HISTELCON 2017, the 5th in its series (after HISTELCON 2008 in Paris HISTELCON 2010 in Madrid, HISTELCON 2012 in Pavia, and HISTELCON 2015 in Tel Aviv), will be held on August 7 & 8 in 2017 at Graduate School of Applied Informatics, University of Hyogo, Kobe, Japan. This HISTELCON is a flagship biennial-conference of the IEEE Region 8, but this time the IEEE Japan Council History Committee will host it, cosponsored by all of nine IEEE Sections in Japan and technically cosponsored by the IEEE Region 8.

The campus of Graduate School of Applied Informatics, University of Hyogo, and the surrounding Kobe Port-Island Area, with their intensive high-tech activities including the RIKEN’s K computer, one of the highest caliber of supercomputers in the world, will offer an excellent venue for this meeting.

It should be added that as most people may know, on January 17 in 1995 the Great Hanshin Earthquake of M 7.3 struck Kobe city and the surrounding areas, causing the catastrophic damage of more than 6,000 deaths, more than 150,000 collapsed homes, and over 300,000 people evacuated to more than 1,000 shelters. Therefore, we hope that HISTELCON 2017 will bring significant benefits to the attendees in terms of not only acquiring technical expertise but also observing miraculous post-quake recovery of Kobe.

Conference theme

The main objective of this HISTELCON is to increase the understanding of the origins as well as the early developments in the field of electrical engineering and computing. As always, HISTELCON 2017 welcomes all papers on the history of high-tech within IEEE’s areas of interest, featuring the historic expertise of any scientific and technological achievement, which has already been approved as an IEEE Milestone or may be a possible candidate for the IEEE Milestone.
The conference program will also feature high-profile keynote presentations, oral　sessions, and exhibitions of IEEE Milestones attained by Japanese companies.

The conference theme is including, but not limited to

    Origins and early developments of high-tech in electrical engineering and computing.
    The cultural/social/economical drivers for the development of high-tech within IEEE’s areas of interest.
    The impact of electro-technologies on culture/society/economics.
    Governmental policies to foster high-tech of IEEE’s areas in different cultures/ societies.