The IEEE Humanitarian Activities Committee has been elevated to the IEEE Humanitarian Technology Board (HTB), effective 1 January.
The IEEE Board of Directors approved the change in November. The new board will oversee all humanitarian activities across IEEE’s groups, regions, and societies and is responsible for fostering new collaborations. It also will fund related projects and activities.
HTB is expected to focus on raising awareness of how technically trained people can contribute to society and provide training on how to do that. The board also will continue HAC’s work building a sustainable development community within and beyond IEEE by partnering with the United Nations and other organizations.
Read more about the change in IEEE Spectrum
IEEE Humanitarian Programs
HTB will be collaborating—and coordinating humanitarian efforts—with existing activities and programs, including the following:
- EPICS in IEEE (Engineering Projects in Community Service) empowers students to apply technical solutions to improve their communities and provides them with mentoring. EPICS also funds engineering projects in four core categories: access and abilities; community needs; environment; and education and outreach.
- The IEEE MOVE (Mobile Outreach VEhicle) program provides communities worldwide with power, phone service, and Internet access in areas of widespread outages caused by floods, wildfires, and other natural disasters.
- The IEEE Power & Energy Society Scholarship Plus Initiative provides scholarships and work experience to undergraduates interested in an engineering career in power and energy. The initiative supports the students by providing up to three years of tuition assistance, facilitating internships and co-op experiences, and offering mentoring opportunities.
- IEEE Smart Village brings electricity—as well as access to education and job opportunities—to more than 300,000 people in nearly three dozen remote, off-the-grid communities worldwide.
- The IEEE Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology helps connect IEEE members with underserved communities and local organizations to work on sustainable development projects.
For information about specific humanitarian initiatives for Life members, talk with your Regional Chapter Coordinator.
