It is my pleasure to welcome you to the 2024 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC). GHTC is the flagship annual conference that brings together academics, for-profit and non-profit organizations, field practitioners, and students to demonstrate how they are addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals using technology to meet the needs of under-served communities around the world.
The conference program includes two pre- conference workshops titled “Effective AI for Social Good” and “Humanitarian Engineering Education Programs”. I am sure that you will find both workshops very interesting.
We have several keynote speakers, plenary sessions, panels, and presentations by colleagues from all over the world. The opening day plenary session will include three speakers: Mr. Amit Bhatnagar, founder of Accuster Technologies Pvt. Ltd, a company now addressing healthcare problems in India and across the world, Mr. Andrew Lamb, Chair, Internet Production Alliance working on distributed manufacturing worldwide, and Ben Savonen, has been working for 13 years in global development and social entrepreneurship in the US and East Africa. We have panels on Young Professionals/Women in Engineering, and the IEEE Humanitarian organizations, including IEEE HTB, IEEE Smart Village, and IEEE EPICS. The keynote speaker at the Conference Gala Dinner is Dr. Revi Sterling, Technical Director, Women in the Digital Ecosystem Fund (WiDEF), where her work focuses on bringing connectivity and digital literacy to women across the world.
We are delighted and honored to again host this 14th edition of the conference at Villanova University. Located about 12 miles west of Philadelphia, Villanova University is conveniently located about a 20-minute train ride from the City of Philadelphia and about 30 minutes’ drive from Philadelphia International Airport. The City of Philadelphia offers many cultural experiences including excellent restaurants, the famous Philadelphia Museum of Art, where you can take a picture of the Rocky statue. Philadelphia was the first capital of the United States and is where Independence Hall (where the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were written) and the Liberty Bell are located. South Philadelphia is also the home of several prominent sporting teams including the Phillies baseball team, the Eagles football team, the Flyers ice hockey team, the 76ers basketball team, and the Union MLS soccer team. The famous King of Prussia Mall, the second largest mall in the US, and Valley Forge National Park, are also located close to Villanova University.
I want to thank everyone who has made this year’s IEEE GHTC conference possible, including:
- Members of the Technical Committee
- Track chairs
- Session chairs
- Logistics and local arrangements coordinators
- Publicity chair
- Publications chair
- Authors of papers and posters
I also want to thank the financial sponsors and patrons who have supported this year’s conference.
We are grateful that you have taken the time to attend the conference in person or remotely. We hope that you will engage with your colleagues, learn from each other, forge new partnerships, and take advantage of the many social opportunities offered by Philadelphia and its surrounding areas.
Best wishes for a fruitful and enjoyable 2024 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference!
Dr. Pritpal (“Pali”) Singh
Chair, 2024 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference