By Gamantyo Hendrantoro, Chair, IEEE Indonesia Section
On 14 May 2023, the IEEE R10 Director Prof. Lance Fung attended the in-person IEEE Indonesia Section (IS) Executive and Advisory Committee Meeting. While the Excom consists of the current officers, the Adcom consists of all Past Chairs of the Section. The Section Executive Committee/Adcom meeting, the first held offline after the pandemic, took place in BINUS University BASE Campus in Tangerang, organized by BINUS University Student Branch. The meeting was attended by twenty (20) IEEE IS Excom members, six (6) Adcom members, seven (7) BINUS Student Branch officers and counselors, and three (3) R10 officers.
The meeting was welcomed by Section Vice Chair Dr. Agnes Irwanti followed by a report from Section Chair Prof. Gamantyo Hendrantoro on achievements, challenges, and next plans for the Section. He also introduced the Section officers one by one to the audience as this was the first time the 2023 Section Executive Committee met face-to-face. Afterward, the R10 Director spoke on challenges, opportunities, and the current situation in Region 10, which currently has around 69000 members, 60 sections, and 42 subsections. He explained the ongoing preparations for the planned splitting of Region 10. Prof. Fung wished that Indonesia Section can participate more actively in organizing regional conferences and supporting the new region resulting from the region splitting.
The meeting was concluded with a joyful celebration of the 35th anniversary of IEEE Indonesia with a birthday cake and photo sessions. The celebration took some emotional moments, though, when some of the Past Chairs reflected on how they struggled to maintain the life of the Section during difficult times, even by sacrificing their own money to fund events, especially during the Section’s early life and the 1998 global economic crisis. Finally, after the meeting, informal-yet-fruitful talks and exchanges of ideas among the attendants followed.