IEEE ComSoc Women in Communications Engineering (WICE) is a ComSoc Standing Committee dedicated to promoting the visibility and roles of women in communications engineering. Two WICE panels were held on September 7, 2023, during the 2023 IEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor, and Mobile Radio Communications Conference (PIMRC) in Toronto, Canada.

The first panel was informal, with a short welcome message from the WICE chair, Baek-Young Choi, followed by a Q&A moderated by Monireh Vamegh during lunchtime, with panelists and an audience in a friendly environment. The second panel was a formal technical panel on 6G, with a welcome message from the WICE chair, followed by Q&A and the themed discussion moderated by the WICE secretary, Kuljeet Kaur.

Panel 1: “Empower Your Passion as a Woman in Engineering”

The speakers in the first panel were Lian Zhao (Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada), Jianglei Ma (Technical VP, Huawei Ottawa R&D Center, Canada), Gunes Karabulut Kurt (Associate Professor, Polytechnique Montréal), Toktam Mahmoodi (Professor, King’s College London, UK), Baek-Young Choi (Professor, University of Missouri — Kansas City, USA), and Dongmei Zhao (Professor, McMaster University, Canada) moderated by Monireh Vamegh (Huawei Ottawa R&D Center, Canada).

This panel invited top women from academia and industry to share their knowledge and experience on different aspects of work and life, e.g., how they empower themselves to become professionals, their experience leading a team, how they keep their passion high in professional areas while taking on the duty of mothers, ways to achieve continuous learning in today’s evolutionary era of technology, etc. This panel attracted quite a few attendees, who discussed their concerns about women in engineering with the speakers.

Panel 2: “Unlocking the Potential of 6G: Shaping the Next Generation of Connectivity”

In the ever-evolving telecommunications landscape, the transition from 4G to 5G represented a quantum leap in connectivity, enabling innovations that touched every aspect of our lives. Now, on the horizon, we glimpse the next frontier - 6G technology. Beyond merely promising faster speeds and lower latency, 6G holds the potential to redefine the very fabric of our connected world. This panel was a technical discussion on “Unlocking the Potential of 6G: Shaping the Next Generation of Connectivity.”

The panel was moderator by Dr. Kuljeet Kaur, Associate Professor at École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), Montreal. The esteemed panelist comprised of Lian Zhao (Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada), Jianglei Ma (Technical VP, Huawei Ottawa R&D Center, Canada), Gunes Karabulut Kurt (Associate Professor, Polytechnique Montréal), Toktam Mahmoodi (Professor, King’s College London, UK), and Baek-Young Choi (Professor, University of Missouri – Kansas City, USA).

WICE chair Prof. Baek-Young Choi opened the panel with a welcome speech. The moderator then briefly introduced all the panelists, mentioning their names and designations and giving a quick overview of their experiences related to the topic. Following this, the moderator shared some key points related to the Potential of 6G: Shaping the Next Generation of Connectivity, setting the context for the discussion. Finally, the panel opened a Q&A round. The panel gave the audience an open-ended opportunity to ask the panelists direct questions. Each panelist took turns responding, sharing their experiences, strategies, and challenges to answer the questions raised. It touched on different areas of 6G, ranging from security and privacy, potential use cases, and spectrum allocation to energy efficiency. Overall, the panel discussion was a huge success and lasted about one hour and 30 minutes.

Some of the questions asked during the panel discussion were as follows:

• 6G is expected to enable many new applications and use cases. What are some of the most exciting and transformative use cases that 6G could support?

• Given the scarce radio spectrum, what strategies should be considered to ensure efficient spectrum allocation and management for 6G networks?

• The potential attack surface also grows With increased connectivity and data exchange. What security and privacy measures should be prioritized in developing 6G networks?

• As technology advances, so does its energy consumption. How can the industry work towards making 6G more energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable compared to previous generations?

• As technology becomes increasingly integrated into our lives, what ethical considerations should be considered when designing and deploying 6G networks and applications?

• What challenges and opportunities will arise during the transition from 5G to 6G? How can industries and users smoothly migrate to the new generation without disruption?

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning are expected to play a significant role in 6G networks. How do you envision AI and ML enhancing network management, optimization, and user experiences?