Distinguished Lecture – An IEEE SSIT Distinguished Lecture

Organized by the IEEE PES SBC at The University of Manchester

On Tuesday, 20th February 2024, the highly anticipated IEEE SSIT Distinguished Lecture Program (DLP) titled “mHealth4Afrika-Issues associated with Technology Adoption in Resource Constrained Environments” was delivered by the renowned Professor Paul M Cunningham. There was one more lecture titled “Toolkits for building Leadership Capabilities” delivered by Dr Princy Johnson. The lectures, held in Oddfellows Hall_G.007 at 13:00 GMT, proved to be a highly informative and insightful event.

Professor Paul M Cunningham, a Fellow of IEEE, and a SSIT Distinguished Lecturer, holds esteemed positions including the Chair of IEEE, UK and Ireland Section. Dr Princy Johnson, a Fellow of IEEE, and a SSIT Distinguished Lecturer, holds esteemed positions including the Chair of IEEE, UK and Ireland Section, Women in Power Affinity group.

The talk, effectively organized and hosted by The University of Manchester IEEE PES SBC, piqued the interest of attendees from various backgrounds and various universities. The event had 13 attendees, out of which 6 were from the University of Manchester, 5 were from the University of Bolton, 1 from the University of Birmingham and 1 from the University of Leeds.

Figure 1. Event Flyer

Elizabeth Michalenko, Chair of IEEE PES SBC UoM, started the event by providing a short presentation on the IEEE followed by an introduction of Prof Paul Cunningham and Dr Princy Johnson.

Figure 2. Elizabeth Michalenko, Chair IEEE PES SBC UoM, introducing Professor Paul Cunningham to the audience

Professor Paul M Cunningham’s presentation was a treasure trove of the latest developments and challenges regarding Technology Solutions for Resource Constrained Environments. Drawing from his extensive research projects and collaborations with industry partners, he shared valuable insights and practical solutions.

Moreover, Professor Paul M Cunningham’s passion for improving the IEEE SBC Events inspired the audience. He emphasized on collaboration between different IEEE Student Branches and suggested the Student Branches to host City-Wide Events.

Figure 3. Professor Paul Cunningham providing an overview of the IEEE Strategic Plan 2020-2025.

He also suggested that the details, including an email-id for contact, be noted for use in future communications. He also suggested the use of a mailing list for the Chairs of the various SBCs to contact him. He invited further collaboration by asking for suggestions regarding the future of IEEE and expressed his excitement for the forthcoming era. The engaging Q&A session allowed participants to interact directly with Professor Paul M Cunningham.

Dr Princy Johnson talked about different leadership frameworks, including the Emotional Competence Framework, the Nine Team Roles and Level 5 Hierarchy while emphasizing the importance of Leadership and giving practical advice to the audience. She also challenged the attendees to think about the weakness of their favourite leader and gave the audience many examples from her past work.

Figure 4. Dr Princy Johnson discussing about Level 5 Leadership
Figure 5. Attendees of the event
Figure 6. Attendees from the University of Manchester with Professor Paul Cunningham

The University of Manchester IEEE PES SBC organizing committee expresses their sincere gratitude to Professor Paul M Cunningham and Dr Princy Johnson for enlightening the audience. For additional information, including the biography of Professor Paul M Cunningham and/or Dr Princy Johnson and the abstract of their lectures, please visit the Manchester PES SBC website.

Samvit Mavinkurve

Vice Chair, IEEE PES SBC at The University of Manchester