IEEE Region8 News Dec 2013 | Page 5

region news Left: the unveiling of the plaque draws a considerable crowd. Inset: one of the huge components of the system, still preserved. Krka-Sibenik electric power system in Croatia gets IEEE Milestone recognition ON 5 May, Croatia Section dedicated a IEEE Milestone for Krka-Sibenik at the site of the hydro power plant Krka, with the citation: “On 28th August 1895 electricity generated at this location was transmitted through 11.5 kilometers long overhead transmission line to the city of Sibenik, where six power transformers 3000/110 V supplied 340 street lamps. This early system of power generation, transmission and distribution was one of the first complete multi­ hase alternating p current systems in the world and it remained in operation until World War I.” The year 1895 was significant ENERGYCON 2014 Dubrovnik, Croatia • 13–16 May 2014 IEEE EnergyCon is dedicated to experts carrying out research focused to energy and power systems. It has already become one of the premier IEEE forums for the application of electronics, instrumentation, information and communication technology to the electricity industry. www.energycon2014.org for the first exploitation of water resources to generate electricity in Croatia, which brought public electric lighting to the streets of Sibenik. The architects were Sibenik’s mayor Ante Supuk, his son Marko, and Sibenik’s city surveyor, Vjekoslav Meichsner. Croatia is very proud to have the first Milestone of this kind in this part of Europe. The ceremony was opened by IEEE Croatia Section past chair, Igor Kuzle, followed by an introduction by current chair, Mislav Grgic. IEEE president Peter Staecker unveiled the plaque, assisted by Martin Bastiaans, IEEE R8 director, and Marko Delimar. Dražen Supuk, a great-grandson of Ante Supuk, gave an interesting talk about the people who initially conceived this idea and accomplished it. Region 8 supports schools and colleges THE Pre-University Works committee has been working to promote IEEE’s Pre-University programmes in Region 8. During two years, we have been quite successful in adding an education track (workshops on the Teacher In-Service Program), Engineering Projects In Community Service (EPICS-inIEEE), and social innovation, etc, to every Student Branch and GOLD Congress held since June 2012 – seven congresses in all. We have also been encouraging local events and activities in different parts of the region. In September 2013, we participated in the UK&RI Section Student Branch and GOLD Congress, and organised a TISP workshop, with 24 participants from 12 universities. In October, PUW supported an Open Fest TISP in Greece with the help of the Mayor of Lamia, and the Greek Ministry of Education. We also helped the TISP workshops in Uganda and Kenya. In collaboration with Region 8 PUW, the IEEE Educational Activities Board’s Pre-University Education Coordinating Committee (PECC) is organising a TISP Middle East, with some 100 participants participating from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Palestine, Tunisia and UAE for this event in January 2014. If you intend to organise a TISP or an EPICS-in-IEEE project then please email us at [email protected]. More information is available at www.ieee.org/education_careers/ education/preuniversity. Sohaib Qamar Sheikh Pre-University Activities Coordinator Every Student Branch and GOLD Congress since June 2012 has featured an EPICS programme section news Cyprus network brings entrepreneurs together CYPRUS Section believes it has established the first IEEE Entrepreneurs Network in Region 8. It was established in January 2013 with monthly meetings in Cyprus designed to bring people together who share interests related to starting a business. Events include talks and workshops for business planning, financing, leadership skills training. A TechMatch program is structured to give participants some continuing support for their development ideas through direct communications and mentoring. Further information is available from Anastasia Georgouli, Chair of the IEE E Cyprus Entrepreneurs Network. http://ieee.org.cy/category/communities/ other-communities/en/ Guest lecture paves way for collaborative mm-wave research Dr Stander (centre) with his hosts at Mangosuthu University of Technology THE Mangosuthu University of Technology was pleased to host Dr Tinus Stander, SMIEEE, on 27 May at its campus in Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Dr Stander gave a lecture ‘On-chip microwave passives for mm-wave: perspectives on size and quality’, his research at the Carl and Emily Fuchs Institute for Microelectronics, University of Pretoria. The talk was well received and linked to activities of Dr Pius Owolawi, MIEEE at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Mangosuthu University of Technology. The event was co-hosted by the APS/MTTS/EMCS chapter of the IEEE South Africa Section, and attracted 12 attendees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, Mangosuthu, and the Tshwane Universities of Technology. With an ever-increasing demand with wideband data transmission, mm-wave bands have been earmarked for medium range terrestrial communication such as LTE backbone links to rural areas. Mass penetration in the mobile market requires designers to look for simple-to-use packaged mm-wave front-ends, not only on-chip but also on-package and in-package. The lecture gave a brief look at current development on some of the passive components required for them. Tinus Stander, Secretary IEEE MTTS/APS/EMCS Chapter, South Africa Section [email protected] MELECON 2014 Beirut, Lebanon • 13–16 April 2014 High quality peer-reviewed research from all over the world covering diverse topics in electrical, communications, biomedical and computer engineering. melecon2014.org IEEE Region 8 News  December 2013  5