Coordinators, Chapter Chairs, Section Chairs, and Chair-Elects.

The IEEE Region 8 Volunteer Leadership Training (VLT) is your opportunity to:

Learn practical tools for leading successful chapters and organizing impactful events,
Form strategies to grow and retain membership using IEEE tools and analytics,
Receive guidance on chapter formation, funding, and working with IEEE Sections,
Gain insights into annual planning, reporting, and aligning with IEEE goals,
Opportunities to network, share experiences, and collaborate across Region 8.

Apply now to be considered for a place at this limited-capacity event – Application deadline: 4 June 2025

Application Form: https://forms.gle/amway2U SKOpSko Q7

Preliminary Agenda: (detailed agenda to be posted shortly):

Thursday 17 July 2025:
- Travel day and attendees arrival
- Welcome dinner
Friday 18 July 2025
- Opening
- IEEE Tools & Resources
- Lunch and Networking
- Three parallel sessions
  - Student Activities
  - Chapters
  - Membership Development
- Touristic Tour and Dinner
Saturday 19 July 2025
- Cont. 3 parallel sessions
- Conferences
- Project Management
- Knowledge Sharing and Closing remarks
- Lunch and Departure

Logistics:

Notification of participation: 10 June 2025. Please do not book travel until your participation is confirmed.
Approval from your IEEE Section Chair is highly recommended to apply
IEEE Region 8 covers event accommodation (2 nights from 17 to 19 july in Verdi Tunis beach Resort) and registration costs. Additional nights of accommodation can’t be covered by R8.
Tunis Airport transfer to/from Verdi Tunis beach resort (approx. 20 km) is provided by the hotel free of charge for the IEEE participants.
Airline and other attendance costs to/from the event venue must be arranged independently. Please check with your Section Chair / Treasurer for support.
Additional nights of accommodation must be booked individually.

Questions? Please contact us directly at:

Student Activities: Theodoros Panagiotis Chatzinikolaou (Greece): vc.student.activities@ieeer8.org
Chapters: Lee Crudgington (Benelux): [email protected]
Membership Development: Mohab Mangoud (Bahrain): membership.development.[email protected] / [email protected]

For on-site logistics, please contact Habib Kammoun (Tunisia section) by e-mail: [email protected].

We look forward to welcoming you to Tunis!

IEEE Region 8 VTS Organising Committee

IEEE Data Port

IEEE DataPort is a valuable tool for researchers who need to store, share, access other research datasets, and manage research data over time. The IEEE DataPort platform serves the global technical community and can be used by individuals and institutions. To get started, individuals can go to https://ieee-dataport.org and log in. No membership is required, although IEEE Society members will receive a free Individual Subscription upon logging in.

Datasets will receive a free DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and will be stored indefinitely by IEEE. All data owners retain ownership and copyright to their datasets when they are published on the IEEE DataPort platform. The platform is not exclusive, so even if someone has stored their dataset on another platform, they can still publish their data on IEEE DataPort.

IEEE Region 8 – Statement against acts of war

IEEE Region 8 strongly condemns any act of war, aggression, violation of international laws and conventions, or against humanity.

We firmly believe that they have no place in the world and always support efforts to help those who are suffering because of them.

IEEE Ethics Video

For some time the EMCC has been concerned that university engineering programs have not been giving appropriate visibility to ethics education in the engineering curriculum.

To address this issue, the EMCC has produced a 45-minute video that can be used in university electrical and computer engineering programs that will assist faculty and students in gaining a better understanding of the need for ethical conduct within the practice of engineering and can provide students and faculty with approaches that will enable a better focus on ethics in the context of the university classroom.

We would appreciate your assistance in making university engineering programs in your region aware of this new teaching aid.

The 45-minute video is archived at IEEE.TV and can be accessed at any time at the following URL.

https://ieeetv.ieee.org/ethics-and-member-conduct

About R8

Welcome to Region 8 (Europe, Middle East and Africa) of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

The IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional society, and comprises more than 360,000 members who conduct and participate in its activities in 150 countries.
Founded in 1884, the IEEE is a non-profit organisation, and through its members is a catalyst for technological innovation. We are a leading authority in a broad range of areas such as computer engineering, electric power, aerospace and consumer electronics, biomedical technology, and telecommunications, naming only a few.
We publish 30 percent of the world’s literature in electrical engineering, computers and control technology, and hold more than 300 major conferences and 6,000 local meetings annually. Recognized as essential guides for every industry, more than 800 active IEEE standards are in use today with 700 currently in development.
Please use the links at the left to navigate this website, and find out more about the Region and its activities.

Region 8 covers covers Europe, Middle East and Africa, as shown in the map below.

Region 8 Vision

Region 8 is an effectively organized, dynamic and influential entity, recognized as a leading and esteemed part of a truly transnational IEEE, with IEEE benefits equally available to all members

Region 8 Mission

To serve the needs of the members of the Institute, the profession and society at large, by enhancing and supporting the IEEE’s Organizational Units and their activities within Region 8

History of IEEE Region 8

For a first introduction to the history of IEEE Region 8, you are advised to consult the following sources. Do not forget to check on a regular basis the History Activities that are currently going on in Region 8.

Region 8 history book

The book A short history of IRE Region 9 / IEEE Region 8 (.pdf) presents a history of IEEE Region 8 spanning its origins from the IRE Region in Europe, through the IRE/AIEE merger forming the IEEE and subsequently to the present day Region 8 consisting of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Included are personal reflections of past directors, committee meetings and conferences, student activities, award recipients from Region 8, and Region 8 history papers presented at HISTELCON 2012. A number of archival documents are attached as appendices, including ephemera and minutes from early Region 8 Committee meetings. [See also IEEE History Center Newsletter 90, Nov. 2012, p. 9 (.pdf).]
Note that if you click on the link above and open the Document Outline in the left-hand side bar, you can immediately jump to any section of the book and easily navigate through it.
The early history of our Region is adequately described by its initiator (Bruce B. Barrow) in the article The Benelux Section and Early IRE/IEEE Activity in Europe (.pdf) by Jan Biemond and Bruce B. Barrow, presented at the 2009 IEEE Conference on the History of Technical Societies, Philadelphia, PA, 5–7 August 2009; the article is available in IEEEXplore. The important parts are section III IRE Region in Europe, section IV IRE/AIEE Merger, and the appendix Why in the World in Europe? See also Sections 1.2 and 1.5 in the book. You may also want to read the article by Robert C. Winton, The start of Region 8 and its Sections (see Section 1.4 of the book), which is taken from the Region 8 Centennial Review (.pdf), published on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of IEEE, 1984.
Sections 2.1-3 describe the later history of Region 8 (.pdf): 2.1 The creation of IEEE Region 10 and the extension of Region 8, 2.2 The Eastward spread of Sections in Region 8, prepared by Tony Davies, and 2.3 Yugoslavia Section from 1971 to 1992, prepared by Baldomir Zajc.
The book contains four history papers presented at HISTELCON 2012 in Pavia, Italy, 5–7 September 2012. Note that the papers by Jean D. Lebel and Jacob Baal-Schem as they appear in IEEEXplore are NOT the final versions that have been submitted to the conference organizers; the two papers that are included in the book are the actual final versions.
- Martin J. Bastiaans, Researching the roots of IEEE Region 8 (.pdf)
- Jean D. Lebel, Setting up the basis for Region 8 (.pdf)
- Jacob Baal–Schem, Conferences, technical societies and development – A history of synergy (.pdf)
- Anthony C. Davies, “… Go East, Region 8, Go East …” (.pdf)
The book also contains personal reflections by some Past Region 8 Directors: Jean D. Lebel (Director 1965–1966), Rolf Remshardt (Treasurer 1983–1998, Director 1999–2000), Anthony C. Davies (Director 2003–2004), and Baldomir Zajc (Director 2005–2006). Moreover, it provides links to transcripts, available on the Engineering and Technology History Wiki (ETHW), of oral history interviews that were held with some Past Region 8 Directors.
- Founder 1959–1962: Bruce B. Barrow was seminal in the foundation of IRE Region 9, which became IEEE Region 8 after the merger in 1963.
- Director 1965–1966: Jean D. Lebel
- Director 1967–1968: Robert C.G. Williams, together with Gordon H. (Mick) Byford and Bob Winton: Early history of Region 8 and the UKRI Section
- Director 1973–1974: C. Reginald Russell
- Director 1981–1982: Walter Proebster
- Director 1985–1986: Basil W. Osborne
- Director 1991–1992: Kurt Richter
- Director 1995–1996: Peer Martin Larsen
- Director 1999–2000: Rolf A. Remshardt
- Director 2001–2002: Levent Onural
- Director 2005–2006: Baldomir Zajc
Chronological list of Region 8 Sections and Subsections (.xlsx) See also Section 2.4 in the Region 8 history book with several additional remarks.
Geographic Unit statistics at year end (.xlsx) See also Section 2.5 in the Region 8 history book with several additional remarks.
Membership statistics at year end (.xlsx) See also Section 2.6 in the Region 8 history book.
Chronological list of Region 8 Directors (.xlsx) See Section 3.1 in the Region 8 history book for other members of the Region 8 Operating Committee.
Chronological list of Region 8 Committee meetings (.xlsx) See also Chapter 5 in the Region 8 history book. (Scanned) versions of the minutes are available for download; see below under Other sources on the Region 8 website.
Chronological list of Region 8 Conferences (.xlsx) See also Chapter 6 in the Region 8 history book.
Chronological list of Region 8 Student Paper Contest finals (.xlsx) See Section 7.5 in the Region 8 history book for the details.
Chronological list of Region 8 Award Recipients (.xlsx) See Chapter 8 in the Region 8 history book for the citations. See also at the Awards & Contest History webpage.
Chronological list of IEEE Milestones in Region 8 (.xlsx) with links to ETHW and to their locations on Google maps. See Section 9.2 in the Region 8 history book for the citations.

Engineering and Technology History Wiki

The Engineering and Technology History Wiki (ETHW) is a wiki-based platform that allows IEEE members and Organizational Units to collaboratively preserve and share their history (including, for instance, the history of individual IEEE Sections). ETHW hosts the Milestones, Oral Histories, and Archives programs, and also allows IEEE members to contribute to Wikipedia-style topic articles or to preserve their own first-hand histories.
IEEE Region 8 (Europe, Middle East, & Africa) history by Tony Davies, 8 June 2008
List of Region 8 Section histories (.xlsx) with links to ETHW
List of IEEE Milestones in Region 8 (.xlsx) with links to ETHW and to their locations on Google maps
List of Oral Histories related to Region 8 (.xlsx) with links to ETHW

Other sources on the Region 8 website

IEEE Region 8 News, our newsletter that started in 1967, provides a valuable source of information of what happened in Region 8. IEEE Region 8 News is aiming to showcase events, achievements and news items from across the Region. As each issue is produced with specific deadlines throughout the year, it is an ideal medium for reporting on past events, meetings or stories — with the ability to promote future events. The archive of back issues is available online from 2002 onwards; scanned versions of older issues of Region 8 News and its predecessors can be found here.
IEEE Region 8 Today provides an advanced search option to find previous posts. IEEE Region 8 Today was founded on May 2018, aiming to bring to you the latest news of the active members within our Region; moreover, it shares technological information from the IEEE. A large variety of Tech News, IEEE volunteers news, Interviews of people who have contributed a lot to our Region, and many more interesting fields, can be found on our news web portal.
You may also want to check the (scanned) minutes of the Region 8 Committee meetings (and the agenda books of the more recent ones). With the exception of four Region 8 Committee meetings — in Geneva (7 September 1965), Leuven (16 September 1966), Tel Aviv (24 October 1968), and Dubrovnik (25-26 October 1974) — the minutes have been collected in five pdf files, which are available for download:
1962-1970 (.pdf), 1971-1983 (.pdf), 1984-1993 (.pdf), 1994-2009 (.pdf), and 2010-2022 (.pdf).
Previous posts about Region 8 History Activities can be found in the History Activities News Archive.

Miscellaneous weblinks

Region 8 Centennial Review (.pdf), published on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of IEEE (actually of one of IEEE’s predecessors, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, AIEE), 1984
Region 8 and East Europe — History, Development and future Strategy (.pdf) by R.C. Winton, Region 8 Forward Planning Co-ordinator, 12 April 1995
IEEE timeline from 1963 to 1984
IEEE timeline from 1984 to 2012
History of IEEE since 1984

Contacts

Please note that these mailing lists are primarily for internal use within the R8 committee. Therefore, please consider sending your message to a specific person rather than the whole mailing list.

Operating Committee (Opcom)	[email protected]
Membership Activities	[email protected]
YP Subcommittee (part of MA)	[email protected]
Membership Development (part of MA)	[email protected]
Technical Activities	[email protected]
Industrial Relations (part of TA)	[email protected]
Chapter Coordination (part of TA)	[email protected]
Student Activities Committee	[email protected]
Awards & Recognition Subcommittee	[email protected]

Mailing lists

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IEEE Region 8 History Network

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Region 8 Webmaster

This website is maintained by George Michael. If you need any changes, or have more general questions this website and its content, don’t hesitate to send an e-mail to [email protected] .

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