Welcome to the 14th Annual IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC) in Philadelphia. GHTC brings together researchers and practitioners to share practical technology-enabled solutions that address the needs of underserved populations worldwide.
The response to the call for papers was very positive. We received a total of 159 submissions of full papers and oral-only presentations that represented a wide variety of projects at various stages of maturity. Of these, 80 have been accepted, resulting in an array of exciting presentations from 16 countries that broadly cover the UN Sustainable Goals underlying the conference. We personally read every paper and are confident that all attendees will leave the conference inspired to create more impact. This year, presentations are spread across 16 technical sessions in two days, our two-track format with considerable question time will allow attendees to see more of the papers and have substantial interactions with presenters.
After last year’s very positive feedback on the new program format, we are reducing the technical sessions to five presentations each (eight minutes for each presentation followed 35 minutes for discussion with and among all presenters) to promote greater discussion and future collaborations. These presentations are complemented by an array of keynotes, plenary presentations, and panel discussions on a variety of topics.
Following last year’s success, the conference once again commences with the GHTC Souk, a marketplace for everyone to present and share impactful ideas whether they are just a notion, or something fully implemented. Every attendee, whether they have a paper or not is encouraged and expected to bring something to share – a product, a poster, photos, or an idea on a napkin. We know everyone will find ideas, collaborators, and connections in a fun-filled and informal atmosphere.
We are very thankful to all the track chairs and paper reviewers for their thoughtful evaluations of the submissions. The dedicated help and hard work of these individuals helped us to put together a strong technical program for the conference. We would also like to thank the entire conference planning committee for their invaluable leadership and patience with the two program chairs during the planning of the conference. Everyone’s hard work and dedication to creating the best possible event should have all attendees excited.
We welcome you to Philadelphia, look forward to meeting you in person, and hope that you enjoy the conference program and the technical discussions with other researchers and practitioners. We also look forward to your continued participation in future GHTC conferences.
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Toby Cumberbatch and John Gershenson
IEEE GHTC 2024 Technical Program Committee Chairs