IEEE New Zealand Central Section Joint Event

The IEEE New Zealand Central Section invites members, students, alumni, and the wider community to a joint event featuring activities from the Young Professionals, Life Members, and Women in Engineering Affinity Groups. The event is sponsored partially by IEEE Young Professionals (IEEE YP) & IEEE Foundation. The event is open to both IEEE members and non-members. All are welcome. Date & Time: 4:00-7:00 pm, 9 Nov, 2026 Venue: KKLT301, Kirk Building, Victoria University of Wellington (VUW), Kelburn Campus Zoom link: https://vuw.zoom.us/j/96019531992 Details: 4:00-4:15 - Welcome and IEEE Membership Bach Nguyen, Chair of the IEEE New Zealand Central Section, will introduce the event and provide a brief overview of IEEE membership, activities, and benefits for students, researchers, and professionals. 4:15-5:00 - Young Professionals Affinity Group: VUW Alumni as Mentors for VUW Students Moderated by Dr Qurrat Ul Ain This session will bring together VUW alumni and current students to discuss mentoring, career development, and the transition from university to professional life. Alumni will share their experiences and perspectives on how mentoring and professional networks can support students as they plan their future careers. 5:00-5:30 - Afternoon Tea An opportunity to network with speakers, IEEE members, students, alumni, and other attendees. 5:30-6:00 - Life Members Affinity Group: Surveillance in Society - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Presented by Dr Murray Milner Surveillance technologies are becoming increasingly embedded in modern society. This talk will examine their potential benefits, risks, and broader implications, including the trade-offs between security, convenience, privacy, and public trust. 6:00-6:40 - Women in Engineering Affinity Group and VUW Student Branch: Sensing the Future: How Our Alumni Are Using Tech for Good Moderated by Yuye Zhang This session will showcase how VUW alumni are applying engineering, artificial intelligence, sensing, and data technologies to address real-world environmental and societal challenges. Speakers: Ziyi Sun: Machine Learning and Remote Sensing for Dynamic Forest Mapping in Aotearoa Anjali De Silva: TBA This event is organised by the IEEE New Zealand Central Section, together with its Young Professionals, Life Members, Women in Engineering Affinity Groups, and VUW Student Branch. IEEE membership is not required to attend. Members and non-members are equally welcome.