Yuko Rikuta, Nanaho Kawata, Qiaowei Yuan
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The special session, titled “Moving Forward Together—Excellent Women in Engineering,” was successfully held on 1 September at Kozo Keikaku Engineering Inc. in Tokyo, Japan. This session was sponsored by the IEEE AP-S Tokyo Chapter and cosponsored by the MTT-S Japan Chapter, MTT-S AdHoc D&I Committee, and IEICE Technical Committee on Antennas and Propagation. As the inaugural event of the ISAP2025WIE committee, members of the ISAP2025WIE committee organized this session (see “ISAP2025WIE Committee” sidebar).
The primary objective of the session was to showcase global diversity and inclusion (D&I) and Women in Engineering (WIE) initiatives while highlighting the accomplishments of women in the electromagnetic field, particularly those from Japan and other Asian countries. Our aim is to promote their careers and research on an international scale, encouraging the active participation of women in engineering worldwide. Additionally, we seek to continue promoting the contributions of women within Region 10 (Asia and Pacific) and inspire more young women to pursue careers in engineering.
The D&I session comprised two parts, as outlined in Figure 1, featuring a diverse range of researchers and engineers from Japan and around the world. Part 1 included a series of presentations. The first speaker, Prof. Qiaowei Yuan (Tohoku Institute of Technology, Japan) (Figure 2), delivered the opening remarks, emphasizing the session’s powerful goal: “No talent remains untapped. No voice goes unheard.” Following this, Prof. Wenquan Che (MTT-S D&I Ad Hoc Committee chair, South China University of Technology, China) (Figure 3) illuminated the progress of D&I initiatives within the MTT-S, highlighting the significant increase in female membership due to dedicated support activities and outlining future initiatives aimed at supporting young researchers, female researchers, and researchers from Regions 8, 9, and 10. She also expressed a positive outlook on the promotion of multilingual events in Japan in the near future. Finally, Dr. Khanita Duangchaemkarn (IEEE R10 WIE Committee chair, University of Phayao, Thailand) (Figure 4) discussed D&I initiatives within IEEE R10, underscoring the importance of gender diversity in their committee. She also mentioned the formation of the Ad Hoc DEI Committee to further research and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Figure 1. The program of the D&I session. (Source: https://ken.ieice.org/ken/program/index.php?mode=program&tgs_regid=1eac64827224c932a6eea8bc423f099cef040c66abbb4015616971138cf929a2&tgid=IEICE-AP&layout=&lang=eng.)
Figure 2. Prof. Qiaowei Yuan.
Figure 3. Prof. Wenquan Che.
Figure 4. Dr. Khanita Duangchaemkarn.
The heart of the D&I session lay in Part 2: the technical presentations. We heard from four distinguished engineers, two from Japan and two from abroad, who have made impactful strides in the electromagnetic field. These stories are not merely accounts of success; they are narratives of determination, resilience, and inspiration. These technical reports expanded our knowledge and ignited the spark of ambition within each of us. The details of their reports are as follows.
Associate Prof. Lei Guo (Dalian University of Technology, China) presented her research on dual-band RF power harvesters, RF power harvesters with quasi-full space coverage, and wide-power-range RF power harvesters (Figure 5). Prof. Fauziahanim Che Seman (University Tun Hussein Onn, Malaysia) introduced her university and her research on evaluating glucose concentration using terahertz-time-domain spectroscopy combined with frequency-selective surface structures (Figure 6).
Figure 5. Associate Prof. Lei Guo.
Figure 6. Prof. Fauziahanim Che Seman.
Dr. Yukiko Kishiki (Kozo Keikaku Engineering Inc.) not only discussed her research and development work on Cyber Physical Systems wireless emulators but also shared her diverse career experiences and her involvement in external activities such as conferences (Figure 7). Nanaho Kawata (Antenna Giken Co., Ltd.) highlighted her dual role as a working engineer and a student pursuing a doctorate, all while working on the development of millimeter-wave multiple-input/multiple-output ground-based synthetic aperture radar for disaster monitoring (Figure 8).
Figure 7. Dr. Yukiko Kishiki.
Figure 8. Nanaho Kawata.
The Q&A discussion continued after the session, indicating a high level of engagement from the audience. The presence of many young students and women among the attendees gives us hope for an increase in female researchers in the engineering field in the future (Figures 3–9). The session was conducted in two languages, involved multiple IEEE Chapters, encompassed both academia and industry, and welcomed participants from various countries. Therefore, it can be rightfully described as a genuinely diverse and inclusive session. This meeting style marked a first for the IEICE Technical Committee on Antenna Propagation, which boasts a history spanning more than 50 years. We aspire to see this session serve as a pioneer in promoting D&I within the IEICE and IEEE communities, thereby fostering greater innovation within both organizations.
Figure 9. All the chairs and some of the presenters and the audience.
In addition, four ISAP2025WIE members and one of the speakers, Dr. Yukiko Kishiki, had a wonderful opportunity to share their career experiences during lunch before the session (Figure 10). Their diverse backgrounds and experiences sparked numerous ideas. Considering that the number of women in engineering, especially in Japan, is relatively small, this lunchtime gathering held special significance for connecting and sharing experiences. The participants were actively engaged in discussions and communication.
Figure 10. The lunch meeting.
ISAP2025WIE Committee
The ISAP2025WIE committee aims to provide a platform for female researchers and engineers to interact, fostering their active participation and rich development, and supporting diverse career development opportunities in the International Symposium on Antennas and Propagation (ISAP) held in Fukuoka 2025.
Qiaowei Yuan is the corresponding author.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MMM.2023.3325700