On January 15, 2023, the IEEE ComSoc Chile Chapter had its ExCom 2023-2024 launch meeting. On this occasion, Dr. Diego Dujovne, Past Chair and Associate Professor at Universidad Diego Portales (UDP), Chile, made the official transition of functions to the new Chair of the IEEE ComSoc Chile Chapter, Dr. Miguel Gutiérrez Gaitán, Assistant Professor at Universidad Nacional Andrés Bello (UNAB), Chile.

Prof. Miguel Gutiérrez Gaitán holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Porto, Portugal, a MS in Telecommunications Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy, and a BS in Electronics Engineering from the Pontifical Catholica University of Valparaíso (PUCV), Chile.

Prof. Diego Dujovne holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Université Nice-Sophia Antipolis, France, and a BS in Electronic Engineering from the National University of Córdoba (UNC), Argentina.

During this meeting, Prof. Diego Dujovne, and Ing. Pedro Aguilera, Past Secretary, and now Treasurer of the Chapter, highlighted the main activities and achievement of the past term, offering mature reflections on the past experiences and ongoing challenges for the Chapter. On the other hand, Prof. Miguel Gutiérrez Gaitán, presented his plans, vision, and main ideas about the future of the Chapter, with focus on the development of internationalization and student branches.

Among the planned activities for the present term, the IEEE ComSoc Chile Chapter is glad to announce the technical sponsorship for the 2023 South American Conference on Visible Light Communications (SACVLC), to be held at the Universidad of Santiago de Chile (USACH), between November 8 and 10, 2023. Moreover, the IEEE ComSoc Chile Chapter is enthusiastic on participating in the 2023 ComSoc Sister Chapters Program Project, led by Prof. Mohab Mangoud and Prof. Ricardo Veiga, which will greatly benefit IEEE student branches worldwide. Lastly, also in the line of the internationalization plan, the whole new ExCom of IEEE ComSoc Chile Chapter is joining efforts in bringing to Chile, two IEEE ComSoc Distinguished Lecture Tours (DLTs) among different academic institutions, including UNAB, UDP, and USACH, among others.

To conclude, the IEEE Chile ComSoc Chapter invite all the local, regional, and international community to contact the new Chair, Prof. Miguel Gutiérrez Gaitán (miguel.gutierrez@unab.cl) to joint efforts and organize together further virtual, in-person, and hybrid activities around communication technology to “advance communications and networking technology for the betterment of humanity.”