Message from ISS President

2024 President

The Information and Systems Society (hereinafter ISS) is engaged in research on fundamental and applied technologies that integrate information processing technology with computers, communications, and human systems, as well as their societal implementation. As the largest society within IEICE, it aims to provide members with opportunities for research presentations and exchanges, contributing to the sustainable development of the information technology field and the resolution of social issues. In the fiscal year 2024, we will continue to incorporate new measures in our activities, including journals, research meetings, comprehensive conferences and FIT, internationalization, and mentorship programs.

(1) Transactions
Transactions represent the culmination of research efforts, and we strive to enhance them. In the English Transactions ED, since making all papers open access in January 2020, access and citation numbers have increased, and the impact factor is on the rise. Moving forward, we aim to further open access by aligning with initiatives like the IEEE Xplore publication started by the Communications Society. For the Japanese journal D, we will continue to ensure high-quality peer reviews, shorten the review period, and promote submissions from students and junior members, as well as new categories such as case studies. Additionally, we have started initiatives to link the peer reviews of papers presented at international conferences and symposiums hosted by the technical committees with journal reviews, allowing authors to submit to the journal if desired. By increasing the options for journal acceptance from these conferences, we aim to invigorate technical committee activities and enhance the significance of the journals.

(2) Research committees
Currently, ISS holds research committees through 26 technical committees (including special technical committees), providing forums for discussing research in various specialized fields and forming human networks. With the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a trend to return to in-person meetings to reduce the cost of hybrid events and revive the networking function of research meetings. ISS will continue to support the planning and operation of research meetings by the technical committees to maximize member satisfaction.

(3) General Conferences and FIT
Since 2022, FIT has been held in a fully hybrid format, allowing in-person participation. Furthermore, the General Conference in March 2024 will primarily be held in-person, with online attendance available only for planned sessions. This new operational format of holding events almost entirely in-person, with limited online components, is becoming the norm in the post-COVID era. The student poster session at the General Conference, initiated by ISS, saw enthusiastic discussions among young researchers, including high school students. This initiative has been adopted by other societies as well, and ISS will continue to promote research activities, including those involving junior members.

(4) Internationalization and Mentorship
There are strengthened measures to support the internationalization of the entire society. One such measure is the support for international conferences and workshops held overseas by the technical committees to increase overseas membership. ISS has also started travel expense support for students whose papers are accepted at top conferences through the mentorship program. Moreover, ISS successfully hosted the biennial international conference MVA2023, which has a history of over 35 years, and preparations for MVA2025 are already underway. We will continue to implement measures to increase the number of international conferences and workshops hosted by ISS technical committees.

Through these initiatives, ISS aims to continue supporting the success of its members’ research and technological development. We appreciate your continued support and cooperation.

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