Organizing Distinguished Lectures

 

To organize a distinguished lecture, the IEEE CIS Chapter Chair should perform the following steps:

1. Before organizing a Distinguished Lecture, an IEEE CIS Chapter Chair should contact other (one or more) chapter chair(s) in their region so as to identify whether their request for a Distinguished Lecture could be coordinated with these chapters.

2. Based on members’ interests, Chapter Chair(s) chooses a DL from the list of current DLs and a topic (sub-field of CIS). Different topics may be chosen for coordinated multi-chapter events. Chair(s) should contact the DL directly and work out preliminary details of the visit (chapter(s) event, date(s), location(s), financial arrangements etc).

3. Local expenses (such as hotel, food, transportation) should be provided by the arranging Chapter(s). However, if more than one chapter agrees to a coordinated visit, the DLP Chair can approve a percentage of the savings in travel expenses to be used to reduce chapters’ local expenses.

4. The preliminary details agreed between the chapter chair(s) and the DL should be included in the DLP Application Form, to be sent to the DLP Chair for approval.

5. Applications for DL events are evaluated continuously and Chapter Chairs are encouraged to make their requests early so as to secure the approval of the DL visit. Priority is given to the first application for a DL per year. In a Calendar year, July 30 is the last day requests can be submitted to the DLP Chair for travel within that Calendar year. Provided funds are available, later applications can be considered.

6. If the event is approved, the Chapter Chair(s) should make arrangements well in advance of the planned visit, so as to minimize travel costs.

7. After the visit is approved by the DLP Chair, the Chapter Chair should contact the DL to finalize arrangements.

8. The lecture and mentoring session should be open events. Chapters are expected to publicize the event through the Chapter’s own newsletter and email lists, and with the support of other IEEE chapters in their vicinity. Chapters should seek to broadly advertise the event to non IEEE CIS professionals (academics/industry/government) so as to attract new professionals to the field and new members to IEEE CIS. Chapters should ensure that IEEE CIS non-members are provided information about IEEE CIS as well as the opportunity to join the IEEE CIS. The chapter chair should also invite young researchers, who are willing to discuss with the DL about their research problems. The interested students/researchers should be asked to send their names and research topics to the chapter chair by a specified deadline. The Chapter chair may send these information to the DL. The number of research students/researchers may be restricted to 2 to 3. The interactive mentoring session may follow the DL. The Chapter is also encouraged to arrange another lecture by the DL for undergraduate students in a nearby university/institute or for industry participants.

9. The event must be announced as "Sponsored by the Computational Intelligence Society under its Distinguished Lecturer Program" and the lecturer should be mentioned as an “IEEE CIS Distinguished Lecturer.” If other IEEE societies or organizations have offered to support this Chapter activity, then proper acknowledgment should also be made.

10. Immediately following the event, the Chapter Chair should send a summary report to the DLP chair including information on the lecture and mentoring-session date/title, a copy of the announcement, photos, and the chapter chair’s evaluation of the success of the event (attendance of the event, attendees evaluation of the event, new CIS members resulting from the event) as well as any additional comments.