On behalf of the Women in Information Theory Society (WITHITS) and the Diversity and InclusionÌýcommittee (D&I) of the ITSOC, we are delighted to share details of a joint event we organized onÌýMonday June 26th at ISIT 2023. The event was in the evening, following a full day of talks andÌýplenary. To our delight, the event, comprising two parts, was very well attended by both junior andÌýestablished members of the society, setting up the stage for a wonderful evening of conversations,Ìýintrepid questions, and engaging back-and-forth between younger and senior members of theÌýsociety.
The first half, entitled "Dinner and Date" was focused on small group interactions that providedÌýparticipating attendees to connect and network with one another in small group settings. The 70-oddÌýparticipants were divided into nine groups (each group seated around a table) with about 9Ìýparticipants per table. Two participants at each table were chosen a priori as mentors, thus providingÌýa mechanism to moderate and engage conversations. We are thankful to all the mentors includingÌýLele Wang, Stefano Rini, Martina Cardone, Carrson Fung, Tara Javidi, Lalitha Vadlamani, DanielaÌýTuninetti, Hye Won Chung, Victoria Kostina, Flavio Calmon, Mykola Servetnyk, Michelle Effros, YingÌýLi, Lalitha Sankar, Parastoo Sadeghi, Oliver Kosut, and Ling-Hua Chang. Conversation topicsÌýincluded discussion of research topics, applying for postdoctoral positions, industry vs. academicÌýjobs, and even discussions on writing proposals. It was clear that the conversations were veryÌýengaging (over a delightful dinner; big shout out to the ISIT 2023 organizers for the splendidÌýarrangements and support throughout the event organization!) so much so that it was hard to beginÌýtransitioning to the second event of the evening. It was immensely satisfying to see enthusiasticÌýparticipation by everyone and even more to see the gender and geographical diversity of theÌýparticipants. A few graduate students expressed interest in volunteering for WITHITS includingÌýhelping with the website, recording videos etc.
The second half of the evening involved a panel event focused on the topic of D&I in the AsianÌýacademy. We were joined by nine panelists (Stefano Rini, Carrson Fung, Lalitha Vadlamani, HyeÌýWon Chung, Mykola Servetnyk, Ying Li, Parastoo Sadeghi, Brian Kurkoski and Ling-Hua Chang),Ìýeight from academia and one from the industry, spanning several countries including Taiwan, S.ÌýKorea, Australia, Japan, and India with a good mix of male and female researchers. The focus ofÌýthis event was in both discussing the challenges that women and foreign natives face in theirÌýrespective settings as well as appreciating the strides that have been made. It was a veryÌýenlightening session that, while highlighting distinct local challenges, also emphasized the globalÌýefforts being made everywhere to be more inclusive. In many ways, it was eye opening for both theÌýpanelists and the participants to learn about one another's challenging experiences.
In summary, our joint event at ISIT 2023, co-organized by WITHITS and the D&I committee ofÌýITSOC, served as a valuable space for networking, mentorship, and meaningful discussions. WeÌýcelebrated the diverse voices and experiences within our community and explored ways to promoteÌýdiversity and inclusion in academia. We look forward to continued collaboration and progress inÌýpromoting diversity and inclusion within our community.
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