The IEEE Toronto Communications Society (ComSoc) Chapter made significant strides last month in advancing interdisciplinary research and fostering global collaboration through two high-impact events: the Inter-Society Distinguished Lecture Day and a Workshop on Sensing, Coding, and Communication. Bringing together experts from across diverse areas of communications, these gatherings underscored the Chapter’s rising influence in shaping the dialogue on next-generation communication systems.

Held on June 2nd at Toronto Metropolitan University, the Inter-Society Distinguished Lecture Day marked a successful joint initiative between the IEEE Toronto ComSoc Chapter and its counterparts from the Vehicular Technology Society (VTS) and Signal Processing Society (SPS). The event featured an impressive roster of eight distinguished lecturers presenting on topics at the intersection of communications, signal processing, and vehicular technologies.

Speakers included Prof. Selin Aviyente, Prof. Jelena Misic, Prof. Shahrokh Valaee, Prof. Dongmei Zhao, Prof. Hina Tabassum, Prof. Ping Wang, Dr. Fatima Hussain, and Prof. Lian Zhao. Each offered insights into frontier research areas such as multilayer networks, semantic communications using diffusion models, digital twins for vehicle platooning, Wi-Fi sensing technologies, and 6G intelligence.

Notably, Prof. Hina Tabassum and Dr. Fatima Hussain, both IEEE ComSoc Distinguished Lecturers, delivered in-depth perspectives on wireless sensing and cybersecurity:

• Prof. Tabassum delivered a talk titled “Self-Supervised Learning for Wi-Fi Sensing: Trends, Challenges, and Outlook,” highlighting emerging machine learning approaches for interpreting Wi-Fi data without manual labeling.

• Dr. Hussain’s talk, “Emerging Cyber Security Threats and Current State of Art,” demonstrated vulnerabilities in evolving communication infrastructures and defense mechanisms shaping the future of secure systems.

“This was a milestone event for our Chapter,” said Hadeel Elayan, the IEEE Toronto ComSoc chapter co-chair. “Bringing together three societies in one day of dialogue helped reinforce our collective role in driving innovation and mentoring the next generation of researchers.” The format allowed participants — particularly graduate students and early-career professionals — to engage with world-class research without leaving their home city. It also provided a platform to strengthen local academic connections and inspired new inter-society collaborations across Toronto’s IEEE community.

Building on the success of that event, the Toronto ComSoc Chapter partnered with the University of Toronto to host the Workshop on Sensing, Coding, and Communication on June 17. Professor Wei Yu of UofT’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department organized the workshop, which brought together top international scholars in Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), wireless coding, and reconfigurable systems.

With a strong research-oriented focus, the event featured presentations from:

• Prof. Henk Wymeersch (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden): “From ISAC to DISAC – Concepts, Trade-offs, and Opportunities”

• Prof. Shuowen Zhang (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University): “ISAC Beamforming and Distribution Awareness”

• Prof. Liang Liu (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University): “Ubiquitous Sensing in 6G Cellular Networks” (IEEE ComSoc Distinguished Lecture)

• Prof. Seok-Hwan Park (Jeonbuk National University, Korea): “Multi-UAV Collaborative Sensing and Data Collection”

• Prof. Emanuele Viterbo (Monash University, Australia): “Low-Complexity Binary Cyclic-Gap Constant Weight Codes”

• Prof. Hei Victor Cheng (Aarhus University, Denmark): “Modulating Information Through the Environment”

• Prof. Li-Hsiang Shen (National Central University, Taiwan): “Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces: Theory and Advances”

The workshop delved into emerging communication paradigms’ technical and theoretical foundations, from joint radar-communication designs to intelligent surface-based signal manipulation. Discussions emphasized practical implementation and theoretical modeling, helping attendees bridge the gap between innovation and deployment.

“Workshops like these are essential for academic cross-pollination,” noted one participant. “The opportunity to ask questions, debate, and learn from global experts — all in a single venue — adds enormous value for students and researchers alike.”

The event was particularly timely as ISAC technologies are increasingly seen as key enablers for 6G systems and beyond, allowing wireless networks to sense, localize, and interpret the environment while simultaneously delivering data. Researchers presented fresh perspectives on trade-offs between communication quality and sensing resolution and novel strategies for exploiting reconfigurable environments and aerial platforms.

The Distinguished Lecture Day and the UofT Workshop exemplify the Toronto ComSoc Chapter’s role as a dynamic hub for cutting-edge research and international collaboration. The events reinforced the technical strength of the local IEEE community and highlighted Toronto’s position on the global research map.

The Chapter credited its success to strong partnerships across institutions, the support of the IEEE Toronto Section, and the active engagement of volunteers and student members. Organizers expressed particular gratitude to the IEEE Communications Society for providing resources and Distinguished Lecturer access that made the events possible.

As the IEEE Communications Society continues to promote integrated sensing, intelligent systems, and secure networking for future communication paradigms, the Toronto Chapter is positioning itself as a vital player—facilitating dialogue, fostering research, and inspiring the next wave of innovation.