8 CAN. J. ELECT. & COMP. ENG., VOL. 17, NO. 1, 1992

AT THE CANADIAN CONFERENCE ON ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING (CCECE '91/CCGEI '91)

Michel Lecours Gilles-Y. Delisle Conference Chairman Technical Program Chairman

Le quatrième congrès en génie électrique et informatique, organisé par la Société canadienne de génie électrique et informatique avec la collaboration de IEEE Canada, qui s'est tenue à Québec du 25 au 27 septembre, a été cette année encore un franc succès. Le prochain congrès organisé conjointement par les deux sociétés se tiendra à Toronto en septembre 1992.

Pourquoi organiser annuellement un congrès majeur au Canada? Quelles sont les conditions à rencontrer pour que ce succès se poursuive?

At the end of September, the 4th annual Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering took place in Quebec City. Some 450 participants gathered at the three-day scientific conference, having a choice between eight parallel sessions devoted to scientific papers covering the main fields of electrical and computer engineering. The conference also provided an opportunity for the presentation of the Ross Medal and the Julian C Smith Award by the CSECE, and the McNaughton Medal by the IEEE. Most interesting, there was also a discussion forum organized on the state and future of electrical power engineering education in Quebec.

In addition, there were two plenary sessions, lunch and banquet speeches by international and Canadian guests dealing in different ways with the general theme of this year's conference: Canada in the international competition era. Speakers on this general theme included Maurice Huppé, executive vice-president, Hydro-Québec; Jacques Lyrette, assistant deputy minister for Quebec at the Department of Communications; and Emile Gratton, vice-president, marteting, Northern Telecom Canada. Speakers for the plenary sessions were Mr. M. Macioti, chief advisor in science and technology at the European Community Commission; Mr. B.S. Murty, ex-member (production) of the Telecom Board of the Government of India; and Mr. W. Andresen, vice-president, marketing, Dataradio, Montreal, addressing the point of view of small- and medium-sized Canadian enterprises.

Why a major annual Canadian conference? This year's conference came on the footsteps of the conferences organized in Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa from 1988 to 1990,

and many will also remember the bi-annual major conferences which were organized by the IEEE in Montreal and Toronto in previous years. The 1992 conference will be held in Toronto from September 13 to 15, and future annual conferences up to 1995 have been announced in Vancouver, Halifax and Montreal.

Why a major scientific Canadian conference when there are so many such conferences every year, every week, perhaps every day around the world? Why is there a need to spend so much time and energy on such a (idomestic " gathering, instead of investing the same on more specialized international events, where we can meet the scientific stars and brains of this world in our field of interest, develop useful international relations and make a name for ourselves and for Canada?

Apartfrom the purely scientific goals of the conference, which are important in themselves, there is a very strong socio-economic motivation, namely to foster interaction and networking in the electrical and computer engineering community concerned with R&D, and to include in this network a broad spectrum of people coming from Canadian industries, governments and universities. Since R&D activities in Canada are diverse, and since organizations and individuals are often called upon to take new orientations and to adapt to new technologies, new trends and to a fluid market place, a major conference covering a relatively broad realm of activities and interests is a good means to foster this interaction.

In addition, let us not forget that such a conference is also, in a very real way, a "political" platform for leaders, thinkers and decision makers in industry and government, who are asked to talk at plenary sessions or as dinner speakers. By doing so, they too are contributing to the shaping of ideas and of new policies, and to the establishment of a technological network.

Why not restrict ourselves to smaller meetings and workshops in Canada? Workshops have an important role to play in that they are able to attract specialists in a given field, to focus on a subject of interest.

They do not require as much organization, but they also do not benefit from the same publicity, audience and permanence from year to year as a major conference. Indeed, it may be useful at times to use an annual conference to organize a workshop, as was done this year for a discussion forum on electrical power engineering education.

Is there a recipe for success? The history of the Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering until now has demonstrated the need for such an

event. What are the ingredients for success? Certainly, determination, hard work, and a high scientific level are essential. Furthermore, there is no way to maintain such a

conference as a profitable activity without a high degree of voluntary involvement. It is obvious that university staff have a definite responsibility here, in regard to their broad mandate to foster education and research. But in order to reach a large enough audience, and to make sure the conference themes and activities greatly expand outside the narrow confines of academic research, an active participation of the engineering community as a whole is essential.

Past and present experience indicates it is doubtful Canada could support more than one major successful conference yearly. While encouraging a diversified spectrum of electrical and computer engineering activities in Canada, it is imperative to maintain a concentration of activities in such a unique forum. People and groups should be encouraged either to directly use the CCECE as a means to organize meetings, seminars, worfahops, tutorials and exhibitions, or to coordinate events with the CCECE.

With IEEE Canada co-sponsoring the 1992 Conference, this annual event should continue to be a success in the years to come.

—Ά CANADIAN CONFERENCE ON

ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING (CCECE-92) September 13-16,1992

Delta Chelsea Inn, 33 Gerrard St. W. Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Sponsored by the Canadian Society for Electrical and Computer Engineering,

a Constituent Society of the Engineering Institute of Canada Co-sponsored by IEEE Canada

CALL FOR PAPERS The conference provides a forum for the presentation of electrical and computer engineering research work carried out in Canada and other countries and fosters interaction between industrial and university researchers. Papers may be presented in English or French.

PROCEDURES Prospective authors are invited to propose papers in any of the technical areas listed below. The CCECE-92 Technical Program Committee will select papers for presentation and organize the final program. Papers will be presented in oral and poster sessions. A four-page copy of each paper will be published in the Proceedings of CCECE-92. Submission of a proposal implies a commitment to present a paper, if accepted. Participation in the program is conditional upon adhering to the schedules and procedures outlined in the Call for Papers.

PAPER ÇATEÇQRIES

1. Artificial Intelligence and Knowledge Based Systems 10. General Techniques for Information Technology 2. Biomedicai Engineering 11. Industrial Materials, Inspection and Processes 3. Communications 12. Neural Networks and Applications 4. Communication Networks 13. Parallel Processing 5. Computers 14. Systems Control 6. Computer Vision, and Robotics 15. Power Devices and Systems 7. Electronics 16. Signal/Image Processing and Applications 8. Energy, Environment 17. Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) 9. Fiber and Laser Technologies 18. Wave Sciences

Please submit three copies of a 400-500 word summary by March 15,1992 to the Technical Program Chairperson shown below. In addition to this summary, please answer the following questions clearly and concisely on one additional page which should be attached to the top of your summary.

Paper Title:

Author(s) (Last name) (First name) (Affiliation) (Telephone) (Fax)

1. Describe the problem that you have addressed.

2. Why is the problem important?

3. What is the original contribution of this work?

4. Does it check and/or extend previously reported work? What work? (Give references.)

5. Are the author(s) of this paper also authors or coauthors on other submissions? Which submissions?

6. Into which of the fifteen categories (listed above) does the paper fit? (List order of preference. Give a number for each.)

Prof. Anastasios N. Venetsanopoulos Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Toronto

10 King's College Road, Toronto, Ontario CANADA M5S 1A4 Tel: (416) 978-8670 Fax: (416) 978-7423

E-mail:zhou@dsp.comm.toronto.edu

Notification of acceptance/rejection will be sent by May 15.1992. Accepted papers will be published in the Conference Proceedings. A camera-ready version of the paper must be received by June 30.1992. To receive further information on the conference (including conference program), please write to the Conference Registrar: Kathy Mahoney, OCRI, Ottawa Carleton Research Institute, 340 March Road, 4th Floor, Kanata, Ontario, Canada K2K 2E4. Tel: (613) 592-9211, Fax: (613) 592-8163. The General Conference Chairperson is Celia L. Desmond, Telecom Canada, 800 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2E1, Tel: (416) 353-4080, Fax: (416) 920-6689. ENVOY:C.LJDESMOND

CONGRÈS CANADIEN EN GÉNIE ÉLECTRIQUE ET INFORMATIQUE (CCGEI-92)

le 13-16 septembre 1992 Delta Chelsea Inn, 33 rue Gerrard ouest, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Sous le patronage de La Société canadienne de génie électrique et informatique

Constituante de l'Institut canadien des ingénieurs

et IEEE Canada

SOLLICITATION DE COMMUNICATIONS Ce congrès fournit une tribune pour la présentation des projets de recherche en génie électrique et informatique effectués au Canada ainsi qu'à l'étranger et encourage l'interaction entre des chercheurs industriels et universitaires. Les communications pourraient être présentées en anglais ou en français.

PROCÉDURES

Les auteurs intéressés sont encouragés à soumettre des communications sur des sujets techniques indiqués ci-dessous. Le Comité du Programme Technique choisira des communications pour présentation et il organisera le programme final. Les communications seront présentées en sessions orales et en sessions avec les affiches. Un exemplaire de quatre pages de chaque communication sera publié dans le compte rendu du congrès. Il est entendu que les propositions soumises impliquent un engagement solide à présenter la communication dans le cas d'une acceptation. La participation au programme dépendra de la conformité aux procédures énoncées dans cette sollicitation de communications.

CATÉGQRÎES DES SUJETS

1. Intelligence artificielle et systèmes experts 10. Techniques générales pour la technologie de l'information 2 Génie Biomédical 11. Matériaux industriels et méthodes d'inspection 3. Communications 12. Réseaux neuraux-optiques et applications 4. Réseaux de communication 13. Traitement parallèle 5. Ordinateurs 14. Commande des systèmes 6. Vision artificielle et la robotique 15. Dispositifs et systèmes d'alimentation 7. Électronique 16. Traitement d'images et des signaux et applications 8. Énergie/Environnement 17. Très haute intégration 9. Les technologies des lasers et des fibres 18. Science des ondes

Veuillez soumettre trois exemplaires d'un sommaire de 400-500 mots au plus tard le 15 mars 1992 au Président du Programme Technique indiqué ci-dessous. De plus, veuillez remplir avec concision le questionnaire suivant sur une feuille supplémentaire qui devrait être jointe avec le sommaire.

Titre de la communication:

Auteur(s) (Nom) (Prénom) (Affiliation) (Téléphone) (Télécopieur)

1. Décrivez le problème que vous avez abordé.

2. Pourquoi ce problème est-il important?

3. Quelle est la contribution inédite de cet ouvrage?

4. Est-ce que cet ouvrage vérifie ou développe des idées déjà traitées? Quel(s) ouvrage(s)? (Donnez des références)

5. Les auteurs de cette communication sont-ils auteurs ou coauteurs des autres ouvrages soumis? Identifiez les communications.

6. Sous quelles rubriques (indiquées ci-dessus) cette communication est-elle destinée? Inscrivez les rubriques par ordre de préférence en les classant par numéros.

Prof. Anastasios N. Venetsanopoulos Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Toronto

10 chemin King's College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A4 Tel: (416) 978-8670 Télécopieur: (416) 978-7423

Courrier É:zhou@dsp.com m. toronto.edu

Notification d'acceptation ou de rejet sera acheminée au plus tard le 15 mai 1992. Les communications acceptées seront publiées dans le compte rendu congres. Une copie prête à la reproduction doit être reçue au plus tard le 30 juin 1992.

Pour de plus amples renseignements sur le congrès, veuillez écrire au Secrétaire d'inscriptions: Kathy Mahoney, OCRI, Institut de recherches d'Ottawa-Carleton, 340 chemin March, 4ième étage, Kanata, Ontario, Canada K2K 2E4. Tel: (613) 592-9211, Télécopieur: (613) 592-8163. La Présidente du congrès est Celia L. Desmond, Telecom Canada, 800, rue Bay, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2E1, Tel: (416) 353-4080, Télécopieur: (416) 920-6689. Représentante:C.L.Desmond