Greetings from the New President

I am honored to be the President of the IEICE Communication Society (IEICE-CS) in 2023. I am committed to dedicating myself to the advancement of the IEICE-CS, and I kindly ask for your support and cooperation in the upcoming year.

The IEICE-CS has been actively engaged in research and development activities through specialized research committees and editorial committees, contributing significantly to the advancement of knowledge and technology for communications. In recent years, we have witnessed a rapid emergence of new technologies and services, such as AI-based image recognition, autonomous driving technology, and more recently, language generation services like ChatGPT. Alongside the continuous improvement of high-speed and high-capacity communication technologies, there is a growing demand for interdisciplinary technological developments encompassing new applications and information services. Meeting these demands requires the collaboration of diverse expertise from both domestic and international sources. To address this evolving landscape, the IEICE-CS has taken proactive measures, including the establishment of interdisciplinary research groups and the launch of a new international conference directly organized by the IEICE-CS. These initiatives aim to foster pioneering activities that bring together various fields of expertise.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had a profound impact on society, causing significant disruptions in various aspects of our lives. Academic societies, including the IEICE-CS, were not immune to these challenges. Conferences, workshops, and committee meetings had to transition to remote or online formats to ensure the safety of participants and comply with social distancing measures. This shift had far-reaching effects on the society's activities. In 2022, as the situation surrounding the pandemic gradually improved, a hybrid approach combining both onsite and online meetings was adopted for workshops and committee meetings, with careful consideration of the prevailing conditions. As of June 2023, we are witnessing a return to primarily in-person events. While the past three years presented an unprecedented crisis, it also served as an opportunity to recognize the importance of information and communication technologies. The remarkable development of online conferencing tools and platforms enabled smooth communication and collaboration even in remote settings. It can be said that the IEICE-CS’s contribution to the advancement of these technologies played a significant role during these challenging times.

In order for human society to sustainably progress in the future, diversity plays a key role. For promoting diversity, the IEICE-CS aims to accelerate its globalization efforts. Specifically, we intend to promote the global reach of our journals, ensuring that researchers from around the world can contribute and access them. Additionally, we aim to foster international networking opportunities through workshops and conferences that transcend national borders. To achieve the globalization of our journals, we change the publication platforms for our English journals, IEICE Transactions on Communications (EB) and Communication Express (ComEX), to IEEE Xplore in 2023. This transition will enable us to make accepted papers openly accessible, significantly improving the citation impact and potentially increasing the number of submissions. We anticipate an enhancement in Impact Factor and a broader readership for these journals. Regarding the globalization of workshops and conferences, we are currently working towards hosting the 4th edition of our flagship international conference, ICETC, predominantly on-site in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Moreover, in the section of planning and member activities, we have initiated a working group to explore new means of communication to replace the Global Newsletter. This endeavor aims to strengthen the IEICE-CS's overseas promotion and expand our outreach efforts.

In order to enhance the globalization and revitalization of the IEICE-CS, we plan to actively organize special issues in our English journals that align with activities such as ICETC, co-sponsored international conferences, and workshops organized by regular technical committees, ad hoc ones and technical committees for workshop Type 3. Through these initiatives, we aim to promote the activities of the IEICE-CS on IEEE Xplore, increasing its visibility worldwide. We will also strengthen our overseas promotional efforts by actively encouraging submissions and participation in ICETC, English sessions at conferences, and overseas workshops. Furthermore, we intend to create an attractive society that facilitates multidimensional exchanges among researchers from both domestic and international backgrounds. This will be achieved through proactive coordination and collaboration between the technical committees, the editorial board, and the planning and member activities committee, ensuring the delivery of appealing society services to both members and non-members. We are strongly willing to work towards the globalization, revitalization, and further development of our society. We greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation in supporting the future activities of the IEICE-CS.