IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC)
Technology for the Benefit of Humanity // Villanova University, USA / October 23-26, 2024

GHTC 2018 Call for Participation

Registration is now open – discounted early bird registration rates available through 14-September

Celebrating its 8th anniversary, IEEE GHTC 2018 is a world class conference focused on discussing sustainable development and humanitarian technology related policy, insight and experiences and showcasing activities aligned with of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).

GHTC 2018 features a vibrant program of plenary presentations, paper and poster presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and unconference sessions. Researchers and practitioners will exchange experiences related to Disaster Mitigation, Affordable & Clean Energy, Agriculture & Food Security, Clean Water & Sanitation, Community engagement and capacity-building, Connectivity & Communication, Healthcare, Applications for Poverty Alleviation, Humanitarian Challenges & Opportunities, Education and Entrepreneurship.

For information on how to register click here.

For information on the venue and accommodation,  click here. Deadline for hotel reservations is 26-Sept.

KEYNOTES

Kofi Taha, MIT D-Lab

As part of MIT’s D-Lab, Kofi Taha has developed and supported asset-based approaches to community-driven livelihood and quality-of-life technology design, mostly in subsistence farming communities where people on average earn less than $3 a day. He has facilitated village-level design-thinking trainings and helped build a global community of 1000+ innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and ecosystem builders focused on addressing the conditions of poverty.

Ron Snyder, Cisco Tactical Operations

Ron Snyder is a Solutions Architect for Cisco Tactical Operations, a dedicated crisis response team that establishes emergency networks in the aftermath of a disaster. Ron deploys and supports mobile communication platforms such as the Network Emergency Response Vehicle, a.k.a. the NERV, and portable kits such as the Rapid Response Kits and Mesh Response Kits. He has deployed to provide communications support in more than 40 sites during the 2017 Hurricane Maria response in Puerto Rico, and in 2015 provided connectivity along the migrant route during European Refugee Crisis in Slovenia.

 

PLENARY PANELS

  • Friday: Field Perspectives on the UN SDGs
  • Saturday: Role of Education in Development
  • Sunday: Disaster Response

 

PARTICIPATORY WORKSHOPS

GHTC 2018 will feature several participatory workshops on Health, Energy, Design Thinking, Disaster Response, and Water/Agriculture.

 

For other program details as announced, see here.

 

SPECIAL EVENTS – Thursday October 18th

IEEE HAC Pre-Conference Workshop:  Technology and Innovation for the SDGs

IEEE Humanitarian Activities Committee would like to invite IEEE GHTC 2018 conference participants, IEEE SIGHT members and other key stakeholders active in the sustainable development space to join us and contribute during this full-day participatory workshop.

This participatory workshop will combine theory, practice and working group collaboration. Participants will have the opportunity to take a deep dive into how science, technology, engineering and the adoption of technology standards can make a significant contribution to successful implementation of SDGs. Total beginners, enthusiastic amateurs, experienced practitioners and scientists, technologists and engineers will have the opportunity to learn from one another by combining personal experience with the diversity of perspectives and lessons learnt shared during the conference.

IoT architecture for humanitarian services Workshop (free with registration)

This 4-hour workshop discusses Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies in addressing humanitarian challenges in developing countries. We explore many examples of IoT applications, use-cases, and benefits such as improving agricultural production by alerting farmers about weather patterns, healthcare by remotely conducting remote diagnosis of diseases, livestock care by using of RFID tags, public health and safety by monitoring water sanitation and fire. In the second part, we describe the main IoT building blocks and conclude the workshop with live demonstration of several IoT-based systems. See http://2018.ieeeghtc.org/pages/iot-workshop

IEEE GHTC Student Poster Competition – deadline 15-Sept

IEEE GHTC 2018 invites undergraduate students to submit abstracts for the Student Poster Competition about ideas or designs for developing projects/products supporting the Key focus areas of GHTC. Selected posters will be featured during the GHTC 2018 Student Poster Session, on Thursday, October 18.

The deadline to submit poster abstracts is midnight US Pacific Time, September 15, 2018.

Cash prizes will be awarded as follows:
Judges Award-$750
Technical Award-$500
People’s Choice Award-$250

For details and to enter, see: http://2018.ieeeghtc.org/pages/student-poster-competition

 

IEEE GHTC 2018 is sponsored by IEEE Region 6 and the Santa Clara Valley Section, and technically co-sponsored by IEEE-USA, and the IEEE SSIT, CES, EMBS, MTT, and PES societies.

We thank our Patrons:   Global Good (Intellectual Ventures) and IEEE Humanitarian Activities Committee.