Global Trips

Italy

As my tenure as IEEE President comes to an end, I reflect on the many experiences and accomplishments of 2024. In this article, I will share some of my highlights from the last few months, including my visits to Italy, Japan, and the United States.

IEEE AI Ethics Activities and Recent Board Activities

In November, I spoke at IEEE Tencon, a Region 10 conference in Singapore, about IEEE AI Ethics activities and recent IEEE board activities. I also encouraged our younger members to stay with us and make IEEE their professional home. During my visit, I toured the local Schneider Electric Office, a startup called Black Sesame, the IEEE Singapore office, and A-Star, a Singapore government-funded research organization.

Japan

In Kyoto, Japan, I gave a talk at a virtual and physical event for students and young professionals about recent activities approved at the IEEE November board of directors meeting, as well as stronger engagement with industry and how IEEE can be the professional home for our younger members and support their careers. I also visited two milestones in Kyoto.

The first was to Shimadzu Corporation, a biomedical company in Kyoto, where I joined Nobel laureate Koichi Tanaka, who invented the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization technique, which allows ionization of large organic molecules for various medical and biological research applications. This milestone was installed in November 2024.

The second was to the Keage Hydro Power Station, which used water from the Lake Biwa Canal to create electricity for the city starting in 1897. The facility is still working to provide low-carbon power to Kyoto.

Nintendo Museum Visit

Nintendo recently opened a museum near Kyoto. I visited it with 2020 IEEE President Toshio Fukuda, IEEE Council Office’s Makiko Koto, and my Kyoto host, Tomohiro Hase-sensei. We saw animated Nintendo Toads and Toadstools at the museum, which was a unique experience.

Italy

I flew from Kyoto to New Jersey to give out the Charles Proteus Steinmetz award to Gary Hoffman at the IEEE Standards award event and then flew back to San Francisco to attend the IEEE IEDM, International Electron Devices Meeting, to give out three more technical field awards and attend some sessions at the IEDM and the MRAM Forum following the IEDM on Thursday. I also attended an IEEE Magnetics Society standards meeting on Wednesday night.

After spending a half-day at home in San Jose, I headed to Bologna and Milan, Italy, to give some talks in Bologna and give out the IEEE Control Systems Society award at the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, CDC, in Milan, Italy, before heading home for some time with my family.

Concluding Thoughts

As I wrap up my tenure as IEEE President, I am proud of the many accomplishments we have achieved this year. I am grateful for the opportunity to have served and look forward to continuing to be involved with IEEE in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What was your favorite part of your trip to Italy?
A: I enjoyed visiting the Italian Academy of Science and giving a talk about the IEEE and the work of our board.

Q: What was the most memorable moment from your trip to Japan?
A: Visiting the Keage Hydro Power Station and seeing the milestone plaque was a highlight.

Q: What was the most interesting thing you learned during your trip?
A: I learned about the history of Nintendo and its evolution from card games to electronic devices.

Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: I will be working with the 2025 IEEE President, Kathleen Kramer, as IEEE Past President in 2025.