The Bridge - Issue 3, 2023 - 8

Feature
Global Impact: SIGHT global leaders visiting a power plant in Abuja, Nigeria
Leading the Global Frontiers of IEEE Humanitarian
Engineering and Technologies Programs
Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan, Senior Member, IEEE; Mohamed Essaaidi, Senior Member, IEEE
Abstract
We are living in the age of mass personalization, where
advancements in artificial intelligence and emerging
technologies are revolutionizing the way people interact
and live. At the same time, we still live in an era where
millions of people are living in extreme poverty, lacking
access to clean water, basic sanitation, electricity, the
Internet, quality education, and healthcare. To address
these global challenges, a systematic framework to drive
a collective commitment for sustainable development
is offered by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). The 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, embraced globally in 2015,
outlines a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity
through 17 SDGs. To achieve these goals, we need global
solutions to tackle the grandest challenges facing our
planet. Thus, engineers play a key role in driving sustainable
development through their innovations and solutions. The
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) is the
world's largest technical professional organization dedicated
to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.
In recent years, IEEE and its members have become
increasingly involved in humanitarian technologies and
sustainable development programs. Today, IEEE offers a
THE BRIDGE
portfolio of global programs to inspire, connect, and engage
its members at the grassroots level so they can leverage
their technical and leadership skills to address universal
challenges. IEEE established the Humanitarian Technologies
Board (HTB) in 2022 to offer a centralized platform to
nurture and support various IEEE humanitarian engineering
programs. Today, IEEE offers several key programs in the
humanitarian space, including IEEE Special Interest Group
on Humanitarian Technologies (SIGHT), IEEE Smart Village,
IEEE Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS),
IEEE Mobile Outreach Vehicle (MOVE) for disaster relief
and outreach, and IEEE Empower a Billion Lives. These
programs support a wide range of projects that use
technology to address universal challenges and contribute
to the SDGs and sustainable growth. This article will
highlight key challenges related to SDGs, climate change,
IEEE humanitarian programs, emerging technologies for
SDGs, and critical design factors to implement technologybased
humanitarian programs.
Keywords: IEEE, IEEE HTB, SIGHT, IEEE Smart Village,
EPICS, MOVE, Humanitarian Technologies, sustainable
development, UN SDGs, climate change, IEEE Eta Kappa
Nu, social innovations, Humanitarian Engineering,
Emerging Technologies, and Brahmam Innovation Model.
The Bridge - Issue 3, 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Bridge - Issue 3, 2023
