Medellín, the second-most-important city in Colombia and a district of Science, Technology, and Innovation, welcomed the IEEE ComSoc School Series 2025 Event from March 17 to 21. In this city, the IEEE ComSoc Colombia Chapter and the Universidad de Antioquia organized an activity that brought together 30 students from different institutions in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.
Event Facts and Statistics
The ComSoc School series was widely accepted by students across different countries, particularly in South America. 47 applications were received and were submitted to a detailed selection process, during which 30 students representing countries such as Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile were selected to participate in the immersive experience designed for this edition of the event. The participants were split between 10 women and 20 men, enrolled with student chapters in the corresponding branches of their originating universities. The School Series was held at Recinto Quirama, a rural hotel in El Carmen de Viboral, a town in the east region of Antioquia, 30 km from Medellín downtown. This was an ideal location, since it allowed students to concentrate on the development of the technical activities that were prepared by the organizers.
Keynotes and Tutorials
ComSoc School Series 2025 had as its main topic “Internet of the Future.” The event was opened with three presentations introducing the attendees to Universidad de Antioquia and the research group in telecommunications (by Professor Natalia Gaviria, from Universidad de Antioquia, former Chair of Colombia ComSoc Chapter), the IEEE and ComSoc Ecosystem (by Professor Diana Briceño from Universidad Santo Tomás, ViceChair of Colombia ComSoc Chapter), and the IEEE Humanitarian Technology initiative (by Professor Andrés Navarro from Universidad ICESI and former IEEE Colombia Section Chair and IEEE Andean Council Director).
The keynotes and tutorials developed addressed different topics such as Internet Structure, Software-Defined Networks and Programmable Data Planes, Cloud Infrastructure, and AI-based Cyber Security. The opening keynote was presented by Professor Luciano Gaspary from Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Professor Gaspary, a renowned member of the academic community in the area of Network Management (Receiver of the ComSoc Dan Stokesberry Award), presented the conference The Internet Odyssey: Contrasting Its Past and Envisioning Its Future, where he addressed different aspects of the past, present, and future of Internet and its infrastructure.
The second day was focused on Software Defined Networks, with tutorials on OpenFlow, presented by Professor Juan Felipe Botero from Universidad de Antioquia, and on P4, presented by Professor Sergio Gutiérrez, also from Universidad de Antioquia.
The third day included, in the morning, the tutorial on monitoring of home networks using Home Assistant, presented remotely by Professor Adrián Lara from Universidad de Costa Rica, and in the afternoon, the keynote and hands-on tutorial AI Safety and Security Testing, presented by engineer Roberta Robert, a renowned Security Analyst and Researcher from Brazil. Finally, on the third day, I had a tutorial on OpenStack to build private cloud infrastructure, and a closing panel with the speakers and professors participating in the event on the process of building a career in Computer Networks.
Social Activities
Although the event was conceived as a highly immersive experience, some time was set aside for social networking. On the first day’s dinner, a “secret friend” network activity was organized, which engaged participants in interaction. Through a game of questions and answers, attendees had to find their match to exchange a small gift with that person.
The second and third days included visits to two nearby towns, San Antonio de Pereira and El Retiro, both very nice and touristy. These visits gave attendees a glimpse of Antioquia’s culture and gastronomy. Attendee students enjoyed themselves and had a good time exploring these two places, where they could get a taste of Colombian coffee, typical pastries, and meals. Finally, for the last night, all the attendees have the opportunity to share a time watching the game between the Colombian and Brazilian soccer teams. This was a funny moment since two of the keynote speakers were Brazilian.
Conclusion
ComSoc School Series 2025 was an event that represented a relevant opportunity for Student Members from different countries in Latin America. In addition to hands-on training on hot topics in communications, such as programmable networks and AI-based security, attendees could interact with partners from different institutions and nations, which provided a valuable live experience. The feedback from attendees reported that this activity, organized by Colombia ComSoc Chapter and Universidad de Antioquia, exceeded expectations and offered student members an inspirational experience that will contribute to their personal and professional development and provide important elements for building their careers in the telecommunications industry.
