By: Hisham Neyaz, IEEE YP Operations Subcommittee Chair & 2026 PE Forum Lead
[Online, 9 August 2025] – The 2026 IEEE President-Elect Candidate Forum, organized by IEEE Young Professionals, brought IEEE members together virtually on 9 August 2025, from 10:00 to 11:00 EDT, to engage directly with the candidates and learn about their vision for the organization’s future. Hosted on the SpatialChat platform, the forum offered an interactive and dynamic environment for members worldwide.
The session opened with welcoming remarks from Antonio Luque, IEEE Director & Vice President, Member & Geographic Activities, who emphasized the importance of member engagement in IEEE’s democratic process.
The event featured Jill I. Gostin and David Alan Koehler, both nominated by the IEEE Board of Directors for the position of IEEE President-Elect 2026. The main host was Saaveethya Sivakumar, Chair of IEEE Young Professionals. Candidate Koehler was hosted by Alberto Tam Yong and Ana Inês Inácio, while Candidate Gostin was hosted by Chamika Sudusinghe and Sajith Wijesuriya.
Ahead of the session, the organizing team received over 400 questions from members worldwide, underscoring the high level of engagement in IEEE’s leadership process. To ensure broad representation of member concerns within the limited time, the team carefully analyzed and selected 10 questions that reflected the most common themes and topics raised by members. Candidates addressed topics ranging from advancing emerging technologies to strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The forum attracted participants from around the world, from multiple regions, highlighting IEEE’s global reach. Despite the challenge of coordinating across time zones, members joined live to engage in the discussion, a testament to the community’s commitment to IEEE’s future. Voting for the 2026 IEEE President-Elect is open from 15 August 2025 until 12:00 noon ET (16:00 UTC) on 1 October 2025. Full details and candidate profiles are available at https://candidates.ieee.org/. The event received positive remarks and comments from attendees, reflecting appreciation for the opportunity to connect directly with the candidates and engage in open dialogue.
