I successfully completed an IEEE ComSoc Distinguished Lecture Tour (DLT) to Canada in June 2025. The tour followed IEEE ICC 2025 in Montreal, so the exchange of information and ideas was doubled. The tour included four institutions where the audience contributed remarkably insightful ideas, making the exchange of information a genuinely memorable experience.”

Talks given

In this DLT, I delivered four talks, scheduled as follows:

• Talk one at Concordia University, Montreal-Quebec, hosted by Prof. Chadi Assi, on 13 June 2025.

• Talk 2 at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, hosted by Prof. Hossam Hassanein, on 16 June 2025.

• Talk 3 at Waterloo University, Waterloo, Ontario, hosted by Prof. Raouf Boutaba, on 17 June 2025.

• Talk 4 at Western University, London, Ontario, hosted by Prof. Abdallah Shami, on 18 June 2025.

All of my talks had the title of “Beyond the Horizon: Terahertz Communications Inclusion in 6G Networks,” where wireless backhaul/fronthaul links are proposed as an alternative for massive deployment of small cells because they are more flexible, easy to deploy, and cost-effective as compared to the traditional optical fiber links. High-frequency millimeter-wave (mmWave) and terahertz (THz) links meet the capacity requirements of next-generation communication networks. However, mmWave/THz links suffer from susceptibility to weather conditions and require a line-of-sight (LoS) connection, which is the main hurdle in urban regions. The utilization of UAVs and HAPS as a wireless fronthaul hub point between small cells and the core network is a promising solution. These vertical-hubs, acting as networked flying platforms (NFPs), provide a possibility of a wireless LoS fronthaul link and thus enable the implementation of mmWave/THz in commercial systems at a fast pace, and are expected to boom in the next few years.

In all talks, recent standardization activities by IEEE ComSoc have been presented, and the audience has been encouraged (especially PhD students) to make their work into IEEE standards. At the end of each talk, I promoted IEEE ComSoc to the audience and explained how the Technical Committees (TCs) can serve as a path to reach standardization activities.

It is impressive to see that each talk attracted many specialized attendees, with special attention to the one at Queen’s University, which had more than 50 attendees, including both staff members and research students. It was special as it was part of the WATR workshop, where I gave the talk and later participated as a panellist. Following each presentation, I engaged in thought-provoking discussions with the audience on UAVs, 6G, THz technologies, and the technical aspects covered in my talk. We also explored various pathways to participate in the IEEE standardization process for these emerging fields. I encouraged all attendees to register with IEEE ComSoc and actively contribute to its Technical Committees, fostering their involvement in shaping future standards.

Beyond the Talks

I should mention that this trip to Canada was very nice, as it followed the IEEE ICC 2025 conference in Montreal. As the whole duration of my visit (ICC+DLT) was more than 1 week, then a weekend happened in the middle, and it was very convenient to relax. I stayed in Kingston, Ontario, a very nice and small city on the lake, that weekend. I really enjoyed my stay there and went to dinner with friends, as well as did some sightseeing. I was invited to lunch/dinner at all my talks. Even I liked driving between the 4 cities. The road trip was enjoyable. The last day in London, Ontario, was also remarkable, as the host took me on a tour of the city the night before the talk, showing me the city’s highlights. The whole country is highly developed and welcoming, and I enjoyed everything in it; I even went shopping during the weekend. All technical and non-technical discussions throughout the visit were both engaging and insightful. I’ve shared several photos from my talks on LinkedIn, where I reflected on the DLT experience with colleagues and friends around the world, and highlighted the key benefits of the DL program.