By Seishi Takamura ( IEEE R10 North Asia Representative) Hosei University/NTT Corporation, Japan
New Region 10 shall comprise North Asia, and new Region 11 shall comprise South Asia and Pacific in 2028. The comprehensive history and rationale of Region Realignment are found in the 2023 April issue of Region 10 Newsletter, “Region Realignment Why Will We Divide Region 10 into Two?” by Prof. Akinori Nishihara, Region 10 Director 2019-2020.
Actual preparation and planning for the Region split involve many aspects such as Finance, Website, System, Governance document changes, membership, geographic activities, etc. Region Realignment Ad-Hoc Group is actively conducting those. My roles as a Zone representative include:
- Collecting voices from within the Zone. The “compact” time differences in North Asia Zone, which is only one hour (currently, Region 10 has a maximum seven and half hour difference), would greatly help intra-Zone communications.
- Contribution to Region 10 Strategic Planning and New Initiatives Committee (Chair: Prof. Takako Hashimoto, Region 10 Director-Elect), one of whose projects is to launch a successful Region Realignment
- Updating Region 10 Bylaws regarding Zone and Zone Representative descriptions.
The strategic policies and expected outcomes are:
- Strengthening membership activities – to enhance membership and geographic activities in addition to fostering technical activities.
- Collaboration with industry – to forge strong partnerships, leverage resources, and expertise, and drive technological advancements that address real-world challenges as an engineer of industry and, at the same time as a Professor of a university.
- Strengthening regional connectivity – to foster communication and cooperation among all Asian and Pacific members up to Council and Office level, as an ExCom member of Japan Council.
I believe the Region Realignment would mark a significant step forward in enhancing collaboration and strengthening geographic and technical activities. I am committed to supporting the smooth transition of Region Realignment and driving initiatives that benefit our members. Together, we can propel new Regions 10 and 11 to new heights. I invite you all to contribute your ideas, expertise, and energy to these endeavors.