As of January 1st, the IEEE Committee for Humanitarian Affairs has been transformed into the IEEE Humanitarian Technology Council. The IEEE Board of Directors approved the change in November.

The new Board will oversee all humanitarian activities in the IEEE Groups, Regions and Societies and will be responsible for developing new collaborations. It will also finance related projects and activities.


Change provides a systematic process for creating programs and managing existing ones.

HTB is expected to focus on raising awareness of how technically trained individuals can contribute to society and learning how to do so. The Board will also continue HAC’s work to build a sustainability community within and outside the IEEE, working with the United Nations and other organizations.

HTB will also continue to host the annual HAC Global Summit. The virtual event brings together IEEE members from around the world who are using or want to use their technical expertise to address sustainability issues.

“The new council will benefit all of IEEE’s humanitarian and sustainability programs and will also enhance the membership experience worldwide.”

“Bringing IEEE groups together to work collaboratively on humanitarian projects and working with outside organizations will help make the IEEE a global leader in sustainability,” said IEEE Senior Member Sampatkumar Veeraraghavan, HAC Chair 2021-2022. “By doing so, the IEEE can have a more differentiated and aggregated global impact.”

“HTB allows the IEEE to more effectively coordinate programs and projects across the organization,” adds Mark Beebe, IEEE senior director of strategic research, community engagement, and corporate development. Beebe helped write a proposal to raise HAC to board. “Showing members the work that IEEE does in the humanitarian sector creates a level of engagement that really matters to members and to the IEEE as an organization.”

Recognition for record growth and influence

HAC has greatly expanded its membership and collaboration with IEEE groups and other organizations over the past two years. The number of humanitarian projects funded last year increased by almost 50 percent compared to 2020.

For its efforts, HAC has been honored with the American Society of Association Leaders’ Power of Associations Summit Award in the Global Development category. This is the first time IEEE has received an award for its humanitarian work.

“Receiving this honor is very special because it is a historic milestone for the committee,” Veeraraghavan says. “I am delighted that he received this award and I am proud of how much HAC has grown over the past two years despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Given the growth and worldwide recognition of the IEEE HAC, I think HTB is a big step forward for the committee,” he says. “It will also benefit all of IEEE’s humanitarian and sustainability programs and empower participants around the world.”

Video about IEEE HAC shown at the American Society of Association Leaders Awards.www.youtube.com

IEEE Humanitarian Programs

HTB will collaborate and coordinate humanitarian efforts with existing activities and programs including the following.

EPICS at IEEE (Engineering Projects in Public Works) gives students the opportunity to apply technical solutions to improve their communities and provides them with mentorship. EPICS also funds engineering projects in four main categories: access and opportunity; community needs; Wednesday; and education and advocacy.

IEEE MOVE (mobile communication facility) The program provides people around the world with electricity, telephone and Internet access in areas of massive power outages caused by floods, forest fires and other natural disasters. The MOVE truck is equipped with satellite Internet access, IP-telephony service and the ability to simultaneously charge up to 100 mobile phone batteries. The car has a generator, as well as three solar panels that are installed on the roof. It also has a mobile TV for tracking storms and a radio for communication.

IEEE Power & Energy Society Plus Fellowship Initiative provides scholarships and work experience to students who are interested in engineering careers in energy and energy. The initiative supports students by providing up to three years of learning assistance, facilitating internships and shared experiences, and offering mentoring opportunities. Since its launch in 2011, over 1,500 scholarships have been awarded to over 900 students from 200 colleges and universities in Canada and the United States. There are also scholarship programs in India and Italy.

IEEE Smart Village provides electricity, education and employment opportunities to more than 300,000 people in nearly 30 remote, off-grid communities around the world. Smart Village members work with entrepreneurs in India, Nigeria and elsewhere to help them create micro-utilities using solar panels and other renewable energy technologies to power homes, businesses and schools.

IEEE Humanitarian Technology Task Force helps connect IEEE members with low-income communities and local organizations to work on sustainability projects.