By Chamodi Rangika, Editor, IEEE Sri Lanka Section
The IEEE Sri Lanka Section successfully conducted the Conference Quality and Management Workshop funded by IEEE R10 as a three-day event from 23-25 November 2023. The workshop was designed with the primary objective of educating potential conference organizers on IEEE guidelines for conference quality. This included a wide range of topics such as the conference application process, timelines, sponsorships, technical programs, plagiarism issues, financial planning, publication of proceedings, and post-conference processing.
The first day of the workshop took place on 23 November via the Zoom platform. Dr. Pubudu Jayasena and Ambarish S. Natu from IEEE R10 led the sessions on Conference Management Tools and the best ways to promote and run a conference, respectively. These sessions provided valuable insights into the practical aspects of conference management.
On the second day of the workshop, which was held on 24 November, Ms. Pushpamala Perera and Ms. Geethani Katugampola conducted a session on guidelines for handling plagiarism and tools for checking plagiarism. This was followed by Prof. Saman Halgamuge’s session on encouraging international participation and contributions to local conferences. These sessions highlighted the importance of maintaining academic integrity and fostering global collaboration.
The third day of the “Conference Quality and Management Workshop” was conducted on the 25 November at Curtin Colombo. It covered many aspects and areas related to Conference Quality and Management. Prof. Pradeep Abeygunawardhana, the Conference Committee Chair of the IEEE Sri Lanka Section, started his session with an introduction to IEEE Conferences. Prof. Buddhika Jayasekara, Chairman of the IEEE Sri Lanka Section, emphasized the role of the IEEE Sri Lanka Section and the conference application process and submission of papers to the IEEE publication program. Prof. S. Vasanthapriyan highlighted the roles and responsibilities of the standard conference committee and quality assurance guidelines for an IEEE conference. Prof. Ruwan Gopura concluded his session by highlighting IEEE conference quality guidelines and the review process.